OCEAN FREIGHT

Want one forwarder for all your ocean transport needs? Don’t wait, ship with WeFreight

Ocean freight is one of the more common modes of transport used by international shippers. It’s cost-effective and versatile, making it a suitable logistics choice for businesses in most industries. At the same time, ocean freight shipping is replete with challenges, such as volatility in rates and capacity.

WeFreight exists to help your enterprise or organisation to ship your consignments more easily and enjoy more reliability than you might have experienced with other freight forwarders. Agility and experience are our strengths, translating into fast and efficient ocean freight services for you.

Ocean logistics services from WeFreight: The highlights and headlines

Extensive network of trusted ocean freight partners

Our strategic partnerships with trusted ocean freight service providers ensure that you can ship your
 goods around the world with confidence, enjoying access to competitive rates and reliable
performance standards.
Our strategic partnerships with trusted ocean freight service providers ensure that you can ship your goods around the world with confidence, enjoying access to competitive rates and reliable performance standards.

Why WeFreight? Our ocean freight shipping service features and benefits

Check out our case studies to see how we
have helped our customers

Check out our case studies to see how we have helped our customers

I am a case study heading
Over two lines

 

I am a case study heading
Over two lines

 

Frequently asked questions about ocean logistics
from WeFreight

Frequently asked questions about ocean logistics from WeFreight

Ocean freight services

Ocean freight shipping durations depend on a range of variables, perhaps the most critical being the ports of departure and arrival. To give you a couple of examples, cargo shipped from Europe to the East Coast of the USA typically takes around two weeks to arrive at its destination, while that duration can be doubled for freight from Europe to the U.S. West Coast.

FCL is a logistics acronym that stands for full container load. It means that a 20-foot or 40-foot shipping container is occupied by goods belonging to a single shipper.

Sometimes, a shipper has a consignment of goods that will benefit from, or perhaps need to be, transported in isolation. Even if the volume of goods is not sufficient to fill the container, FCL can still be the best option. Indeed, if your shipment is large enough to occupy more than half the space in a 40-foot container, FCL might be the most suitable shipping mode, both in terms of practicality and cost.

The answer depends on several factors, and is not always straightforward. However, when you enquire about shipping with WeFreight, our friendly experts will help you to determine which service will best suit your needs. In general, LCL shipping is for small consignments, from a few cartons to a few pallets, while LCL makes most sense for shipments of more than six or seven pallets.

LCL is a logistics acronym that stands for less-than-container-load. It means that a 20-foot or 40-foot shipping container is filled with smaller consignments of goods belonging to multiple shippers. If you ship LCL, your goods will share container space with other shippers’ consignments.

Value-added services are services which, while not essential for the storage or transportation of your goods, complement our core services such as ocean freight shipping. Examples of value-added services include packing, palletisation, lashing, and crating.

We place no obligation on our customers to take advantage of our value-added services, so you are free, for example, to make your own arrangements for activities such as packing and palletisation, or even for customs clearance for your shipments. However, ocean freight shipping becomes so much simpler when you use a single provider for all the associated processes, and that’s why we offer a full range of value-added as well as core ocean freight services.

These are terms used in LCL ocean freight shipping, to denote the gathering of multiple shipments and their loading into a shipping container before transportation (consolidation), and their unloading and separation (deconsolidation) after arrival at the destination port. These two processes are sometimes known also as stuffing and destuffing.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the most appropriate shipping method will vary depending on the specific circumstances of each individual shipment. However, in general, ocean freight is typically more economical than air freight for large or heavy shipments, while air freight is often the better capacity. Ultimately, the best way to determine which shipping method is right for your needs is to consult with WeFreight, as our experts can help you assess all of the factors involved.

Yes, ocean freight can be used as a shipping method for perishable goods. However, there are a few things to consider when deciding if ocean freight is suitable for perishable cargo like food. The time it takes for the shipment to reach its destination is one factor. If the journey is too long, the food may go bad before it arrives. Temperature control is another important factor. Perishable goods need to be kept at a certain temperature to stay fresh, and this can be difficult to maintain during transit. Ocean freight can be a great option for perishable cargo if these factors are taken into account and the necessary precautions are taken. You can also consider reefer shipping, which is a type of ocean freight that involves transporting perishable goods in refrigerated containers. This ensures that the goods remain fresh during transit and reduces the risk of spoilage. Reefer shipping is often used for food items, but can also be used for other types of perishable goods such as flowers and pharmaceuticals.

