Shipped by Ocean & Sea: Rates, Quotes and Charges by TopAlpha Ocean Freight

If you start shipping freight in high volumes, it's time for ocean freight. Your guide to everything ocean, from choosing the best mode to calculating costs and transit times.

Ocean Freight Meaning: What Is Ocean Freight?
Shipping containers are used for ocean freight transport, which involves shipping goods by sea.

الشحن البحري The most common mode of transport for importers and exporters is ocean freight. Approximately 90% of everything is shipped by sea freight. International freight delivery by courier, standard air freight, and express air freight are all faster, but also more expensive. These other modes of transportation are generally used for smaller shipments and for high-value products.

Ocean freight can be slow, but air freight can be expensive. Some freight forwarders offer express shipping in such a case. While less expensive than air freight, this service is often nearly as fast. Streamlining ocean freight processes and partnering only with fast ocean and premium trucking services is how it works.

Why Ship By Sea?
The container holds a whopping 10000 beer bottles! And ocean freight is cheaper. Any shipment weighing more than 500 kg is too expensive for air freight. Use this chargeable weight calculator to work out whether you will be charged by actual weight or dimensional weight for your light shipment. Please refer to our FBX index for the latest international shipping rates.
It is easier to define and restrict what goods are considered dangerous for transportation if the rules of international law, national law, carrier organization regulations, and carrier specific regulations are followed. As a general rule, more products are restricted for air freight than ocean freight, including gases (e.g. lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Note 7), or toxic or corrosive items (e.g. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. Public health risks (e.g., speakers, oxidizers, chemical medicines) arise from drivers (e.g., air pollution). untanned hides). You can find more information in the Hazardous Material Table.
Compared to air freight, ocean freight is a significant source of CO2 emissions. This study indicates that 2 tonnes shipped by ocean freight for 5000 kilometers will lead to 150 kg of CO2 emissions, while shipping 2 tonnes by air freight will result in 6605 kg of CO2 emissions.

ocean freight
What Are The Downsides Of Ocean Freight?
Speed aircraft are about 30 times faster than ocean liners. Passenger jets cruise at 575 mph, whereas slow ocean liners go 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 requires more days to reach its destination due to congestion, customs delays, and adverse weather conditions. The tracking technology for air freight is often more advanced than that for ocean freight. Therefore, ocean freight is more likely to be misplaced than air freight. Particularly when the shipment is less than a container load, this is the case. The digitization of ocean freight is making it more reliable.
In general, ocean freight is more likely to be damaged or destroyed than air cargo. It's because it's in transit for a longer period of time and because ships are more likely to move. Do not worry too much about ocean cargo falling off of ships. It is more likely that 546 of the 120 million container movements per year, which result in 10000 lost every year, fall into the water instead. Even less likely is piracy. The Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Straits are hotspots in recent years.
Ocean Freight Services
Ocean and sea freight services are further divided into two categories: full container loads (FCL) and less than container loads (LCLs). A LCL container can pack more than one shipment. The forwarder will need to do more work, as there will be additional paperwork involved, as well as consolidating multiple shipments into a container and deconsolidating them at the other end. This gives LCL three disadvantages:

FCL shipments are delivered faster than LCL shipments. LCL usually has to be extended by one or two weeks.
LCL is susceptible to damage, misplacing, and loss.
LCL costs more per cubic meter.
As shipping rates are lower for FCL, you may want to use a full container once your shipment reaches a certain size, even if your goods don't fill the container. LCL to FCL upgrades are typically achieved at a point around 15 cubic meters (the smallest size container is a 20 footer).

Sea Freight Rates per kg
For all but exceptionally heavy goods, most LCL is priced by volume, not by weight.

In selecting the most cost-effective mode, follow these guidelines:

For shipments of 500 kg and more, air freight is no longer economical.
The cost of ocean freight is usually $2-4/kg, and a shipment from China to the US typically takes 30-40 days.
A China-US shipment between 150 kg and 500 kg is economically transportable by air freight, and it will take 8-10 days.
It takes a few days less to ship by air freight, but the cost is higher.
Packages that weigh less than 150 kg can go by courier (express freight).

Ocean and sea freight rates and charges you will see in your quote include the following:
These items are likely to appear on ocean freight quotes and invoices: