Rates and quotes for ocean and sea freight shipping: TopAlpha Ocean Freight

In cases of high volumes of freight, you should consider ocean freight. This is your guide to all things ocean, from choosing which mode is right for you to calculating costs and transit times.

Ocean Freight Meaning: What Is Ocean Freight?
Freight transport by sea involves shipping goods in shipping containers.

Importers and exporters most frequently use ocean freight. Over 90% of all shipping is done by ocean freight and sea freight. There are other modes of international freight transport (courier, standard air freight, express air freight) that are faster, but they are also more expensive. Most small shipments, as well as valuable goods, go by these other modes.

Many freight forwarders now offer express shipping, particularly if ocean freight is too slow but air freight is too expensive. As fast as air freight, but at a lower price, this is often the most cost-effective option. In order to achieve this, ocean freight processes are streamlined and only connect to faster ocean services, as well as to premium trucking services.

Why Ship By Sea?
We can hold 10000 beer bottles in one container! And ocean freight is cheaper. Generally, air freight is too expensive for shipments weighing more than 500 kilograms. Using this chargeable weight calculator will allow you to determine whether your shipment will be charged based on its actual weight or its dimensional weight for light shipments. FBX provides live international shipping rates.
Sea Freight It is easier to define and restrict what goods are considered dangerous for transportation if the rules of international law, national law, carrier organization regulations, and carrier specific regulations are followed. Gases (such as argon) are generally restricted as air freight rather than ocean freight. lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Note 7), or toxic or corrosive items (e.g. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. ), oxidizers and biochemical products (e.g., medical devices), and public health risks (e.g., pollution and industrial accidents). untanned hides). The Hazardous Material Table provides further information.
Seaborne CO2 emissions are minuscule in comparison with airborne CO2 emissions. According to this research, the transportation of 2 tonnes by ocean freight for 5000 kilometers will result in 150 kg of CO2 emissions, compared to 6605 kg of CO2 emissions by air freight.

ocean freight
What Are The Downsides Of Ocean Freight?
Speed planes move about 30 times faster than ocean liners; passenger jets cruise at 575 mph, while slow-steaming ocean liners move at 16-18 mph. Therefore, it is no surprise that shipping by air freight from China to the US usually takes at least 20 days longer than shipping by ocean freight.
Generally, there are more delays in ocean freight due to port congestion, customs delays, and poor weather conditions than in air freight. The tracking technology used in air freight is usually more advanced than that used in ocean freight at this time. It follows that ocean freight is more likely to get misplaced than air freight. It is especially true when the shipment is less than a container load. Digitalization has, however, improved the reliability of ocean freight.
In contrast to air cargo, ocean freight is more likely to be damaged or destroyed. As a result, the shipment takes a lot longer to reach its destination, and ships move more frequently. However, you shouldn't be worried about ocean cargo falling off ships. A common myth claims that the container movement is lost 10000 times per year, but it is actually 546 of the 120 million movements that go down the drain. Even less likely is piracy. A few hotspots in recent years have been the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Malacca Strait.
Ocean Freight Services
Ocean and sea freight services are further divided into two categories: full container loads (FCL) and less than container loads (LCLs). One container is used for several shipments in LCL. A forwarder has more work to do; additional paperwork is involved along with having to consolidate the shipments before a main transit and then de-consolidate them once they arrive at the other end. This gives LCL three disadvantages:

Delivery of LCL shipments takes longer than FCL shipments. The manufacturer typically recommends allowing an additional week or two for LCL.
With LCL, there is a higher risk of damage, misplacement, and loss.

LCL costs more per cubic meter.
In general, the shipping rates for FCL are much lower than for LCL, so it may be worthwhile to use a full container once your shipment grows large enough, even if your shipment does not fill the entire container. There is around a 15 cubic meter point for upgrading from less than container load to full container load.

Sea Freight Rates per kg
Most LCL shipping is priced by volume only, not by weight, except for especially heavy items.

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

Over 500 kg, air freight becomes uneconomical.
China-US shipments take around 30-40 days by sea, and ocean freight is around $2-$4 a kg.
An air cargo shipment from China to the United States of 150 kg to 500 kg costs $5-8 per kilo, and it takes 8-10 days.
The express air freight service is quicker but more expensive.
Those packages weighing less than 150 kg are best transported by courier (express freight).

These are some of the common ocean and sea freight rates and charges in your freight quote:
Ocean freight quotes and invoices will include these items: