The choice between FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) will normally depend on the size and weight of your shipment, although current freight rates, origin and destination charges and the type of goods being shipped can also affect which option offers the best value.

For smaller consignments, LCL will generally be more economical because you only pay for part of the container. However, as the shipment becomes larger, there can come a point where paying for a complete container is more cost-effective.

This does not mean that your goods need to completely fill a 20ft or 40ft container before FCL becomes worthwhile.

If you are unsure whether LCL or FCL is the most suitable option, contact a member of our Imports Team. We can compare the available shipping options and give you an idea of the likely costs involved.

The most commonly used container sizes for international sea freight are 20ft and 40ft containers, with 40ft High Cube containers also commonly available where additional internal height and capacity are required.

As a general guide, we would normally allow approximately:

20ft Container – 30 Cbm of cargo
40ft Container – 60 Cbm of cargo
40ft High Cube Container – 75 Cbm of cargo

These figures should only be used as a guide and deliberately allow some tolerance when estimating the size of your shipment. The actual amount of cargo that can be loaded will depend on the dimensions, weight, packaging and how efficiently the goods can be stowed within the container.

If your shipment is much smaller than 15 Cbm, you may find that LCL (Less than Container Load) sea freight is a more cost-effective option. Read our LCL Sea Freight to the UK page for more information about shipping smaller consignments by sea.

The weight of the goods also needs to be considered. Although shipping containers are designed to carry substantial weights, the maximum container payload should not necessarily be treated as the amount of cargo that can practically be shipped and delivered.

Some shipping lines may apply a Heavy-Weight Surcharge to particularly heavy containers, with the applicable weight threshold varying between carriers and routes. The weight of the loaded container can also affect the equipment required for UK road delivery.

As a general guide, where the gross weight of the loaded container exceeds approximately 30MT, a tri-axle trailer will normally be required for UK road delivery in order to comply with vehicle and axle weight restrictions.

If you are unsure what the estimated final size or weight of your order will be, ask your supplier. They should normally be able to provide an estimate based on the product, quantity being ordered and how they intend to package the goods for international shipping.

If you send us your estimated packing details, dimensions and weights, we can help identify an appropriate container and shipping option for your goods.

For most general cargo, a standard General Purpose (GP) container will be suitable. However, different types of shipping containers are available for goods that require temperature control, are particularly large or heavy, or cannot easily be loaded into a standard enclosed container.

The main container types include:

• GP – General Purpose: The standard enclosed shipping container used for most general cargo.
• RF – Reefer: A temperature-controlled container used for goods that need to be kept within a specified temperature range during transportation, for example chilled, frozen or at a controlled ambient temperature.
• OT – Open Top: A container with an open roof covered by a large removable tarpaulin, generally used for cargo that needs to be loaded from above or is too tall to fit within a standard container.
• FR – Flat Rack: Used for large, heavy or oversized cargo that cannot be accommodated within a standard enclosed container. Flat Racks can carry both in-gauge cargo, where the goods remain within the external dimensions of a standard shipping container, and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo, where the goods extend beyond those dimensions, for example over the sides or above the normal height of a container.

Out-of-gauge cargo normally requires individual assessment by the shipping line, as the dimensions of the goods can affect how the container is handled, positioned and charged for on the vessel.

Although the containers listed above are the most commonly used, other types, such as Platform and Ventilated containers, are also available for particular types of cargo.

Contact a member of our Imports Team for more information or advice on the most suitable method of shipping your goods.

To provide an FCL sea freight quotation, we will normally need:

• Full collection address, if applicable
• Port of departure, if known
• Description of goods (please advise if hazardous)
• Overall size (Cbm) and weight (Kgs) of your goods
• Type and number of containers required, if known
• When will your goods be ready to be shipped?
• Agreed Incoterm, if known
• UK delivery postcode

If you do not have all of this information yet, don’t worry. We can often work with the information currently available to give you an indication of the likely costs and then refine the quotation once the final shipment details are known.

FCL sea freight transit times will depend on the country and port of departure, the shipping line, route and service being used.

The advertised port-to-port transit time should not be treated as the complete door-to-door shipping time. Additional time may be required for collection and loading at origin, export formalities, vessel schedules, Customs clearance and final delivery in the UK.

Direct services will generally be quicker than services involving transhipment through another port. With a transhipment service, for example, a container travelling from China to the UK may first be shipped to Singapore, where it is unloaded from one vessel and waits to be loaded onto another vessel for the onward journey to the UK.

Depending on vessel schedules and available space, containers can sometimes remain at the transhipment port for several days or, in some cases, a number of weeks before continuing their journey.

Where possible, we try to avoid services involving transhipment, particularly where there is a suitable direct service available. However, the quickest service is not necessarily always the most cost-effective option, so we will consider the available routes, transit times and costs when discussing your shipment.

If timing is important, contact UK Import Services before arranging the shipment and we can check the available shipping options and expected transit times for your particular consignment.

When the vessel arrives at the UK port and your container is unloaded from the ship, it is then ready to be declared to Customs.

Once released by Customs and any/all applicable shipping line and port charges have been paid, the shipping line will then release the container for collection. A haulier can then collect the container from the port and transport it to your preferred delivery address.

We at UK Import Services can arrange this collection and delivery for you, so you do not need to worry about this.

The container will normally arrive at your premises on the back of a trailer, approximately 4ft in the air, and remain on the vehicle while you unload your goods. You will therefore need to ensure that you have the appropriate people and/or equipment available to safely unload the container when it arrives. You will usually receive 3 hours’ driver waiting time included in the delivery price to allow for unloading, after which additional waiting charges may apply.

Once your goods have been unloaded, the driver will take the empty container away and return it to the shipping line.

Unnecessary delays can result in additional charges, including port storage and container demurrage – a charge which can apply when the shipping line’s container is retained beyond the period originally allocated when the shipping was arranged.

Let us take care of everything for you, from collection and shipping to the Customs clearance and delivery, doing our best to avoid unnecessary charges, whilst keeping you informed along the way.