Container Shipping Guide
Container shipping is the most common way to move household goods and cars overseas.
How it works
- Your goods are packed and loaded into a container at your home or a warehouse
- The container is trucked to the port and shipped
- At destination it clears customs and is delivered
FCL, LCL and RoRo
- FCL (full container load): a container just for you
- LCL (less than container load): you share a container and pay for your space
- RoRo (roll-on/roll-off): cars are driven onto a special ship, often cheaper than a container for a single vehicle
Transit times
Ocean transit takes weeks, plus time for loading, customs and delivery. Ask each company for a realistic door-to-door timeline.