How a first order is built: mixed containers, MOQ and what gets fixed in writing

A first order is not a smaller version of a container order. It is the order where the buyer and the factory agree what the machine is, and most of the cost of getting that wrong appears months later, at the port or in the workshop. This is how we put one together.

“MOQ 1” means one unit, not one container

Every model in this catalogue lists a minimum of one unit. That is deliberate: a distributor testing a market should be able to buy a single machine, run it, and then commit. The minimum applies per unit, not per model, so a first order can mix several models in one container.

What a mixed container does change is the packing plan. Each model has its own crate dimensions and its own loading position, and the loading plan is calculated for the exact mix you order — that figure is what your forwarder needs for a real freight quote.

Why a mixed first order usually beats a single-model one

Three reasons, in the order they tend to matter:

• You learn which model sells. A market that buys on price and a market that buys on payload look identical from a distance. One container with three configurations tells you more than three containers of one.
• You cover two buyer types. Cargo and passenger demand rarely move together; a mixed first order hedges that.
• Spare parts are shared. Models built on the same chassis use many of the same wear parts, so a mixed order does not multiply your parts stock.

The five things fixed in writing before production

Once the quotation is accepted, these are agreed in writing and do not change after the batch starts:

1. Model and power unit. The exact engine or motor, and the displacement or voltage.
2. Body and box. Dimensions, side height, tailgate type, and whether the box is bolted or welded.
3. Payload rating. The figure that goes on the plate, matched to the axle and springs actually fitted.
4. Colour and branding. Paint code, decals, and where your logo sits — including whether the factory badge is removed.
5. Emballage. Crated or CKD, how many units per crate, and how the units are braced.

If any of those is left to “the usual”, the batch will be built to the factory’s usual — which is not necessarily what you quoted to your customer.

What travels with the container

The documents that ship with the order are the ones that clear the port and the ones your customer’s registration office will ask for:

• Facture commerciale et liste de colisage
• Certificat d'origine
• Model-level certification documents where they are held — in this catalogue, China CCC is recorded per model
• The pre-shipment inspection record, with photographs of the finished units

Approval in your own market stays with you as the importer. We provide the file we hold; we do not promise that a third country’s authority will accept it.

What we will not promise

Three things are worth saying plainly, because they are where first orders go wrong:

• A lead time before the specification is fixed. The number would be a guess, and a guessed date is worse than no date.
• Homologation in your market. We can tell you what certification a model carries. We cannot tell you what your authority will decide.
• A price that ignores freight. FOB and CIF are both quoted. The FOB number is not the landed cost, and treating it as one is how a margin disappears.

A realistic sequence

1. You send the route, the load, the models you are considering and the destination port.
2. We reply in writing with the specification sheet for each build, FOB and CIF, and the loading figures.
3. You confirm the mix; we confirm the production slot.
4. Production, pre-shipment inspection with photographs, packing.
5. Documents, loading, and the parts allocation if you want one with the first container.

Questions buyers ask

Can we order one unit of three different models?

Yes. The minimum is per unit, and a mixed container is allowed. The loading plan is calculated for the mix.

Do we need to buy spare parts with the first order?

It is not required, but wear parts ship with the machines and it is the cheapest moment to include them — the freight is already paid to your port.

Can you hold a production slot while we arrange financing?

Tell us the timeline. Slots are allocated against confirmed orders, so we can tell you honestly what is available rather than hold a date that will move.

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