What Is Ocean Freight?

Ocean freight refers to shipping cargo by sea from one country to another. It’s predominantly used for heavy, bulk, and non-time-sensitive international shipment. Ocean freight is cheaper than air freight and appropriate for bulk shipments, so it’s one of the most common logistics operations for Chinese exports. Be it full container load (FCL) or less-than-container load (LCL), ocean freight offers convenient modes to ship an assortment of commodities from electronics, furniture, clothes, and machinery.

Choosing a Port of Departure in China

China has several world-class ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Qingdao. For the majority of instances, the decision of which port to use will depend on the geographical location of the factory or the origin of the products. For example, Yangtze River Delta exports are best served through Shanghai or Ningbo, while Pearl River Delta exports are appropriate for Shenzhen or Guangzhou. For regions such as Shandong or Hebei, Qingdao or Tianjin is preferable.

Apart from geography, factors such as sailing frequency of schedules, coverage of destinations, transit time, and port congestion also have to be considered. In certain circumstances, taking a busier port with higher frequencies of sailings could save time and reduce overall shipping costs, even if it is farther away.

FCL vs. LCL Shipping

For sea freight, the two primary options are Full Container Load (FCL) and Less-than-Container Load (LCL). FCL is best in cases when one shipper loads one container, thus best for high volumes or products of high security or urgency. It minimizes opportunities for transshipping or unpacking in transit and involves more effective handling.

LCL involves consolidating different shippers’ shipments into a single container, ideal for small lots that will not fill an entire container. While cost-effective for small loads, it is subject to delays resulting from deconsolidation of the container, commingling of the cargo, or increased possibilities for inspection.

The decision is dependent on shipment volume, price, and receiving port capacity to permit. In most cases, if your shipment is almost half a container, FCL will be economical.

What You Need to Know About FCL Shipping

FCL refers to renting a complete container to transport your belongings. It is usually cheaper and faster than LCL if you are shipping a lot of cargo that will fill or almost fill a container. It is safer and faster as the containers are kept closed during transit and only opened for customs inspection if necessary.

Most important things to keep in mind before exporting FCL:

Container capacity and dimensions

Among the most popular types are:

• 20′ GP (General Purpose): ~28 CBM, ideal for heavy cargo like machinery
• 40′ GP: ~58–60 CBM
• 40′ HQ (High Cube): ~68 CBM, ideal for light, bulky items

While 40′ containers have more capacity, the maximum weight limit (27–28 tons) is practically the same for all at most Chinese ports.

Loading and securing cargo

For security, it’s very important to tie and load properly. In order to avoid shifting or damaging things, use pallets, belts, airbags, and so on. Always photograph after loading.

Managing Seals
You should affix a seal number to the container after you load it, and you should list the seal number on the B/L and packing list. It’s helpful as a reference for customs clearing.

Preparing Documents and Customs
Double-check that the packing list, invoice, and bill of lading all match cargo actually on board. Proper information minimizes inspection chances and accelerates clearance.

Sailing Times
FCL schedules tend to be consistent, but during peak seasons like the pre-holiday peak, it’s best to reserve ahead of time to avoid delay or out of space.

FCL is appropriate for medium to large shipments where speed, security, and operational efficiency are important.

LCL Shipping: What You Need to Know

LCL is for low-volume shipments that do not meet requirements to occupy a full container. Its biggest advantage is cost—freight paid per CBM, which is economical for small quantities.

With that said, since LCL is several shipments within one container, there are a few serious precautions to be taken:

Proper Packaging
The products are transported along with other products, therefore packaging has to be standardized and durable. Palleted cartons are recommended in order to reduce damage during handling.

Volume & Charges
Transportation is primarily charged by volume (CBM). Some places or weight with minimum charge (e.g., 1 CBM) might be charged in case of light loads, whichever is higher.

Cargo Mixing Risk
Contamination, odor transfer, or co-loaded damage to cargo is likely. Deformation, valuables, or fragile should be avoided from entering LCL.

Increased Transit & Clearance Time
Since LCL is consolidation, filing customs in unit, and deconsolidation on arrival, lead time as such is generally longer than FCL.

Additional Destination Charges
Unpacking, transfer, and storage charges may be levied on arrival, especially at less efficient or smaller terminals. Clear all charges before shipping.

How Many Cartons per Pallet? How Many Pallets per Container?

In ocean freight, cargo sometimes gets palletized before loading into containers to improve productivity and reduce handling dangers. So how many cartons on a pallet, and how many pallets in a container?

Common Pallet Sizes

• Euro Pallet: 120cm × 80cm
• US Pallet: 120cm × 100cm
• Total height with cargo: ~1.2m–1.6m. Standard cartons (60×40×40 cm) pack 6–10 per pallet depending on height.

Pallets per Container

Loose loading (palletless) holds more cartons but is riskier. Palletizing might be required for exports under customs clearance, warehouse entry, or FBA Amazon.

What influences Ocean Freight Rate and Transit Time?

Route & Destination Port
Distance and frequency of carriers differ from port to port and from country to country. It’s faster and cheaper to come to the West Coast of the U.S. from China than to the East Coast. Landlocked nations have to pay for trucking or railroad.

Seasonal Fluctuations
In peak season, running from August to October or immediately prior to Chinese New Year, demand is strongest, rates increase, and space is difficult to find. Rates decrease in off-seasons, but sailings can decrease as well.

Container Supply & Disruptions
Port congestion or lack of containers may be caused by something like COVID, port strikes, or war. It is more expensive and slower.

Cargo Type & Special Handling
Heavy loads or reefer and hazardous special goods need specialized containers and cost more. FCL goes faster with fewer stages than LCL.

Port Efficiency & Customs Speed
During peak periods, Ho Chi Minh or Los Angeles ports would be busy. Custom regulations in the destination country and the chances of an inspection also have an effect on when.

Surcharges
Besides the underlying freight, look for additives like BAF (bunker adjustment factor), PSS (peak season surcharge), and destination taxes. These differ per market.

Estimated Transit Times from China to Major Global Markets

Note: These are port-to-port estimates and do not include booking, loading, customs, or final delivery time.

Want to know where your freight is or when it will arrive?

Real-time tracking is available via the Web. You simply visit the carrier’s site and enter the container number, bill of lading (B/L), or booking reference.

Presou has a global ocean freight network and collaborates with over 30 top carriers like Maersk, MSC, COSCO, CMA CGM, and Evergreen. We can provide stable capacity and comprehensive routing coverage from all major Chinese ports, like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, and Tianjin.

No matter if you need FCL, LCL, or door-to-door multimodal, Presou can tailor a solution to fit your needs. Our personnel handles pickup, booking, and documentation, and provides continuous tracking updates—making you the master of every shipment from point of origin to point of delivery.

Submit the form to obtain a professional route guide: