Container shipping to the UK – sea freight and haulage to your door

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Container shipping to the UK – a full container (FCL) or a few cubic metres in a shared one (LCL), from Asia and Europe to your door. We arrange the sea freight, the UK import clearance and the truck from the port, so you deal with one contact and one quote.

Tell us what you ship, the volume or the pallets, the weight, and both addresses through the quote form, and a person comes back with a price.

Which container fits your goods

Container	Inside (L × W × H)	Volume	Pallets on the floor
20ft DC	5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	about 33 m³	11 Euro / 10 UK
40ft DC	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m	about 67 m³	25 Euro / 21 UK
40ft HC (high cube)	12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m	about 76 m³	25 Euro / 21 UK
LCL (shared)	your part of a container	from 1 m³	by the pallet or the box

The high cube has the same floor as a standard 40ft but is 30 cm taller – for light, bulky goods. Not sure how much you have? The free CBM calculator and pallets-per-container calculator work it out.

Sea and road: how it works

Quote. You send the goods, volume or pallets, weight and both addresses. We price the sea freight and the haulage together, or just the part you need.
Loading. A full container is loaded at your supplier. LCL goods go to the consolidation warehouse at the port of loading and share a container with other shipments.
Sea freight. The container sails to Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway. We follow the vessel and tell you the arrival date.
Customs. We arrange the UK import declaration. Once duty and VAT are paid, the container is released.
Truck to your door. A full container comes to you on a trailer and the empty goes back. LCL goods are unpacked at the port and delivered by truck as pallets, anywhere in the UK.

What UK import needs from you

An EORI number starting with GB.
A commercial invoice with the commodity codes, and a packing list. Both can be generated here for free.
The bill of lading, or its number if the sea freight was booked by someone else.
The Incoterm agreed with the supplier. It decides who pays which part of the journey; see Incoterms 2020 explained.

To know the landed cost before you order, the import duty & VAT calculator uses the official HMRC rates.

What determines the price

The port of loading and the shipping line, FCL or LCL volume, the weight, the delivery address in the UK and the season. Port and customs charges count too. Rates change with the market, so there is no fixed tariff. Send the details and you get a firm offer for sea and road together.

Frequently asked questions

FCL or LCL – which one do I need?

As a rule of thumb, LCL pays off up to about 13–15 m³. Above that a 20ft container is usually cheaper and faster, because nothing waits for consolidation at either end. Send the volume and weight and we price both.

Can you only collect a container from the port?

Yes. If your forwarder has already booked the sea freight, we collect the container from Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway and deliver it to your door. Send the container number, the bill of lading and the date it is released.

How many pallets fit in a container?

On the floor, in one layer: about 11 Euro pallets or 10 standard UK pallets in a 20ft, and about 25 Euro or 21 standard pallets in a 40ft or 40ft high cube. The free pallets-per-container calculator works it out for your exact pallets.

How heavy can a container be?

On British roads the legal gross weight of the truck usually sets the limit, not the container. A heavy 20ft load needs the right trailer. Send the gross weight with the request and we check it before booking.

How long do I have to unload the container?

A live unload includes a limited free time at your premises; waiting beyond it is charged. If you need longer, the container can be dropped and collected later. The exact terms come with your quote.