Rates and quotes for ocean and sea freight shipping: TopAlpha Ocean Freight

You should consider ocean freight when shipping in high volumes. From choosing the mode that's right for you to calculating transit times and costs, here is your guide to everything ocean.

Ocean Freight Meaning: What Is Ocean Freight?

Ocean freight transport involves shipping goods via shipping containers by sea.

Transport by ocean is the most common mode for importers and exporters. 90% of everything is transported by ocean freight and sea freight. Other modes of international freight transportation, like courier, air freight, and express air freight, may be faster, but are also more expensive. These other modes of transportation are generally used for smaller shipments and for high-value products.

In cases where ocean freight would be too slow and air freight too expensive, some freight forwarders offer express shipping. Although nearly as fast as air freight, this option may be less expensive. It streamlines ocean freight processes by identifying only the fastest ocean services and premium trucking services.

Why Ship By Sea?

A single container can hold up to 10000 beer bottles! And ocean freight is cheaper. Air freight is too costly for shipments weighing more than 500 kg. The chargeable weight calculator helps you determine whether you will be charged by weight or by volume for light shipments. Our FBX index shows live international shipping rates.

Several factors come into play in defining and restricting what goods can be transported as dangerous. These factors include international law, national law, carrier organization regulations, and individual carrier regulations. A greater number of products are restricted as air cargo than ocean freight, including: gases (e. lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Note 7), or toxic or corrosive items (e.g. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. Speakers), oxidizers, and biochemical products (for instance, chemical medicines), and public health risks (for example, pollution). untanned hides). See the Hazardous Material Table for additional information.

Compared to air freight, ocean freight is a significant source of CO2 emissions. According to this research, the transportation of 2 tonnes by ocean freight for 5000 kilometers will result in 150 kg of CO2 emissions, compared to 6605 kg of CO2 emissions by air freight.

ocean freight

What Are The Downsides Of Ocean Freight?

There are about 30 times more speed differences between passenger jets and ocean liners. Jets cruise at 575 mph, while slow-steaming ocean liners move at 16-18 mph. Obviously, shipping goods by air freight from China to the US takes at least 20 days longer than by ocean freight.

Ocean freight generally takes more time than air freight because of congestion at ports, customs delays, and weather conditions. The tracking technology for air freight is often more advanced than that for ocean freight. Ocean freight is therefore more likely to go missing than air freight. The rates are especially high when the shipment is less than a container load. The digitization of ocean freight is making it more reliable.

In contrast to air cargo, ocean freight is more likely to be damaged or destroyed. This is because it is in transit for a much longer time, and because ships move more easily. You don't need to worry about ocean cargo falling off ships too much. There are a lot more lost containers than the urban myth claims, as 546 out of 120 million movements fall into the ocean each year. Even less likely is piracy. sea Freight tracking In recent years, hotspots have included the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Straits.

Ocean Freight Services

In the maritime sector, two different options exist: full container loads (FCLs) and less than container loads (LCLs). One container is used for several shipments in LCL. The forwarder has additional work to do, there's extra paperwork, and there's the physical work of consolidating multiple shipments into one container before the main transit, and then de-combining the shipments once they reach their destination. This gives LCL three disadvantages:

A LCL shipment takes longer to arrive than an FCL shipment. It's usually recommended to allow an additional one or two weeks for LCL.

Having LCL increases the risk for damage, misplacement, and loss.

LCL costs more per cubic meter.

Once your shipment is large enough, and shipping rates are cheaper for FCL, it might be worth sending a full container, even if you don't fill the entire container. The tipping point for upgrading from LCL to FCL (those are the smallest sized containers) is in the range of 15 cubic meters.

Sea Freight Rates per kg

Except for particularly heavy goods, LCL is mostly priced per volume, not by weight.

Use these guidelines for selecting the most cost-effective mode of delivery for most products:

The cost of air freight increases dramatically over 500 kg.

A China-US shipment can take up to 40 days or more by ocean freight, which generally costs $2-$4 per kg.

A shipment between 150 kg and 500 kg from China to the US can be transported economically by air freight and take around 8-10 days.

The express air freight service is quicker but more expensive.

Those packages weighing less than 150 kg are best transported by courier (express freight).

Ocean and sea freight rates and charges you will see in your quote include the following:

Here are the items you can expect to see on ocean freight quotes and invoices: