Traffic Cone MOQ, Lead Time, Payment and Packaging
Order terms decide whether a quote turns into an order. Price gets the attention, but most orders that stall do not stall on price. They stall because the minimum order quantity, the lead time, the payment method or the packing was never confirmed in writing before the deposit was paid.
The five figures below are the ones buyers ask for first. Each one carries a question attached to it, and that question is the part worth getting into the quotation.
The short answers
| Item | Answer |
|---|---|
| Minimum order quantity | 500 pcs |
| Lead time, standard products | About 30 days |
| Lead time, custom products | The standard lead time, plus tooling. New tooling normally takes 30–50 days |
| Payment | T/T or L/C |
| Packaging | Cartons, pallets or woven bags. Packaging can be customised |
| Samples | Available. Freight is paid by the buyer |
Cones in three heights, each carrying a reflective band.
What an MOQ of 500 pcs actually covers
The minimum order quantity is 500 pcs. An MOQ comes from production. A run is set up once, and that setup does not shrink to fit a smaller order.
Before you accept 500 pcs, settle two points. Which item the figure applies to, because a cone, a bollard and a speed hump are separate products. And whether your finish, colour or packing moves the number. Get both answers in writing on the quotation.
500 pcs may be more than your first order is worth. Start with a sample. Then ask whether two or three items can ship together, so the order reaches the minimum in one go.
Standard lead time: about 30 days
For standard products the lead time is about 30 days.
The number matters less than the start date. Lead time is normally counted from order confirmation and receipt of deposit, but suppliers count it differently. Ask for the start point in writing. A 30-day quote that starts on the day the deposit lands is a different promise from one that starts on the day you first asked.
Production time is also not transit time. Sea freight, port handling and customs sit on top of the 30 days, and none of them are inside it.
Custom products: tooling adds 30–50 days
A custom product needs a tool before it can be made. New tooling normally takes 30–50 days, and that is additional to the standard lead time — not part of it.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Order | Standard production. About 30 days |
| Custom, tooling stage | Drawing confirmed, tool made, trial parts run. Normally 30–50 days |
| Custom, production stage | Runs after the tooling is signed off, on the standard lead time |
Treat the tooling stage as its own project. It is where a custom order is won or lost, because the drawing is the only place where an error is still cheap to fix. Once the tool is cut, a change is a new tool.
Ask two questions before the tool is ordered: who owns it afterwards, and whether it is charged once or per order. Both answers belong on the quotation.
A single reflective band. Pack quantity per carton is confirmed on the order.
Payment: T/T and L/C
Payment is by T/T or L/C.
| Method | How it works | Where the risk sits |
|---|---|---|
| T/T | Bank transfer, usually a deposit and a balance | Fast and cheap, but the buyer pays before shipping. Split the payment so the balance follows the documents |
| L/C | The bank pays against documents rather than against goods | Costs more and carries more paperwork, but protects both sides on a large order |
An L/C is only as good as its terms. A strict one can be refused over a typo in a document the buyer never sees. Check that the document list matches what the supplier can actually issue before the L/C is opened.
Packaging: cartons, pallets and woven bags
Goods are packed in cartons, on pallets or in woven bags. Packaging can be customised.
Which one is right depends less on the product than on how the container is unloaded. Pallets cost volume and are worth it when the receiver uses a forklift. Loose cartons and woven bags use the space better, and cost labour at the other end.
Ask for the pack quantity per carton, the carton size and the gross weight. Those three numbers decide your landed cost almost as much as the unit price does, because they decide how many containers the same order needs.
Samples
Samples are available. Freight is paid by the buyer.
On a custom product, the sample is the point where the drawing becomes a physical part. Check it against the drawing rather than against a photograph, and write the approval down. A sample approved by memory is not an approval.
A wide reflective band on a black base.
Questions buyers ask
What is the minimum order quantity?
500 pcs.
How long is production?
About 30 days for a standard product.
And for a custom product?
The standard lead time, plus tooling. New tooling normally takes 30–50 days and is not part of the 30 days.
What payment methods do you accept?
T/T and L/C.
How are the goods packed?
Cartons, pallets or woven bags. Packaging can be customised.
Can I get a sample?
Yes. Freight is paid by the buyer.
Before you request a quote
A quote is only as specific as the request behind it. Six things turn a price into an orderable offer:
| Give the supplier | Why it changes the price |
|---|---|
| Model, size and colour | A different size is often a different mould |
| Quantity, and the yearly figure | A repeat order is quoted differently from a one-off |
| The standard or finish you are buying against | Reflective grade and band layout are cost drivers |
| Packing and container type | It sets how much freight you buy |
| Incoterm and destination port | It decides what the number includes |
| Whether you need a sample first | It changes the timeline before production starts |
Send those six and you get a quote you can compare against another supplier's. Send only a product name, and you get a price that will move.
2023 Intertraffic China Exhibition
Related Article
