Are you struggling to find reasonable freight shipping rates? This blog will take you through our carefully curated product Ocean Freight Marketplace where you can find the best quotes on SOC containers vessel slot booking. You will also read about the various factors that influence freight rates and the latest market trends. If you want to skip the blog and talk to our experts directly, book a free demo now.
There’s a lot that goes into planning a shipment from start to finish. With ever-changing container prices, limited sourcing channels, an absence of transparency, and sketchy suppliers, the need for effective freight solutions that can save both time and money is crucial. And finding an online digital shipping marketplace that caters to all of your needs under one platform is next to impossible.
But with Container xChange, you can make this happen. We are the online shipping marketplace you’ve been searching for. We help you source units at the best market price and book vessel slots worldwide, in just two easy steps.
Step 1: Get your freight operations in place by first leasing containers on our leasing marketplace.
Step 2: Then ship them via booking vessel slots on our Ocean Freight Marketplace.
To get started with the first step, try our public search below to lease a container of your choice at reasonable rates from only vetted suppliers. All you have to do is enter your pick-up and drop-off locations, and container type, and hit the search button. You can then take your pick from a list of containers, suppliers, and current leasing rates. And score your box within minutes.
5 ways freight shipping rates are affected
Your container is now secured! So, now is the time to find out more about freight shipping rates in this section and the next sections to come in order to understand what affects the rates and all that we have to offer in detail.
Before we get to the ways in which your freight shipping rates can be affected let’s understand how much sea freight costs. To determine your freight cost you need to use an ocean freight calculator where you key in the number of containers, the type, the origin, and the destination. After which the price is calculated for you.
Let’s say you have a shipment of shoes that you’ve packed into two 20ft containers that need to be sent to the US from China. After keying in the details of your shipment into the ocean freight calculator the information that you gather is that the ocean freight is around US $2 to US $4/kg, for a China-US shipment.
This part is easy, but now comes the factors that affect freight shipping rates, let’s explore them in detail below.
Shipping service
The type of shipping service you choose can affect your freight shipping rates as each shipping service has varying rates on container types, the distance between the origin and destination, and freight classification. Also, the season in which you choose to ship items can also play a role as shipping services will charge more during peak shipping seasons. The high season is usually from July until November or even December. This increase in demand causes container shipping lines to raise the cost of freight shipping.
Another factor that comes into play here is the type of shipping you choose based on priority and urgency. For example, an expedited freight shipping method will result in faster transportation but is likely to be costlier.
Shipment dimensions and weight
The dimensional weight of your freight impacts freight cost. The larger and heavier your package, the more weight, and room it needs during transportation. And not to forget the additional manpower to be required to transport your goods. This means, your final freight cost bill will include all of this.
Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container LoadWhat is less than container load? Less than container load (less than container load, LCL) is a shipping term that refers to the delivery of cargo in smaller quantities than a full container load. A f... More (LCLWhat is less than container load? Less than container load (less than container load, LCL) is a shipping term that refers to the delivery of cargo in smaller quantities than a full container load. A f... More) are two main ways to determine freight rates. While FCL means that you use an entire box for your own cargo, in LCLWhat is less than container load? Less than container load (less than container load, LCL) is a shipping term that refers to the delivery of cargo in smaller quantities than a full container load. A f... More you share cargo and container space with other shippers.
It is a good idea to use FCL if you have a large number of goods to ship but if the cargo is less, then why not share the box space and save some money?
To know more about FCL and LCLWhat is less than container load? Less than container load (less than container load, LCL) is a shipping term that refers to the delivery of cargo in smaller quantities than a full container load. A f... More container load, read our blog on container loading.
Freight classification
Freight class affects your shipping rates too. It comprises two parts, high and low freight class. Based on these two factors, the freight class on the lower end has lower rates. Example: Durable and low-value items that don’t need a lot of care and attention say boxes of grains, come under low freight class and have lower freight rates. In contrast, high freight class items which are fragile and delicate, and need a lot of care, say glass ornaments or crockery items attract higher freight rates.
Origin and destination locations
The longer the distance between your pick-up point and the final destination, the higher the freight cost. The differences in loading and unloading conditions, level of port tariffs, and how long the transportation takes all impact the freight rates. Now, if the distance between your location of origin and destination is shorter, then the rates will be low since transportation will require less time.
Surcharges
Surcharges for handling fees, service fees, and delivery and pickup conditions all affect freight rates. Other surcharges that affect freight rates are fuel surcharges, oversized package surcharges, weekend surcharges, and the list goes on. So be wary of these surcharges when you’re thinking of shipping your freight.
Now that you have an understanding of what determines your freight rates, and how to get your box. Let’s give you a brief intro to our Ocean Freight Marketplace to help take care of the next steps – slot booking on vessels, inexpensive freight rates, and shipping schedules.
Our Ocean Freight Marketplace is an online freight booking platform for containers which saves you from spending hours on your other sourcing channels like emails and calls looking for slots to book. With our platform, you save time and find vessel slots, access sailing schedules and see the latest ocean freight rates all in one place. Before we go into the details of how it works, we want to give you an overview of the average freight rates you can expect on our leasing platform below.
20ft and 40ft sea container shipping costs on Container xChange
On our leasing platform, we offer full market price transparency, so you can pick from 10,000+ containers across 2,500 locations worldwide and get freight shipping rates at reasonable quotes directly from 1500+ vetted members. With us, you can compare and negotiate prices and terms and select the offer that suits you the best. You get to pay exactly what you want to and not a dime more. You also get the advantage of competitive rates for leasing which are difficult to find outside of the platform with zero hidden fees.
