Porcelain slabs should be unloaded in their frames or crates with a suitable forklift, kept upright on edge, and moved one at a time only with proper lifting equipment. Never lift a large slab flat by its ends.
Your receiving team may be used to pallets of tiles. Slabs need a different method. Send these instructions to your warehouse or customer before the container arrives.
Before the doors open
- Check the seal number against the bill of lading and photograph the seal and doors.
- Have a forklift with tines long enough to support the full base of the frame or crate, or tine extensions.
- Clear a firm, level area for the frames, close to the container door.
- Have a camera ready to photograph the load before anything is moved.
Keep the evidence
The photos are your evidence for any claim. Our guide on checking a tile container on arrival lists what else to record.
Unloading the container
Remove bracing and lashing carefully, one frame at a time, so the others do not shift. Lift each frame or crate at the marked points, keeping it level. Move slowly, because a tall frame can tip if the forklift brakes or turns sharply.
If a frame is damaged or slabs have moved, stop and photograph it before you continue. Do not try to straighten a leaning stack by hand.
Moving single slabs
When slabs leave the frame, they must stay supported along their length. Use the equipment slab fitters use:
- Slab transport frames or rails with suction cups, which hold the slab flat and rigid.
- Slab clamps that grip the edge, used with a hoist or forklift.
- Trolleys that carry the slab on edge.
- At least two people for large sizes, carrying the slab on edge rather than flat.
Storage
- Store frames and crates indoors or under cover, on firm, level ground.
- Keep slabs on edge at a slight lean, supported along the bottom edge on timber or rubber.
- Never stack frames or crates on top of each other unless the factory says they are designed for it.
- Keep timber dry, because wet wood weakens and can stain light slabs.
- Keep the crate labels so each slab can be traced to its batch, shade and calibre.
Why traceability matters
Keeping slabs by batch and shade matters when a customer needs more of the same. See keeping spare stock of the same shade.
Pass it on
Your customers and their fitters need the same rules on site. Include a handling sheet with each delivery, along with the factory's installation guide. Our guide on slab installation guidance for customers covers what to include.
Next step
We collect handling and installation documents from the factory and make sure labels on each frame match the packing list. To plan your first slab container, book a free sourcing review.