Container Transport

International shipping can be employed for transporting conventional cargo, bulk cargo and containerized cargo. Containerization has pioneered the development of international trade as it has allowed the standardization and ease of intermodal transport in the transportation of exports and imports anywhere in the world.
With container transport it is possible to send one or more units at a time, or just a proportion of the full container through what is known as an LCL shipment. With international LCL shipments there is no single shipper, exporter or importer. Instead several companies send to one or multiple recipients without having anything in common.

CONTAINER SHIPPING

Container shipping is mostly done using standard “dry van” containers such as a 20 foot or 40 foot container. The only difference between the two containers is that the 20-foot container is 6 meters long while the 40-foot container is 12 meters long. There are other types of 40 feet containers such as the 40-foot High Cube container, which is about 10 inches taller. There are also specialist containers such as open top containers and flat rack container, which open at the top and sides. Even less common containers include the 45-foot containers (larger) and the so-called 20 and 40-foot wide pallet being the same as normal but slightly wider.

For the international transport of perishable goods there exist refrigerated or “reefer” containers. These containers can go to temperatures ranging between -18 to 10 degrees Celsius depending on whether or not they are connected to power. The costs can vary depending on whether the reefer container must always be connected to power or if they may go without connection when the goods are being picked up or delivered.
To discover the transport costs of LCL or FCL shipments to or from America to the rest of the world please use our quote finder.