Every load-restraint failure has a story behind it, and more often than not that story starts at the bottom of the stack. Dunnage blocks are the short, solid supports placed beneath and between freight to prevent contact damage, distribute weight, and create space for forklift entry or air circulation. They’re a small component in the supply chain, but when they’re wrong wrong material, wrong size, wrong placement the consequences tend to be expensive and visible.

We at Ferrier Industrial have supplied timber dunnage into steel mills, transport depots, mining sites, and distribution yards across Australia and New Zealand for a long time. What we’ve learned is that most dunnage failures aren’t dramatic. They’re quiet. A block compresses under load and a coil edge picks up a ding. A softwood block splits after two trips and has to be replaced. A block without a rubber face lets pipe bundles slide during braking. Small failures, repeated across hundreds of shipments, add up fast.

What Dunnage Blocks Actually Do

It helps to think about what a dunnage block is being asked to handle before choosing one. The job description sounds simple sit under cargo and keep it off the deck but the engineering realities are more involved than that.

Weight distribution is the primary function. Heavy freight concentrates force through small contact areas. A steel coil resting directly on a truck bed or container floor creates intense point loading that can damage both the product and the transport surface. A properly sized timber dunnage block spreads that load across a broader area, reducing contact pressure and protecting the product finish.

Separation and airflow matter for certain cargo types. Stacked sheet packs, timber bundles, and coated steel products need clearance between layers to prevent surface-to-surface contact marks. In some applications, the gap also allows air movement for drying or ventilation during storage and transit.

Forklift access is a practical consideration that gets overlooked until someone on the warehouse floor can’t get tines under the load. Support blocks need to be tall enough to clear the fork profile while remaining stable under the load weight. Too tall and the centre of gravity rises, creating handling risk. Too short and the forks gouge the product or the floor.

Friction and grip keep cargo in place during transit. A plain timber surface offers moderate friction, but for heavy or cylindrical loads coils, rolls, pipe that’s often not enough. Rubber-lined timber blocks with vulcanised rubber bonded to the timber face provide high-friction contact that resists lateral movement without over-tensioning straps.

Timber Types and Where Each Fits

The material you choose for your dunnage shapes everything that follows service life, load capacity, cost per use, and compliance status. Three main categories cover most industrial applications in the ANZ freight environment.

Hardwood blocks deliver the highest compression strength. Native species like spotted gum and ironbark resist indentation under concentrated loads, which makes them the default choice for heavy steel transport, mining equipment, and structural fabrication. The trade-off is weight, cost, and variable supply depending on regional timber availability.

Softwood blocks are lighter, cheaper, and widely available in standard dimensions. Pine is the most common species. For single-use export shipments, lighter general freight, and applications where the block won’t be reused, softwood is a sensible economic choice. It treats easily for ISPM 15 phytosanitary compliance and is straightforward to dispose of or recycle.

Engineered timber blocks particularly those made from laminated veneer lumber offer a third path. LVL uses plantation-grown eucalyptus processed into layered beams with consistent density and structural properties. Unlike solid timber, LVL doesn’t carry the natural variability in grain and moisture content that can cause splitting or uneven compression. At Ferrier Industrial, we supply LVL dunnage in packing grade for single-use, engineering grade for multi-use, and BWR (boiling-water-resistant) waterproof grade for demanding outdoor and container applications.

• Hardwood bearers suit heavy-industry loads where compression resistance under concentrated force is the primary requirement, particularly steel coil and billet transport
• Softwood blocks work well for single-use export freight, general warehouse separation, and lighter loads where replacement cost matters more than reuse potential
• LVL engineered blocks provide dimensional stability, renewable sourcing from plantation timber, and grading options packing, engineering, or BWR waterproof to match different operational demands

Sizing and Placement Considerations

Getting the right block under the right load sounds obvious. In practice, it’s where many operations lose money without realising it.

Contact area needs to match the load profile. A block that’s too narrow concentrates force along a thin strip of product surface, causing edge damage on coils or crush marks on sheet packs. The block’s bearing face should be wide enough to distribute the load evenly, and long enough to support the product across its full span where practical.

Height is a balance between forklift clearance and load stability. Taller blocks raise the centre of gravity, which increases the risk of toppling during handling. Shorter blocks may not provide adequate clearance for fork entry or airflow between layers. For steel coil applications, we typically match block height to the specific cradle and restraint system being used, so the components interface cleanly.

Spacing between support blocks under a single load affects how force distributes through the product. Blocks placed too far apart allow the product to sag between supports a particular risk with long pipe runs and wide sheet packs. Blocks placed too close together add cost and weight without improving support.

How dunnage blocks fit within restraint systems

A dunnage block is one component in a broader load-restraint assembly. On a flatbed truck carrying steel coils, the blocks sit beneath the coil and interact with truck cradles, bore restraint corners, chain protectors, and ratchet strops. In a container, blocks support palletised loads alongside dunnage airbags, rubber mats, and lashing hardware.

We design these systems as integrated assemblies at Ferrier Industrial. The block dimensions are specified to match the cradle profile and the restraint hardware geometry. Change the block and the cradle may not seat properly. Change the cradle and the blocks may need different spacing. This systems approach is why we encourage clients to discuss dunnage specification as part of their overall restraint configuration rather than treating it as a separate purchase.

High-friction rubber mats are often used alongside timber bearers to increase the static friction between the block and the truck bed or container floor. Our rubber mats are rated for high static friction coefficients, providing grip that reduces the strapping tension needed to keep the load stable during transit.

Surface Treatment and Durability

Raw timber blocks work for basic applications. But once you move into heavy transport, export freight, or reusable programmes, surface treatment becomes a practical necessity rather than a cost add-on.

Vulcanised rubber lining bonds a layer of engineered rubber directly to the timber face. This creates a high-grip contact surface that holds cylindrical loads coils, pipe, rolls in position against braking, cornering, and road vibration forces. Our LVL rubber-lined dunnage with vulcanised rubber lining are approved by major steel producers for pipe and tube transport, validated against published load-restraint guidelines.

BWR waterproof grading protects the timber against moisture absorption in wet environments. Container freight, outdoor storage yards, and coastal facilities all expose dunnage to rain, humidity, and condensation. A standard timber block that absorbs moisture swells, softens, and loses compression strength. BWR-grade LVL resists this degradation, maintaining structural performance across repeated wet-dry cycles.

Heat treatment for ISPM 15 is mandatory for export applications. The process eliminates pest risk without chemical fumigation, satisfying phytosanitary requirements for international shipments. Heat-treated timber blocks carry a compliance stamp that customs and border authorities verify on arrival.

Key Factors for Procurement Teams

Choosing a dunnage block supplier involves more than comparing unit prices. The following points help decision makers build a clearer evaluation framework.

• Compression strength data should be available for the specific timber grade and species offered not just generic claims about hardwood or softwood performance
• Rubber lining quality matters for reusable applications; vulcanised rubber bonded under controlled conditions outlasts adhesive-applied alternatives that peel or crack after a few handling cycles
• Dimensional consistency across batches affects load stability; engineered timber like LVL offers tighter tolerances than rough-sawn hardwood, which can vary in width, height, and moisture content
• Supply continuity and JIT delivery capability reduce the need for large on-site dunnage inventories, freeing up floor space and working capital
• End-of-life pathways should be part of the conversation chipping, energy recovery, and composite-wood recycling are all viable routes for spent timber blocks
• Traceability and QA documentation matter for clients operating under formal load-restraint standards or customer-mandated packaging specifications

How We Supply Dunnage Blocks at Ferrier Industrial

Our approach to timber dunnage supply starts with understanding the load, not the catalogue. We work with your engineering, logistics, and safety teams to map the freight types, transport modes, handling equipment, and site conditions that the dunnage needs to serve.

From there, we recommend a specification timber grade, dimensions, surface treatment, and supply model and produce samples for fit-checks against your existing cradles, restraint hardware, and vehicle configurations. We run controlled pilots where needed, particularly for new applications or where we’re replacing an existing dunnage programme that isn’t performing.

Our LVL dunnage block range covers multiple standard profiles, with custom dimensions available for non-standard loads. We supply on a JIT and consignment stock basis across Australia and New Zealand, backed by QA processes that include incoming material inspection, dimensional checks, and traceability on critical batches. Our composite-wood production line recycles spent dunnage and timber offcuts into reusable beams, keeping material in the supply chain rather than sending it to landfill.

Practical Steps for Specifying Dunnage Blocks

Whether you’re reviewing your current dunnage programme or setting up a new freight route, these steps help you land on a specification that balances load protection with cost control.

• Document the load types, weights, and contact profiles your timber supports need to handle a steel coil, a stack of sheet packs, and a pipe bundle each require different block dimensions and bearing capacities
• Confirm your forklift clearance requirements and any racking or stacking interfaces that constrain block height
• Decide between single-use, multi-use, or waterproof-grade blocks based on handling cycles, storage conditions, and whether the dunnage travels with the product or stays on site
• Specify surface treatment needs rubber lining, BWR grading, heat treatment at the quoting stage, since adding treatments later affects lead time and cost
• Request samples and arrange fit-checks with your restraint hardware and cradles before committing to a production volume

Worth Getting Right

Dunnage blocks are easy to overlook and expensive to get wrong. The right block properly sized, properly treated, and matched to the rest of your restraint system protects product, reduces handling time, and avoids the kind of repeat damage claims that erode margins over a contract period.

At Ferrier Industrial, we’re glad to start with a practical conversation about what you’re moving and how. We can provide samples, specification options, and a pilot plan that lets you test before you commit. Our team works across Australia and New Zealand, and we’re set up to support your dunnage requirements with JIT delivery, consignment stock, and the engineering backup to get the details right.