Yes, there are limits, and they depend on the type and size of the container, as well as the nature of cargo within. For example, a 20-foot (6-meter) container can typically hold up to 28,000 pounds (12,700 kg) of cargo, but this may vary depending on the factors mentioned above.

There are several different types of containers. The most common type is the ISO Container, which is designed to be used with intermodal transportation. Other types of containers include the Bulk Container, the Flatrack Container, and the Platform Container. Each has its own specific purpose and use.

Depending on the value of your cargo and the shipping company you use, your cargo may or may not be automatically insured. Be sure to ask about insurance when you're arranging shipping for your cargo. In some cases, you may be able to purchase insurance for your cargo through the shipping company. At WeFreight, we can help you choose the right level of cargo insurance and arrange cover for you.

The most important document for ocean freight is the bill of lading (B/L). This document acts as a contract between the shipper and the carrier and includes all the details of the shipment. The B/L must be signed by an authorized representative of the carrier before the goods are loaded onto the vessel. Aside from the bill of lading, other important documents for ocean freight include:
• Commercial invoices
• Packing lists
• Certificates of origin
• Letters of credit or other payment terms
These documents are typically required by customs authorities in order to clear the goods for import or export

We provide both door-to-door and port-to-port ocean freight services. We can cater to the needs of your business or organisation, whatever they may be.

Moving freight internationally is a complicated exercise. While WeFreight will attempt to include all charges, there may be times when additional charges are incurred. For example, additional charges may come up for customs clearance, storage, port detention, or other related fees. Wherever possible, WeFreight will communicate any additional charges to you so that you know what to expect.

As a leading global forwarder, WeFreight has relationships with many of the world's leading ocean freight carriers. For a full list of which ocean carriers we work with, partners section on our ocean freight page.

While it is possible to choose which carrier to use, we reserve the right to pick the most suitable carrier for your cargo.

We understand how important it is for you to know where your cargo is at all times. To aid this we have a track and trace solution that allows you to have visibility of your cargo wherever it is in the shipping process.

As a leading global forwarder with offices and operations in many countries around the world, WeFreight is able to offer solutions for your cargo to many countries through our own offices or via carefully selected partners. Please contact us now to find out which countries we can serve.

In addition to ocean freight carriage, we also offer related services including customs clearance, road transportation for your freight, consolidation/deconsolidation, palletisation, and cargo insurance. We also have a plethora of other value-added services that you can utilise as and when needed.

The importance of being environmentally friendly cannot be underestimated and to this extent, WeFreight works with all its partners to ensure that carbon emissions are minimised as much as possible.

While we aim to offer transit times that support your requirements, we are unable to guarantee transit times at this stage. However, we do work with our ocean freight partners to ensure that schedule reliability is a key focus.

Ocean freight news and insights

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Explore more WeFreight logistics services

AIR FREIGHT

 

We ship your time-sensitive consignments cross-country, internationally, or globally, in mere hours as WeFreight air cargo, with daily connections between hundreds of airports.

ROAD FREIGHT

 

We offer domestic and cross-border door-to-door FTL and LTL road transportation, including bulk, cold chain and reefer services, in select countries and regions.

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

 

Our customs clearance specialists reduce the risk of en-route border delays, so your shipments arrive at the time, and in the condition, you expect.

WAREHOUSING & CONTRACT LOGISTICS

 

WeFreight’s warehousing and contract logistics assets and expertise are yours to exploit. Tell us your needs, and we’ll tailor a solution to meet them.

PROJECT LOGISTICS

 

There’s nothing simple about moving oversized or ultra-heavy cargo from A to B. That’s why it’s called project logistics, and we’re all over it.

Why choose WeFreight?

Tailored & flexible
solutions

Focus on efficiency,
cost benefits &
value-add

Dedicated &
customer-focused
experts

Competitive,
complete &
transparent rates

We manage all
aspects of your
logistics needs

Why choose WeFreight?

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