Logistics and Freight Planning for Activewear Imports

Sports bras are light and compressible, which sounds like good news until you get the freight quote. Because they are charged largely on volumetric weight rather than actual weight, the cost per unit is driven by how densely you pack, not by how much the garment weighs. Two programs shipping the same number of units can pay materially different freight depending on whether cartons were sized to the product or sized to a default.

Packing density is a costing decision

Ask your factory for carton dimensions and units per carton before you book, and check the carton size against the actual pack. Flat packing compresses well and maximizes units per carton; boxed retail packaging protects the garment and looks better on a shelf but can increase the shipped volume per unit substantially. Decide per channel: retail boxes for wholesale partners that require them, flat pack for DTC where you control the unboxing, and confirm both against the freight quote rather than assuming.

Match the mode to the program

Ocean freight belongs on core replenishment, where you know the demand and can plan three to four months ahead. Air belongs on launches, on a first season where you have no sell-through data, and on emergency replenishment of a core that is selling faster than forecast. A common structure is to air the launch quantity and follow it with an ocean reorder once the size curve is validated by real sales.

Build seasonal buffers into the calendar

Two annual disruptions are predictable enough to plan around: the factory shutdown around Lunar New Year, and the peak ocean freight season that precedes the northern hemisphere holiday build. Both compress capacity and raise rates. Book production slots before the holiday rather than after, and do not schedule a launch that depends on a vessel sailing in the tightest weeks of the year.

Confirm carton specifications early

Carton strength, maximum weight per carton, and stacking requirements are specified by importers for a reason: crushed cartons at the bottom of a container produce wrinkled garments and, in the worst cases, unusable stock. Set a maximum carton weight, require appropriate board grade, and specify whether cartons are floor-loaded or palletized. Palletizing costs more per unit and reduces damage and unloading time; decide based on your destination handling, not on habit.

Require a complete document set

Before the vessel sails, require the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading details, certificate of origin if your program needs one, and any compliance documentation your market requires. Discrepancies between the packing list and the physical carton count are the most common cause of clearance delay, and a delay at clearance is more expensive per day than the freight itself.