And you get to work with certified suppliers directly without a middleman. We have a mandatory vetting process that every member has to go through before they can enter the platform thus ensuring you only deal with certified members. With us, you also get to work with big players in the industry like Seaco Global, Trident, SeaCube, and other trusted names.
So now let our prices speak for themselves! Have a look at our freight shipping rates below.
Average rates of standard 20ft and 40ft containers on two popular stretches
When it comes to prices another feature, we offer is xChange Insights. With this feature, you have access to actual leasing one-way rates in 180 locations globally and you’re able to compare pick-up charges, free days, and per diems for different stretches and see their development for up to 2 years! Try Insights for free right here.
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Average freight shipping rates for standard containers for two stretches 1. From Shanghai to Chicago the average price for a 20ft cargo-worthy container is US $1,284. 2. From Xiamen to Toronto the average price of a 40ft cargo-worthy container is US $3,200. Interested to uncover more reasonable freight shipping rates on the stretches you require? Then let our team of friendly experts show you around our easy-to-use leasing platform! |
Access the best freight shipping rates on Container xChange
You now have an idea of the prices and you’ve finally made it to the section where we’re going to be expanding on your Ocean Freight Marketplace so you know exactly what to expect.
Once you become a member of Container xChange, you’ll have access to our Ocean Freight Marketplace at no extra cost. Let’s elaborate further with an example: If you’ve got a shipment of designer clothes that need to move from Antwerp to Cape Town. You can lease two 40ft containers from our leasing platform and then get access to our Ocean Freight Marketplace to book your vessel slots.
All you have to do is type in the port of loading (Port of Antwerp), port of discharge (Port of Cape Town), container type (40ft), and quantity (2 containers), plus gross weight, to find slot spaces that suit your needs.
How to secure reasonable freight shipping rates
Now once you’re on our Ocean Freight Booking dashboard, you’ll be able to view the rate details and negotiate on offers you see. You’ll also be able to compare freight rates with multiple options at once to make sure you’re getting the best deals.
Have a look at the image below to see the steps involved in your securing your freight shipping rates.
With our leasing platform, coupled with the ocean freight marketplace, you’ll be able to tick off all your tasks in one digital space without having to switch between different sourcing channels.
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So, would you like to simplify your freight operations and get competitive and reasonable freight shipping rates on one platform? Then let our team take you on a tour of our Ocean Freight Marketplace so you can take a good look around. |
Benefits of using our Ocean Freight Marketplace
Let’s dive back into some more benefits of our Ocean Freight marketplace so you know how you can make use of the platform better.
Complete market price transparency
As mentioned earlier on our platform you will only find the most competitive, comparable, and negotiable shipping container prices so you can choose deals that work for you.
Compare multiple slot prices
No more switching between different souring channels, on our Ocean Freight Marketplace, you’ll be able to compare multiple deals at once. Plus get up-to-date freight prices for containers.
Get shipping schedules seamlessly
Due to a lack of industry transparency, obtaining accurate and up-to-date shipping schedules can be a tedious task. But on xChange, you can look at the schedules from all over the world to enable you to choose the most appropriate carrier and the ideal time to ship your items.
Safe and secure payments with the xChange wallet
With the xChange wallet, you only get one consolidated bill to pay at the end of the month and get to see your complete transaction history on this feature. Plus, our financial support team makes sure that all your payments are safe and secure while using the xChange wallet.
Get instant quotes and booking confirmations within 24 hrs
The clock’s ticking and you’re tired of waiting around for booking confirmations of slots and hearing back from carriers about quotes. Fret not! On our platform, you get instant quotes, and booking confirmations within 24 hours – saving you a lot of time and frustration.
Get top freight shipping rates on Container xChange’s online Ocean Freight Marketplace
Do you see how our platform can help you streamline your freight shipping operations and fetch you inexpensive freight shipping rates? Then what are you waiting for? Come and join our platform today to avail these benefits that you won’t find anywhere else.
You’ll get all this at your fingertips:
- Reasonable freight shipping rates thanks to complete price transparency for shipping slots and containers with zero hidden fees.
- Multiple comparable slot prices.
- Safe transactions with safe partners.
- A single dashboard for booking vessel slots and checking out shipping schedules.
- Instant slot price quotes and 24-hour booking confirmation.
- 10,000+ containers in 2,500 locations worldwide sourced from 1500+ vetted suppliers (including some bigwigs in the industry).
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So if you’re ready to explore inexpensive and affordable freight shipping rates look no further than our Ocean Freight marketplace to grab the best deals today! |
Freight shipping rates: Common FAQs
How do I calculate freight shipping costs?
You need to divide the weight (in pounds) of the shipment by the total cubic feet. The result is the density (in pounds per cubic foot). For multiple pallets, add the weight of each pallet together before dividing by the total cubic feet of the shipment.
How much does sea freight cost?
To determine your freight cost you need to use an ocean freight calculator where you key in the number of containers, the type, the origin, and the destination. After which the price is calculated for you. An example would be, after keying in the details into the ocean freight calculator the info that you gather is that the ocean freight is around $2-$4/kg, for a China-US shipment.
What is freight cost in shipping?
Freight costs are also known as freight charges or freight rates. It is the amount paid to a carrier company for the transportation of goods from the point of origin to an agreed location.
