OCEAN FREIGHT

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.