Container devanning done right.

Real people, in real time, on every job.

Trained crews for devanning, container loading and MHE work. A fixed price for every container, and a customer portal that shows each job as it happens.

Get a fixed price See how we work

or call 027 468 8536

  • Fixed price per container
  • Live job portal
  • Free quotes, no obligation

Based in Rolleston. Working for transport operators, 3PLs and retail supply chains across Christchurch.

Devanning · Container loading · Forklift and MHE operators · Warehouse labour

What we do

Contract crews for the container work that's hardest to staff well. Booked by the job, priced before it starts, recorded as it happens.

Container devanning

Fixed price per container. Container unloading is the core of the business. Crews unload to your stacking patterns, sort and restack as required, and record every container electronically as they go. Loose-loaded or palletised, 20-footers through to 40ft high cubes. Damage gets photographed and flagged the moment it's found, not discovered at stocktake.

Container loading

Export and transfers. Loading run with the same discipline as the devan. Right pattern, weight distributed properly, photographed and signed off before the doors close.

Forklift & MHE operators

Licensed and site-inducted. Operators matched to your site and your gear before they start. Available alongside a devan crew or on their own.

Warehouse labour hire

Short term or ongoing. Pick and pack, restacks, relocations and overflow work when volumes jump. Same vetted crews, same system recording the job behind them.

One agreement covers the lot: a single agreed price and a single provider accountable for delivery, instead of juggling separate hire firms for devan crews, forklift drivers and floor staff.

Why contract

The case for contracted devanning

Employing your own crew means paying wages whether containers arrive or not, and carrying the recruitment, leave and payroll that come with them. Contracting the work to LSL changes the shape of the cost.

You know the cost before the box lands. Devanning is priced per container, so budgets hold and forecasting is arithmetic rather than guesswork. The invoice matches the quote.

You pay for work, not standing around. When containers move, you pay. On quiet days there's no crew on wages with nothing to unload, and no underutilised staff to find jobs for.

Volumes surge, crews scale. When a vessel lands and twelve boxes hit the yard at once, we bring more people. When it goes quiet, we stand them down. Managing that availability is our job, not yours.

The employment overhead is ours. Recruitment, sick-leave cover, annual leave, KiwiSaver, ACC and payroll all sit on our books. A crew member calls in sick, we send a replacement.

The crews do this every day. Container work is its own trade. Teams trained for it clear boxes faster and with less damage, and licensed forklift and MHE operators are there when the job needs them.

One provider is accountable. Devanning, loading, forklift and general labour under one agreement, so less of your week goes on managing labour and chasing hire firms, and your team can run the operation instead.

Live visibility

You see what we see

Most labour providers send you an invoice and a promise. LSL runs on stable's Business Management System, built for container devanning, and every job is recorded electronically on the floor as it happens.

Your portal shows it live. Which containers are open, how far through the crew is, photos as boxes clear, damage the moment it's photographed, and an incident notification that reaches you from the system rather than the grapevine.

  • Live worksheets. Progress as it happens, not at day's end.
  • Photos and damage reports. Flagged and time-stamped on the spot.
  • Incident notifications. Straight to you, in real time.
  • Compliance on record. Inductions, licences and training, checked at rostering.
The customer portal: live worksheets, photos and damage reports for every container, from booking through to invoice.

How it works

01Tell us your volume

Containers, frequency, location and timing.

02We price the job

You get a fixed price before the container arrives.

03We crew it

The right people, scheduled, inducted and briefed.

04We unload it

Your container is devanned to your requirements.

05You see the job live

Progress, photos, damage and incidents recorded as they happen.

06We close it out

Job reviewed, approved and invoiced.

Our customers

What they say about us

Over the past 3 years LSL has always provided a seamless service for us. They've supported us with container devanning, labour solutions, and tailored resource management. They make managing labour easy and are one of the best in Canterbury at what they do.

Hemi TemaariCEOFlow Logistics

Flow Logistics logo

LSL has been a great partner for Direct over the past three years. They make it easy for us to manage labour across different parts of our business, whether that's short-term or long-term temp labour requirements or full container devanning services. Their systems give us good visibility and reporting, while keeping the invoicing accurate and straightforward. Most importantly, they're reliable, professional, easy to deal with and have become a valued extension of our team.

Nathan ScottDirectorDirect Logistics

Direct Logistics logo

LSL have been great to work with over the past 3 years. Reliable, flexible and always ready to get the job done. They make managing labour easy and take the pressure off when things get busy. Highly recommend the team at LSL!

Hayden McMillianGeneral ManagerHilton Haulage

Hilton Haulage logo

Over the past 3 years, LSL has been a gamechanger for us. Their team is reliable, hard-working, and always makes managing busy periods easy. For container devanning and labour solutions, we'd definitely recommend LSL!

Lee LennoxManaging DirectorLennox Bathrooms

The Lennox Bathroom logo

Before teaming up with LSL, delays and inconsistent labour were constant issues for our company. LSL devanning crews always arrive fully prepared, work with speed and maintain the highest standard of health and safety on site. Working with Dwain and his team at LSL has completely transformed our warehouse operations and container unloading process and we highly recommend LSL for all devanning and labour needs.

Paul WilliamsonCanterbury Area ManagerStore Rite Logistics

Store Rite Logistics logo

LSL has provided us with excellent devanning and labour support for over three years. Always meeting tight timelines, they prove their complete dedication to achieving their customers' goals. I truly endorse the LSL team without hesitation!

