Guide · What it costs
What it costs to ship a container from the UK.
"How much does it cost to ship a container?" is the question we hear most. The honest answer is "it depends", so here's exactly what it depends on, and how to get an accurate number fast.
1. Full vs shared container, the biggest cost decision
The first fork in the road is whether you take a whole container to yourself (a full container, the trade term is FCL) or share one (a shared container, called LCL or "groupage"), where you pay only for the space your goods take up.
For a few pallets, a shared container is far cheaper, you're not paying for empty space. But once your cargo fills most of a 20ft or 40ft box, a full container usually works out cheaper per unit and gives you the whole container's capacity. This single choice moves the price more than anything else.
2. What drives the price
Beyond full-vs-shared, the main levers are:
- Route: distance and how busy the lane is. Turkey, Italy, the USA and the Far East all price differently.
- Container size: 20ft, 40ft or 40HC, or the cubic metres you use in a shared container.
- Season: rates rise when demand peaks and space tightens.
- Fuel: fuel surcharges move with the oil price and feed straight into freight rates.
Because these shift, any honest quote is tied to a specific shipment at a specific time, not a fixed price list.
3. The extra costs people forget
The ocean freight is only part of the bill. The costs that catch people out are the ones either side of the sea leg:
- Collection from your UK premises to the port.
- Customs clearance at both ends, including any movement certificates.
- Destination charges: port handling, and delivery to the final address.
A quote that only shows the sea freight can look cheap until these land later. We quote all-in, so the number you see is the number you pay.
4. Why the cheapest quote often isn't
A low headline rate can hide costs that surface later, or come with the kind of service where nobody answers when a shipment is stuck. The real cost of a cheap quote shows up when something goes wrong and there's no one accountable.
A transparent all-in price from one forwarder who's accountable for the whole job usually costs less in the end. Less stress too.
5. How to get an accurate quote fast
To price a shipment properly we need a few things: what you're shipping (and rough weight and dimensions), where it's collecting from in the UK, and where it's going. With that, we can tell you whether a full or shared container is cheaper and give you a transparent, all-in figure within 24 hours.
No obligation, many people use a quote just to understand what their move will cost.
Straight answers
Common questions
How much does it cost to ship a container from the UK?
There's no single figure, the price depends on the route, the container size, whether you take a full or shared container, the season and fuel surcharges, plus collection, customs and destination charges. The honest answer is to send us your cargo and destination and we'll give you a transparent, all-in quote within 24 hours.
Is a shared container cheaper than a full one?
For smaller loads, yes, with a shared container (LCL) you pay only for the space you use, so it's cheaper than paying for a whole box you can't fill. But once your cargo fills most of a container, a full container (FCL) usually works out cheaper per unit. We'll tell you straight which is better for your load.
Why is the cheapest quote not always the best?
A low headline rate can leave out collection, customs clearance or destination charges that appear later, or come with poor communication when something goes wrong. A transparent all-in quote from someone who answers the phone usually costs less in the end than a cheap rate with surprises attached.
24h turnaround · No obligation
Want a transparent, all-in price?
Tell us your cargo and destination and we'll give you a transparent, all-in quote within 24 hours on working days.
Already hold a quote from another forwarder? Send us this route and we’ll give you ours to compare.
Related: Container shipping from the UK · How to export from the UK · All guides