Whether your UK business is importing or exporting goods, it’s important to research the most cost-effective shipping methods. In most cases, sea freight will be far more affordable than air freight, however, time constraints can be a drawback and it’s also not the most cost-effective method of shipping smaller packages.
That said, here are the Independent Freight guidelines to sea freight shipping for your information.
You can choose a range of solutions when you send goods by sea. These include:
• Full container load shipments where all your goods are loaded into one container (these can be varying lengths).
• Shared container shipments, known as less than container load, which can be arranged by your freight forwarding company.
• Roll on and roll off shipments, which as the name suggests relate to lorry loads which can be driven onto the cargo ship and then driven off at the arrival port.
• Dry bulk shipping is reserved for dry materials, like aggregates and metals which can simply be poured into the hold of the cargo ship, then offloaded at arrival ports.
One of the main advantages of sea freight is that it’s so cost-efficient for transporting larger quantities and heavier loads over long distances. When you shop around you will find that sea freight can be up to six times cheaper than air freight. Many countries apply lower duties to goods arriving by sea, as these are often calculated as a percentage total cost of goods. In addition, from an environmental perspective sea freight is far less harmful to the planet.
If you would like to learn more about sea freight into or out of the UK, why not speak to the experts here at Independent Freight? We also offer a Customs Clearance Service and a Brokerage Service. Get in touch today to find out more!
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