Container Shipping
Posted on 07/08/2014
A container is used when a large quantity of goods are to be transported, It is mainly used for importing and exporting goods but can use to move all sorts of items. Hiring a container to be taken by ship is much more cost effective than other methods such as on board a chartered plane. It may take a few days or maybe weeks longer, but the reliability and security they offer is of a very high standard.
Container shipping has been majorly developed over the last 30- 40 years; it is through new and improved shipping and logistics infrastructure, that our modern day consumer market is able to function. Every single day, thousands of containers arrive at UK seaports, feeding shops such as supermarket chains, electrical suppliers, grocers and even your local paper shop. Nearly all the product you see in your day to day life are bought and imported from foreign countries, containers shipping makes these purchases possible and at a very reasonable price. This whole industry can seem very daunting to somebody who is simply moving abroad with several pieces of furniture and a few boxes. Today it has been made very simple for the general public to utilise the services of container shipping companies.
When dealing with people in the industry, you will realise that they really are the experts. You don’t have to worry about what size you are going to need or how many belongings you’ll fit into an average size container, just focus on giving an accurate list of items you want transporting and they will do the rest. To give you a rough estimate, in a standard size 8ftx8ftx20ft container, you would be able to fit the contents of a 1 – 2 bedroom house.
The internet has opened up these services to everybody and because most of these container companies are online, it is now possible to have them bid against each other in order to gain your business. This can obviously have a massive impact on your price, sometimes knocking as much as 50% off your initial quote. So shopping around, especially online, is always recommended.
Costing:
There are 3 factors which effect the price you will be quoted.
- The weight and volume of your possessions
- Where in the world you want you container to be delivered
- How long you want it to take
The most standard size container used around the world is 8ftx8ftx20ft; the reason for using a standard size is simplicity. If containers were all different shapes and sizes, loading and unloading them would take a huge amount of time. Being all one size means easy placement and stacking of the cargo, this in turn leads to an amazingly fast turnaround time at the port.
Other sizes are available for use, such as the 2.5m wide container used especially for European pallets, or the 9ft6” and 10ft6” containers which are used for Australian pallets. Aside from different sizes, containers also come in different designs such as, top loading containers which are good for transporting vehicles or heavy machinery; refrigerated containers used mainly for consumable goods and ventilated containers, used most often for animal transportation.
As stated earlier, it is now possible to have companies bid against each other for your business, this doesn’t always that the cheapest price ids the best or biggest company, so whenever possible, do a little research on the company you intend to use. Past feedback or reviews from previous customers is usually the most accurate and honest information. Always make a detailed list of your possessions and if possible take pictures of their condition.
