Ocean Freight
Ocean is the cheapest way out of China. It is also where the most money goes missing after the vessel berths — the freight rate is rarely the number that decides your landed cost.
Ocean Freight — what decides the number
Ocean is the cheapest way out of China. It is also where the most money goes missing after the vessel berths — the freight rate is rarely the number that decides your landed cost.
LCL bills on the revenue ton: the greater of one cubic metre or 1,000 kg. Cargo denser than a tonne to the cube pays on weight; everything else pays on volume. FCL bills per box whether you fill it or not, which is why the crossover is worth knowing — a 20-foot container usually starts beating groupage somewhere around 13 to 15 cubic metres, and it arrives earlier than the raw rates suggest because LCL carries destination CFS and handling per cubic metre that a full box does not.
Capacity is set by ISO internal dimensions, not by what the outside of the box looks like. A 20-foot GP is about 33.1 m³ internally and 25 to 28 m³ once cartons are stacked the way they really stack. A 40-foot GP is 67.6 m³ internal, 54 to 58 m³ practical. A 40-foot high cube is 76.0 m³ internal, 60 to 68 m³ practical. Payload is normally capped by road law at the destination rather than by the container itself — plenty of jurisdictions hold a loaded 20-foot box well under its 28-tonne structural rating.
Three deadlines decide whether your cargo sails on the vessel you were quoted. The shipping instruction is usually due three to four days before departure. The verified gross mass declaration is mandatory under SOLAS Chapter VI and the box will not be loaded without it. The container yard cut-off falls one to two days before departure. Miss any one and the booking rolls. At the far end free time is commonly seven to fourteen days, after which demurrage and detention run daily — and that is the single most common unexpected invoice on a first ocean shipment.
Key figures at a glance
| LCL charging basis | Greater of 1 CBM or 1,000 kg (revenue ton, W/M) |
|---|---|
| 20' GP capacity | 33.1 m³ internal · 25–28 m³ practical |
| 40' GP capacity | 67.6 m³ internal · 54–58 m³ practical |
| 40' HC capacity | 76.0 m³ internal · 60–68 m³ practical |
| LCL to FCL crossover | Typically 13–15 m³ |
| Documentation deadlines | SI 3–4 days before ETD · VGM before loading · CY cut-off 1–2 days |
| Free time at destination | Commonly 7–14 days before demurrage and detention |
| Main load ports | CNSHA, CNNGB, CNYTN, CNNSA, CNTAO, CNXMN, CNTXG |
| Typical door-to-door | 25–50 days |
Standard industry references (Incoterms 2020, IATA volumetric divisors, ISO container internal dimensions, SOLAS Chapter VI, ISPM 15). Rates, surcharges and free time are commercial terms and vary by carrier, lane and season — confirm them on your own quotation.
Where these shipments leave from
Our bookings originate at the Chinese gateways below. Which one your cargo uses depends on where the factory sits, the mode and the space available that week.
Port of Shanghai
Yangshan and Waigaoqiao terminals; the highest-frequency gateway for Europe and North America.
31.2304° N 121.4737° E
Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan
Yangtze Delta alternative to Shanghai, often with shorter yard queues at peak.
29.8683° N 121.5440° E
Port of Shenzhen — Yantian
Primary South China gateway for Pearl River Delta factories.
22.5850° N 114.2700° E
Guangzhou — Nansha
Strong on Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia services.
22.7700° N 113.6000° E
Port of Qingdao
North China gateway for Shandong and northern manufacturing clusters.
36.0671° N 120.3826° E
Port of Xiamen
Fujian gateway; commonly used for LCL consolidation.
24.4798° N 118.0894° E
Port of Tianjin — Xingang
Serves Beijing, Hebei and the northern interior.
38.9855° N 117.7900° E
Ocean Freight
4 postsFrequently asked
What is a revenue ton and why does it matter for LCL?
A revenue ton is the greater of one cubic metre or one metric tonne. LCL rates are quoted per revenue ton, so dense cargo is billed by weight and bulky cargo by volume. Working out which applies to your packing spec tells you whether reducing weight or reducing volume will actually save money.
At what volume does a full container become cheaper than LCL?
Usually between 13 and 15 cubic metres, though it depends on the lane. LCL attracts per-cubic-metre destination CFS and handling charges that a full container avoids, so the crossover arrives earlier than the raw freight rates suggest.
How many cubic metres fit in a 40-foot high cube container?
The internal volume is about 76 m³, but a realistic loaded figure is 60 to 68 m³ depending on carton size and whether the cargo can be stacked to the roof. Quoting the internal figure to a supplier is how containers end up needing a second box.
Why did I receive a demurrage invoice after my container arrived?
Free time at the destination is limited — commonly seven to fourteen days. Demurrage accrues while the box sits at the terminal and detention accrues while it is out for unloading. Both start automatically once free time expires, whether or not you have cleared customs.
What is VGM and who is responsible for it?
Verified gross mass is the certified weight of the packed container, mandatory under SOLAS Chapter VI. The shipper is legally responsible for declaring it before loading; without it the terminal will not load the box, regardless of the booking.