Shipping sintered stone outside Java: what to prepare

Short answer: delivery outside Java is arranged per project. Greater Jakarta is served directly from the Kapuk gallery, while Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Makassar and Bali are supplied on scheduled freight. No transit time or shipping rate is published, because slab quantity, destination and the project schedule set both. Slabs always travel upright, one slab per crate, never stacked into a single bundle.

One physical gallery only, in Kapuk, Jakarta Barat. Other cities are served by delivery, not a local showroom.

Why slabs travel upright

Sintered stone is pressed at high temperature, so the surface is dense, but a large sheet is still thin relative to its length. At 1600x3200 mm, our largest format, a slab laid flat without full support will sag under its own weight in transit. Slabs therefore stand inside the crate, braced on the vertical edge. It takes more volume, but removes most of the risk on routes that cross water.

What one slab per crate means for you

Each sheet has its own crate, not one heavy bundle opened all at once. For a receiver outside Java that changes how inspection works: open one crate, check the face, the edge and the vein direction, then decide before touching the rest. Crate numbers match the slab list on the shop drawing, so the installation sequence on site does not get mixed up.

What to settle before the load leaves

Freight to the outer islands usually stalls on details, not on the route. The recurring gaps are: the real warehouse or site address, road width and gate height for the truck, lifting equipment at the destination, a named person to receive and inspect, dry space to keep slabs upright, and the final slab count from the shop drawing. A company office is often given as the delivery address, the truck cannot get in, and the load changes hands twice. Fix one unloading point, and make sure whoever receives it knows the slabs stay on edge.

Why the date is set per project

Scheduled freight does not roll daily. Loads are consolidated with other cargo heading the same way, so a departure date can only be fixed once slab quantity, destination and site readiness are known. We print no transit estimate because every project differs and a number would mislead. Count the date back from your fabricator's cutting slot, not forward from the purchase date.

Cut in Jakarta or cut at destination

Cutting, edge profiling and installation are carried out by your fabricator or contractor, not by ALTARA. Whether to cut in Jakarta and ship finished pieces, or ship full slabs and cut in the destination city, is the fabricator's decision. On long routes many finish the cuts first so offcuts are not shipped. Final dimensions must therefore be settled before ordering, since a cut slab cannot be returned to its original size.

On arrival at site

Inspect before signing the delivery note. Open the crate, look at the face and edge of each slab, and photograph both as received. If something is wrong, write the slab number on the delivery document there and then. Afterwards store the slabs upright, dry and under cover.

Common mistakes

The first is ordering before the unloading address and truck access are confirmed. The second is assuming an ALTARA showroom exists in the destination city. The third is booking freight before the site is ready, so slabs sit under no roof. The fourth is ordering before final dimensions are signed off, since a size change after dispatch needs extra slabs.

Questions