Lead Time for Custom Lockers: Standard vs Custom Orders

For importers, lead time for custom lockers is the factory schedule, not the date the goods arrive at your warehouse. Production ends at dispatch; sea freight, destination customs clearance and inland delivery add time on top, so confirm both timelines before promising a delivery date to your customer.

These are Loxmet’s published general lead times, not a guaranteed arrival date. Confirm the timeline for your specific order in writing. Combined or complex requirements need a confirmed schedule.

Lead Time for Custom Lockers: What the Factory Timeline Covers

A factory lead time describes the production period up to dispatch or cargo readiness. It helps you plan when goods should be ready to leave the factory. It does not include the full international journey to your facility.

Loxmet’s head office and manufacturing facility are in Istanbul, Turkey. Standard catalogue products in catalogue colours are generally delivered within 10 working days. Custom colours and made-to-order products typically require approximately 10 additional working days.

The confirmed start point matters. Ask whether the schedule begins after order confirmation, receipt of the required payment, and approval of all drawings and technical details. Confirm what milestone marks the end: production completion, cargo readiness or dispatch.

For a familiar catalogue specification, compare the standard single-tier two-door locker with the wider metal locker range. If dimensions, finish or layout need adjustment, review custom manufacturing options.

Why standard and custom orders follow different schedules

Standard products use established designs, dimensions and production steps. Choosing a catalogue model in a catalogue colour keeps the specification direct and uses Loxmet’s published standard lead time.

Custom work involves more decisions. A different colour or made-to-measure dimensions can require technical review and approval before production is ready to proceed. A new drawing, sample or complex layout also needs clear agreement. That extra preparation is why custom colours and made-to-order products typically add approximately 10 working days.

Locker production lead time in Turkey can mean different things in a supplier’s quotation. Check whether it covers factory production only or includes shipping and delivery. Compare the same milestones, not just the same number of days, when you review supplier offers.

Inside the production window

The factory schedule covers a series of coordinated steps. Depending on the order, the work includes:

• Steel selection, cutting and preparation
• Press work and forming of panels and components
• Welding and assembly of locker bodies
• Powder coating and finish checks
• Final assembly of doors, locks and agreed accessories
• Quality inspection and packing for dispatch

A clear, approved specification helps each stage move forward without avoidable pauses. Confirm dimensions, colour references, lock types, accessories and packaging before production begins.

What can extend a lead time?

A schedule can move when information, approvals or materials are not ready at the agreed point. Discuss these potential delays when you request a quotation:

• Custom colours and non-standard finishes
• Custom dimensions or compartment layouts
• New drawings, samples or revisions
• Peak factory periods or large order volumes
• Changes after order confirmation
• Incomplete technical details
• A missing deposit or payment confirmation
• Accessories that need to be sourced separately

A production schedule is only as reliable as the details behind it. Send complete requirements early and ask the supplier to confirm any item that has a separate sourcing or approval step.

Factory lead time vs shipping lead time

Factory production and international transport are two separate clocks.

Factory lead time: production through dispatch or cargo readiness.

Shipping lead time: transport from dispatch through the agreed route, destination customs clearance and inland delivery. Keep the two separate when you plan, and allow a working margin for shipping rather than treating a forwarder estimate as a fixed number.

Sea freight schedules, transit times and handling depend on the destination and the forwarder’s route. Do not use a general transit estimate as a promise for a specific shipment. Ask your freight forwarder to confirm the current sailing and transit information for your route, and allow for destination customs and final delivery.

Your Incoterm also affects who arranges parts of the transport and clearance process. The U.S. International Trade Administration’s Incoterms guidance explains how the agreed term allocates tasks, costs and responsibilities. Loxmet quotes EXW Istanbul as standard; FOB Istanbul or CIF quotations are available on request. For a practical comparison, see EXW vs FOB for lockers.

For customs classification and origin resources, consult WCO Trade Tools. For official Turkish trade and export information, visit the Turkish Ministry of Trade.

