Container shipping is an ideal choice when you have a large number of goods to be shipped from China. No matter how far you want to transport or the volume of goods, these containers can meet your needs to ensure that your goods are safe.
Today, cargo containers play a vital and even indispensable role in transporting large quantities of goods from factories to other locations. Cargo containers are widely used in shipping and can also be loaded into multimodal transport systems for railways, trucks and container ships.
Container shipping is quite economical relative to air freight. You can choose containers to ship a variety of products. It certainly allows you to save your money.
Why Is Container Shipping So Popular?
Container shipping is mainly a part of the commercial transportation and logistics industry. It drives global trade development. Some advantages of container shipping include.
Their Own Advantages: They are usually made of steel, curved with wavy shapes to get additional rigidity. Nothing can be more durable than steel, so the walls of cargo containers are more stable and stronger, as they can resist crushing.
One of the features of cargo containers is that they can be stacked together to maximize available space and save space. Besides, these containers have great safety in shipping goods because they are weatherproof.
Advantages of Shipping. The use of containers has improved the efficiency of handling and transporting goods at the port, reducing transport costs and facilitating trade flows.
How To Choose The Right Cargo Container Size
To obtain international freight, you need to know the size, quantity and weight of the goods you are transporting. Once you have this information, you can start to get a shipping quote. Depending on the number of goods transported by your company, you will decide which type of cargo container to use. Despite many different types and sizes of freight containers, most companies usually use three types of containers, 20ft, and 40ft, 40ft high cube containers.
However, the size of the cargo container may vary by country.
Generally, most shippers can use 20 or 40ft containers, which can hold a maximum volume of 28- and 57 cubic meters.
For larger shipments, you may need a larger container, such as 40′ high cube containers. A 40 ft high cabinet container can accommodate up to 67 cubic meters.
After calculating how many goods you want to ship, you will decide on a 20-ft or 40-ft container.
In fact, choosing the right size container for your needs will help keep costs down.
Experienced shipping companies can help you figure out the size of your goods and match the most suitable container types, provide free estimates of how much you will need to pay for shipping containers to your destinations, and provide more information on international container shipping.
You can choose the mode of shipping according to their requirements and budget.
LCL Shipment
Sometimes you may have international shipping cargo that is insufficient to fill 20- or 40 ft shipping containers. What are you going to do? You should use less than container loading to ship the goods. It will undoubtedly be the most cost-effective mode of transport.
Therefore, you need LCL services, also known as part container loading services. Most general shipping companies offer LCL shipment options. Shipping companies merge different goods that ship to the same destination. The beauty of LCL shipping is that it offers an excellent price for small and medium-sized goods, which is undoubtedly the cheapest way for shipment from China.
Usually, the shipment process with part container shipping services is very simple and carefree, arranged by your designated freight forwarder.
LCL Freight Calculation
If your goods are too large to fit into any type of shipping container, you can use the so-called bulk cargo shipping. In any case, bulk and LCL goods are based on volume charges. In calculating the shipping cost, the LCL cargo occupies the space cost of the container. Usually, the quantity of cargo in the freight container is explained with Cubic Meters(CBM). The size of one cubic meters is one meter wide, one meter long, and one cubic meters is equal to 35.3 cubic ft.
Cargo Volume Calculation formula: Length * Width * Height
For light cargo, here’s a formula to calculate the volume weight of the goods. Chargeable weight is the maximum of the actual weight and volume.
Volume Weight Calculation Formula: Volume of cargo divided by 6000.
You should remember that not all quantities of goods apply LCL shipping, the lowest minimum order quantity of LCL shipment is 1000 kg or one cubic meters. Below this threshold, there are no LCL services, but you can choose other modes of transport by air freight, or courier services.
Make a Comparison with air freight Calculation
Air cargo can be calculated using the shipping formula provided above.
FCL Container Shipping
Full container loading is when goods need about 20 or even 40 feet of space when the importer or exporter has enough goods to fill the full container.
FCL freight is considered the best container shipping method, providing the maximum cargo volume and weight for shipment and the lowest shipping price. The freight forwarder picks up the container to your warehouse; its loading point is at the factory or supplier. Multiple shipments transport containers to the port of loading through a container truck or train, then the container is shipped to the port of destination. After arrival, you will have to clear customs and pay port fees, then pick up your goods or wait for the receiving container.
The FCL has the advantage of faster and safer transportation than LCL shipment. Because of the combination of different goods, LCL shipment often takes longer.
Several advantages of container multi-transport include.
To Transport And Storage Goods Safely. When the goods are properly packaged and sealed in the container, the goods will not be damaged during the long transit.
Eliminate the Handling. Once the goods are loaded into a container in a factory or CY. The container is sealed and will not be opened during transport until it reaches the final destination.
Various Types Of Transport Containers For Specific Purposes. There are various containers for transporting different types of goods, such as temperature control or refrigerated containers.
The special container can safely transport perishable goods that need to be stored at stable temperatures. Besides, open-top containers are usually used for transporting heavy equipment or bulk cargo.
Little or No Theft. When the goods are transported with a sealed container, the cargo compartment will also be fitted with a safe lock box to prevent thieves from entering your container, and the likelihood of theft is greatly reduced or even eliminated.
Save Time and Increase Efficiency. Using containers means that ships or barges use cranes to load and unload containers faster, meaning less time and more efficient ports.
In general, FCL shipment is the most suitable for oversized cargo. Full container shipping will be your efficient choice if you need to complete international shipping. International delivery of FCL will be safer.
Full Container Shipping Rates From China
Finally, we often ask how much container shipping is from China.
The cost of container shipping depends on the type of container you transport, port of loading, port of destination and additional charges.
For example, The price to ship a full container of 20-foot from Shenzhen to Los Angeles is currently about $1200, and a 40-foot container is $1600. (the cost of a 20 ft container is only 75% of the cost of a 40 ft container).
