Sending goods across borders can seem like a challenge in itself if you’re not familiar with the know-how of international shipping. Having the option to ship through the air, land or water is a boon thanks to the development in transportation. But how do you zero-in what is the best possible way for you to ship goods?
The answer to this question depends on a lot of factors. For instance, the quantity of your goods, the time you have to send them across countries, & the amount of money you are willing to spend on the shipping costs. An understanding of these, whether for business or personal shipments will decide the cost-efficiency.
While land shipping is a great option for domestic deliveries, air freight is a great option if you are looking for faster deliveries. However, this comes at a higher cost. Go for this option when you have money at hand and are pressed against time. If you are looking to ship large size shipments, consider cutting the shipment costs by opting for ocean freight.So, if you have some time at hand, the most cost-effective way to ship larger quantities is to book a shipping container.
Door-to-door container shipping and ocean freight have evolved so much with technology that you can check container shipping rates online, get instant shipping quotes, book door-to-door shipping where you get your goods packed, loaded, transported, custom cleared, unloaded and unpacked at your destination, all through just a few clicks. The online process only requires a little knowledge about your source, destination, dates of shipping and most importantly the type of container you want to book.
There are four types of shipping containers that can be booked for International shipping:
- 20-feet Containers with approx cubic volume 33m3
- 40-feet containers with approx cubic volume 66m3
- High Cube 40-Feet Containers with approx cubic volume 76m3
- 45-Feet Containers with approx cubic volume 86m3
These containers can carry up to 30,480 kg weight, so choose a container that suits the size of your goods. Another thing to consider is the space you need for your shipment specifications. There are two options to book a shipment in a container:
- Less than Container Load (LCL): Less than container load means you do not book a full container. Instead, it allows you to rent a space in a shared container. It is useful when you don’t have enough goods to fill one whole container. However, it might cost you higher than booking a full container, as the cost of shipment will then be calculated per unit of freight. Another thing to consider is that LCL shipments are at a higher risk of loss, theft and damage because the shipment is shared.
- Full Container Load (FCL): This allows you to have a full container for your goods. When you need to transport large-size shipments go for this option. It proves to be more cost-efficient in the case of large shipments. Another plus is that your container remains sealed from the source to the destination this further reduces the risk of loss, theft and damage.
Once a decision is made regarding the shipping container required, check the container shipping quotes online. Keep in mind that the cost-efficiency of choosing any of the above-mentioned ways will largely depend on the size of your shipment and its destination. Calculating an estimate for shipping costs will therefore depend on factors such as the dimensions of your goods, the weight of your shipment, the distance between source and destination, and sometimes the value of the goods shipped and delivery time.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to calculate shipping costs online. For example, let us consider getting an instant quote for a container shipment from India to Dubai.
- Step 1- Go to any freight providers website and fill in the details as From (Source) Port in India to Destination Dubai
- Step 2- Update the cargo details such as dimensions, weight, and type of commodity, Step 3- Fill in the date of shipping.
- Step 4- Choose the size of the container you’ll need and the type of shipment (LCL or FCL) and submit the details.
- Step 5- Fill in your contact information, this is a common practice to provide you with instant assistance via mail or call as the case may be.
This will give you an approximate value of container shipping charges from India to Dubai via containers and also an approximate time required for the transportation.
Please note: If you are booking a commercial shipment, do include packaging charges when you calculate the cost of shipping your products. If you find your sales dropping because of shipping charges, devise a strategy to reduce the cost incurred by your customers, by charging a flat rate or bundling offers to reduce your shipping costs.
Getting a quote online will reduce further delays in your shipping process, help you compare quotations from multiple freight providers and choose the most cost-efficient option to fit your needs.
