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TopAlpha Ocean Freight: Rates, Quotes & Fees Ocean & Sea Freigh

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    As you ship freight in higher volumes, you should consider ocean freight. From choosing the mode that's right for you to calculating transit times and costs, here is your guide to everything ocean.

    Ocean Freight Meaning: What Is Ocean Freight?
    Containerized sea freight transport involves the transport of goods by sea.

    Importers and exporters most frequently use ocean freight. 90 percent of everything is shipped via ocean freight. In contrast, the other modes of international freight transport (courier, regular air freight, express air freight) are not only slower, but also more expensive. In general, smaller shipments, and products of a high value, must be shipped by these other methods.

    When ocean freight is too slow and air freight is too expensive, some freight forwarders offer express shipping. Faster and less expensive than air freight, this service can be nearly as expedient as air freight. It streamlines ocean freight processes by identifying only the fastest ocean services and premium trucking services.

    Why Ship By Sea?
    One container can hold up to ten thousand beer bottles! And ocean freight is cheaper. Generally speaking, a shipment that weighs more than 500 kg is too heavy for air freight. For light shipments, you can use this calculator to find out whether your shipment will be billed by actual weight or dimensional weight. The FBX index provides live shipping rates for international shipments.
    In recent times, there have been fewer restrictions on what goods are considered dangerous and what goods are not. Sea Freight International law, national law, carrier organization regulations, and individual carrier regulations all contribute to defining and restricting what goods are considered dangerous. In general, air cargo has more restrictions than ocean freight, including: gases (such as hydrogen and methane). lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. As well as toxic or corrosive items (e.g., perfumes, Samsung Galaxy Note 7), etc. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. In addition to speakers, oxidizers, biochemical products (e.g. chemical medicines), and public health risks (e.g. untanned hides). The Hazardous Material Table has more information.
    Comparatively speaking, ocean freight produces very little CO2 emissions. By comparison, the same 2 tonnes shipped via ocean freight will emit 150 kg of CO2 per 5000 kilometers as compared with 6605 kg of CO2 per 5000 kilometers via air freight.

    ocean freight
    What Are The Downsides Of Ocean Freight?
    Passenger jets cruise at 575 mph, while slow-steaming ocean liners travel at 16-18 mph. Therefore, it is not surprising that a shipment of goods traveling by air freight from China to the US usually takes at least 20 days longer.
    Sea freight has a much higher level of reliability due to port congestion, customs delays, and bad weather conditions. Air freight tracking technology is typically more advanced than ocean freight tracking technology. This means that ocean freight is more likely to be lost than air freight. This is especially the case when a shipment is less than a container load. Due to digitization, ocean freight has become more reliable.
    In general, ocean freight is more likely to be damaged or destroyed than air cargo. Ships are more likely to move since they are in transit for longer. The cargo might fall off the ships, but do not be too concerned. Despite urban myths stating there are 10000 container losses annually, it is actually 546 of 120 million movements that fall in the drink. Even less likely is piracy. Recent hotspots include the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Straits.
    Ocean Freight Services
    Two further options under ocean and sea freight are a full container load (FCL) and a less than container load (LCL). LCL entails packing several shipments into a single container. This leads to more work for the forwarder, as there is more paperwork involved as well as actual physical work involved with consolidating shipments and re-consolidating them after the main transit. This gives LCL three disadvantages:

    The delivery time of an LCL shipment is longer than that of an FCL shipment. It's usually recommended to allow an additional one or two weeks for LCL.
    Damage, loss, and misplacement are more likely with LCL.
    LCL costs more per cubic meter.
    When your shipment is large enough, it may be worth using a full container, even if your goods do not fill the container. The tipping point for upgrading from LCL to FCL (the smallest container is a 20 footer) is around 15 cubic meters.


    Sea Freight Rates per kg
    Most LCL shipments are priced by volume of goods, not by weight, with few exceptions.


    The following are some guidelines to help you select the most cost-effective mode for most products:


    A shipment weighing more than 500 kg becomes uneconomical to ship by air.
    In most cases, sea freight is around $2-$4 per kilogram, and it takes around 30-40 days for a shipment from China to the US.
    Using air freight for a China-US shipment between 150 kg and 500 kg costs about $5-8 per kilo and can take 8-10 days.
    A few days faster, but more expensive, is express air freight.
    The delivery of packages less than 150 kg can be economically handled by courier (express freight).


    Your freight quote includes the following costs, rates, and charges:
    Ocean freight quotes and invoices will include these items: