Understanding Shipping Container Transport Costs in the UK: A Comprehensive Guide
30/10/2024
Shipping container transport is an essential part of logistics for many businesses across the UK. But, understanding the costs involved can be a challenge.
If you’re wondering “How much to transport a shipping container?” Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a simple number. Many factors influence the cost of container transport.
In this article, we’ll go into some of those factors to bring some transparency to shipping container transport costs UK.
Location is one of the biggest determiners of cost when it comes to moving shipping containers. If you’re moving a container from a coastal port, it’ll be much cheaper to transport it to a warehouse in that area compared to a remote location.
There are two standard shipping container sizes, 20-foot and 40-foot. Naturally, the price will differ depending on which size you choose. Also, if you need a specialist container, like a refrigerated one, this will come at a premium price.
There are many ways to ship a container, whether that’s by road, rail or sea, and each of these methods comes with different costs. Road transport is usually the most common, and cost-effective, for short distances. But, if you need international shipping container transport, you might need to pay for a combination of the three.
Loading and unloading fees are another cost you’ll have to account for. These costs will vary massively depending on what kind of equipment your container needs, for example, does the container need to be unloaded by a crane?
Handling fees will also depend on whether your container is FCL or LCL. LCL loads are more expensive to transport because they require additional handling.
Fluctuating fuel prices will have a big impact on the cost of transporting a container. Naturally, higher fuel prices will mean higher costs, so this is something you need to factor into your overall transport budget.
If you are transporting your container internationally, customs is another cost you’ll have to cover as part of your overall budget. One way to minimise this cost is to ensure all of your documentation is in order and accurate, so you can avoid unexpected charges.
As demand increases, so do costs. Shipping container transport costs will shoot up in busy periods when demand is high. Usually, these busy periods will be around Christmas and also whenever there is supply chain disruption, for example, when the Suez Canal was blocked for six days by the Ever Given.
Whether you want to ship your container to the UK, Europe, or the rest of the world, at Southern Storage we provide comprehensive transport solutions through our large network of global couriers. We also have our own fleet of vehicles for local transport, so we can offer competitive pricing and fast transport turnaround times.
“SST provide high-quality storage and order processing services. They communicate well and offer excellent, flexible transport packages to almost any destination. On-time deliveries are very important in our industry and SST give excellent service. We know we can count on the SST team!”
Read more reviews from our clients.
We’ll take the confusion out of shipping container transport costs, giving you a transparent price and a reliable service. Contact us today for a bespoke quote or to learn more about our services.
If you’re wondering “How much to transport a shipping container?” Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a simple number. Many factors influence the cost of container transport.
In this article, we’ll go into some of those factors to bring some transparency to shipping container transport costs UK.
1. Distance/Location
Location is one of the biggest determiners of cost when it comes to moving shipping containers. If you’re moving a container from a coastal port, it’ll be much cheaper to transport it to a warehouse in that area compared to a remote location.
2. Container Size
There are two standard shipping container sizes, 20-foot and 40-foot. Naturally, the price will differ depending on which size you choose. Also, if you need a specialist container, like a refrigerated one, this will come at a premium price.
3. Delivery Method
There are many ways to ship a container, whether that’s by road, rail or sea, and each of these methods comes with different costs. Road transport is usually the most common, and cost-effective, for short distances. But, if you need international shipping container transport, you might need to pay for a combination of the three.
4. Handling Fees
Loading and unloading fees are another cost you’ll have to account for. These costs will vary massively depending on what kind of equipment your container needs, for example, does the container need to be unloaded by a crane?
Handling fees will also depend on whether your container is FCL or LCL. LCL loads are more expensive to transport because they require additional handling.
5. Fuel Costs
Fluctuating fuel prices will have a big impact on the cost of transporting a container. Naturally, higher fuel prices will mean higher costs, so this is something you need to factor into your overall transport budget.
6. Customs
If you are transporting your container internationally, customs is another cost you’ll have to cover as part of your overall budget. One way to minimise this cost is to ensure all of your documentation is in order and accurate, so you can avoid unexpected charges.
7. Demand
As demand increases, so do costs. Shipping container transport costs will shoot up in busy periods when demand is high. Usually, these busy periods will be around Christmas and also whenever there is supply chain disruption, for example, when the Suez Canal was blocked for six days by the Ever Given.
Southern Storage: UK and Worldwide Shipping Container Transport
Whether you want to ship your container to the UK, Europe, or the rest of the world, at Southern Storage we provide comprehensive transport solutions through our large network of global couriers. We also have our own fleet of vehicles for local transport, so we can offer competitive pricing and fast transport turnaround times.
Transportation Customer Feedback…
“SST provide high-quality storage and order processing services. They communicate well and offer excellent, flexible transport packages to almost any destination. On-time deliveries are very important in our industry and SST give excellent service. We know we can count on the SST team!”
Read more reviews from our clients.
Contact Us For Shipping Container Transport
We’ll take the confusion out of shipping container transport costs, giving you a transparent price and a reliable service. Contact us today for a bespoke quote or to learn more about our services.