Plan backwards from the required delivery date

Start with the date your customer needs the lockers installed or ready for use. Then work backwards through each milestone:

1. Confirm the destination requirement. Include the date goods must reach the site, not only the date they should leave the factory.
2. Ask your forwarder for route details. Confirm current sailing options, estimated transit, destination handling and local delivery for your shipment.
3. Allow for customs and inland delivery. Confirm required documents and clearance steps with your destination broker. The importer manages destination customs clearance and related charges.
4. Add the factory production period. Use the schedule confirmed for your model, colour, order volume and specification.
5. Set approval and payment dates. Complete technical approvals and the required payment steps early enough for the confirmed schedule.

For shipment estimates, use the locker container-loading guide to discuss product mix and loading with your forwarder. Treat it as a planning aid; confirm the actual packing and loading plan for your order.

Shorten the schedule without cutting corners

A faster, more dependable schedule starts with decisions made early, not skipped quality steps.

• Choose a catalogue product in a catalogue colour.
• Use standard dimensions where they suit your project.
• Lock the specification before order confirmation.
• Review and approve drawings promptly.
• Confirm the required payment promptly.
• Order accessories with the lockers rather than leaving them for later.
• Ask whether a phased shipment suits your project if some units are ready before others.

These steps support better production schedule planning while keeping the order clear. Loxmet accepts orders for one locker; there is no minimum order quantity. Special pricing is available for orders exceeding two container or truck loads.

What to confirm in writing

Before you approve an order, ask the supplier to record the details that set the schedule:

• Product models, quantities and dimensions
• Colour and finish, including the colour reference
• Lock types, accessories and other agreed options
• Approved drawings or samples, if applicable
• The confirmed factory lead time and its start point
• The production-completion or cargo-ready milestone
• The agreed shipment term and named place
• The shipping lead time you should allow for, separate from the production figure
• Which party arranges freight, export steps and destination clearance
• Payment requirements and any approval deadlines

Loxmet provides quote-only pricing in EUR or USD, with EXW Istanbul as standard and FOB Istanbul or CIF on request. Payment is by bank transfer. Products are covered by a 10-year warranty. For company, pricing, delivery, payment and warranty details, visit the Loxmet FAQs.

Buyer FAQs

What is the lead time for custom lockers?

Loxmet’s standard catalogue products in catalogue colours are generally delivered within 10 working days. Custom colours and made-to-order products typically require approximately 10 additional working days. Confirm the timeline for your exact specification in writing.

How long does a standard locker order take?

The general published timeframe is 10 working days for catalogue products in catalogue colours. Confirm the production milestone and schedule for your quantity.

Does a custom colour add time?

Yes. Custom colours typically add approximately 10 working days to the standard timeframe. Confirm the colour reference and schedule before the order is finalized.

Is shipping included in the lead time?

No. Factory lead time covers production up to dispatch. Freight, destination customs clearance and inland delivery are separate. Confirm shipping and route timing with your forwarder.

Can lead times be shortened?

Choose catalogue colours and standard dimensions, finalize the specification early, approve drawings quickly and confirm payment promptly. Ask Loxmet to confirm whether those choices support an earlier schedule.

What delays a locker order?

Late or incomplete technical information, specification changes, drawing approvals, custom finishes, separately sourced accessories, payment confirmation and factory workload can affect the schedule. Confirm any project-specific risks before approval.

Does production start before payment is confirmed?

Confirm the payment requirement and production start point in your quotation and order confirmation. Loxmet accepts payment by bank transfer; ask the sales team to confirm the applicable steps for your order.

Can I split an order into a standard shipment and a custom shipment?

Ask the sales team to confirm whether your order can be phased. Availability depends on the products, production schedule and shipment plan. Agree quantities, readiness milestones and shipment terms in writing.

Request a confirmed production timeline

Whether you are ordering a standard catalogue range or planning a made-to-measure project, request a quotation with your products, quantities, colours, destination and preferred shipment term. Our team in Istanbul will confirm the production schedule for your specification so you can plan freight and quote your own customers with confidence. If you are building a dealer network, explore Loxmet distributor opportunities or use the metal locker importer guide to plan your next order.