What is dunnage?

Dunnage is the material used to secure and protect cargo in transit: inflatable airbags between pallet rows, lumber blocking and bracing, foam corners, kraft paper void fill, moisture bags in ocean containers. Its job is to stop the load from shifting — most transit damage is movement damage.

Choose dunnage by the gap and the force: airbags fill vertical gaps between rows cheaply and fast; lumber handles heavy machinery that straps alone can't hold; paper and foam protect carton faces. Remember that dunnage has weight — SOLAS VGM declarations explicitly include packing and securing materials, and a heavily braced container can carry several hundred kilograms of it.