Giovani LubatonOperations ManagerAuslink

Auslink International Group logo

Trusted on the dock across Canterbury's 3PL and warehousing network

With established connections across the local logistics industry, we understand the demands of busy warehouse environments and the importance of reliable, practical solutions that keep operations moving.

Safety & compliance

Safety you can see

We work to a consistent safety standard on every job and continually look for ways to improve how we work.

Compliance lives in the same system that runs the job, which keeps it current, site-specific and on the record, for your auditors as much as ours. The aim is simple: be the safest devanning provider in New Zealand.

Every crew, every container, every day.The standard behind every LSL job.

  1. Site-specific inductions are completed before anyone touches a container on your dock.
  2. A safety brief opens every job and is recorded in the system with the crew who attended.
  3. Licences and training are checked at rostering. The scheduler won't allocate someone who isn't current for your site.
  4. Incidents reach you in real time with photos and detail, straight through the portal.

Safety and compliance documentation is available on request.

About LSL

A bulk carrier at anchor in Lyttelton Harbour beneath the Port Hills

Built from the dock up

Dwain Iafeta started as a storeman and container devanner and worked his way up to running a major logistics site: 65 staff, a 20,000 square metre warehouse, 45,000 pallets of capacity, and a steady stream of contractors and providers moving through the operation.

Years on the customer side of logistics teach you exactly what good looks like: crews that turn up, work safely, finish cleanly, and tell you the truth when something goes wrong.

LSL was founded in Canterbury in 2023, built on more than two decades of that hands-on experience. That's the standard LSL was built to deliver, and why we run on live data, real accountability and doing the job properly, rather than promises.

The rules on every LSL job are simple: lead by example, look after the crew, and communicate straight.

Dwain IafetaFounder and managing director

Youth Pathways — Te Ara Rangatahi

Giving back. LSL works with young people through Christchurch's Youth Pathways Programme (Te Ara Rangatahi), supporting local rangatahi on their path towards work and adult life. youthpathways.co.nz

The crew

The people on your dock

This is who turns up. Supervisors, team leaders and devanning crews, photographed on site between jobs. Without them there is no LSL, and they are the reason customers keep booking.

An LSL team leader walking between stacked containers
LSL crew members together in the yard
An LSL crew member at the door of a loaded container
An LSL supervisor checking a worksheet beside a container
An LSL crew heading out to the next container
An LSL crew member wrapping a finished pallet
An LSL crew member inside a container mid unload
An LSL crew stacking cartons onto pallets at the container door
An LSL crew member passing cartons out of a container
LSL crew members in the yard with a forklift behind them

Photographed on site in Canterbury, September 2026.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity taken seriously

Labour Solutions Ltd recognises the role we play in protecting New Zealand's environment, primary industries and supply chain. Our teams work directly with imported goods and containers every day, which makes strong biosecurity practice an essential part of how we operate.

The commitment goes beyond getting the job done. LSL places strong emphasis on biosecurity awareness, training and compliance, so our people, including certified Accredited Persons, understand the risks that come with imported containers, cargo and packaging.

Every container is a responsibility beyond unloading freight. Through trained personnel, strong procedures and close adherence to MPI and site requirements, we give our customers confidence that their freight is being handled safely, professionally and responsibly.

Trained to MPI requirements. Certified Accredited Persons on our crews.

Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatū Ahu Matua

Our teams are trained to:

  1. Identify potential biosecurity risks and contamination.
  2. Follow site-specific and MPI requirements when working with uncleared or risk goods.
  3. Handle containers appropriately before, during and after devanning.
  4. Maintain clean work areas and manage sweepings, debris and other biosecurity waste correctly.
  5. Escalate and report potential contamination or biosecurity concerns immediately.

Common questions

Questions we get asked

Is container devanning the same as container unloading?

Yes. Devanning is the industry term for unloading a shipping container. Some customers call it unpacking or destuffing. LSL crews do all of it, loose-loaded or palletised.

How much does container devanning cost in Christchurch?

LSL quotes a fixed price per container based on the container size, the load type and your site. Quotes are free and there's no obligation. Call 027 468 8536 or send the form below.

Do you handle loose-loaded containers?

Yes. LSL crews are experienced in loose-loaded and palletised containers.

Do you handle 20ft, 40ft, high cube and slipsheet containers?

Yes. Crews are matched to the requirements of the job and your site.

Can you provide forklift and MHE operators?

Yes. Licensed operators can be supplied alongside devanning crews or for standalone MHE work, subject to your site requirements.

What happens if a crew member calls in sick?

LSL manages replacement cover, so your operation isn't left short.

Can your crews work within our existing warehouse operation?

Yes. Crews complete site-specific inductions and work to your site's procedures and operational requirements.

How is pricing calculated?

Each container is quoted based on the requirements of the job, with an agreed price before the work begins.

Can you handle damage reporting?

Yes. Damage is photographed and recorded as it is identified, with the information available through the job record and customer portal.

What areas do you cover?

LSL is based in Rolleston and works across Christchurch and Canterbury, including the industrial areas around Hornby, Wigram, Sockburn, Islington and Rolleston. Outside the area? Talk to us, we may still be able to help.

Contact

Need a crew? Get a fixed price for your containers

Quotes are free and there's no obligation. Tell us about the job and we'll come back to you to talk through the options.

Container type
Load type
Quick responses. No obligation.

Thanks, we've got it.

Dwain will come back to you shortly to talk through the job. If it's urgent, call 027 468 8536.