Ever since 1956 when an impatient UK lorry driver had the idea of the container, the world has changed. Container shipping has now been one of the most important means of cargo transportation through sea routes. This might not mean much to everyone, but every day we eat, touch or use something that has been transported in a container over the sea. When you are to have China international freight to UK for some heavy bulk commodities, container shipping seems to be a nice choice.

Since shipping containers are usually firm and sealed cabinet, container shipping is regarded as an efficient way to reduce damage and shortage of your goods. As the container’s loading and unloading wouldn’t be influenced by the atrocious weather, it is also ideal to minimize the operating expenses and shipping cost. Sometimes it is necessary for you to change the transport modes, for container transport, you do not have to carry the inside goods but to reload the container which improve the efficiency of reloading.

Once you have decided to ship by containers, you should pack your goods according to the size of the containers. Though shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes, container sizes are standardized around the world, with the most common being 8ft wide x 8ft high x 20ft long. The TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) is the industry standard way of describing volume.

As for the cost of container shipping, it often depends on three factors, the distance from departure to destination point, the popularity of your route and the mode of your transport involved. When shipping from China to UK, you should also consider the surcharges from your freight forwarder, trucking charges, handling fees, etc. In general, the shipping company will work out a personalized quote for you, based on the information you’ve given. Before your delivery, consult your carrier and get clear of all possible cost.

In the international container shipping, there are typically two types – full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL). For FCL, the shipper has the exclusive right to use a lot of multi-modal ocean cargo container. It is most cost-effective to charter a 40-foot container that is suitable for most goods. If you’re intending to ship a large amount of goods from China regularly, then it would be worth looking at FCL, as it enjoys greater economies of scale. LCL refers to the cargo that is insufficient either in quantity or in weight to qualify for the freight rates applied to a standard shipping container. LCL is often in transit for a longer period of time, due to the shipping company having to load and unload numerous companies’ shipments.

The main part for your container shipping is your shipping company. The cargo planners must have appropriate marine experience or undergo training to ensure that ship safety considerations are fully understood. Before shipping to UK from China of your containers, you should ask the carrier to make sure that the total stack weight limit is merely the weight which can be safely supported by the deck or hatch cover. Besides, the containers should be in perfect conditions and the vessels are equipped with some securing tools, say, twist locks, lashing bars, turnbuckles, buttresses, stacking cones, etc.

I think this is a good guideline for shipping a container. Container transport or shipping is not that easy because you need to know what size of the container you need to go for and what items you will ship. Then once you are decided, you need to know what type of shipping is good for your container it can be land or sea only because air transport is very delicate and air shipping are not transporting containers.


Regards,
BR International Specialised Container Transport
http://www.brint.com.au/services/transport