Looking at 1st Move International for your UK car export? Here's a straight comparison with TheShipCars Worldwide — strengths, limitations, pricing transparency, lane coverage and booking experience.
We ship the same lanes weekly and write this from the operator's chair. No salesmanship, no fake-review padding — just the practical differences that matter when you're moving a vehicle.
Who is 1st Move International?
1st Move International is a UK-facing vehicle shipping provider focused on international removals and self-pack container shipping with a vehicle shipping option alongside. They are a recognised name on the major Africa, Middle East and Australia lanes and compete in the same instant-quote, online-bookable segment as TheShipCars Worldwide.
This page is a fair, fact-based comparison written from an operator's perspective — we ship cars every week to the same destinations and know where 1st Move International is genuinely strong and where they fall short for certain shipments.
1st Move International — strengths
1st Move International has built a solid reputation in specific corners of the UK car export market. The points below are where they are competitive or genuinely best-in-class.
- Self-pack container model with good value on combined moves
- Solid Australia, NZ and South Africa removals experience
- Wide UK collection network
1st Move International — limitations
No provider is the right fit for every shipment. The following are the trade-offs we hear about most often from customers who came to us after starting with 1st Move International.
- Car-only shipments often slower-quoted than vehicle specialists
- Limited RoRo coverage — container-led model
- Destination customs and duty advice less granular than car-focused operators
Why customers pick TheShipCars Worldwide
We do not claim to be cheapest on every lane every day — freight pricing is too volatile for that to be honest. We do claim to be the most transparent and operationally responsive option for UK exporters who want both RoRo and container priced up-front, with online booking and proactive WhatsApp tracking.
- Vehicle-specialist coordinator, not a general removals desk
- Live RoRo + container pricing on every lane
- Instant online quote and booking
- Detailed destination duty and registration guidance per country
Side-by-side comparison
Service focus — 1st Move International: International removals and self-pack container shipping with a vehicle shipping option alongside. TheShipCars Worldwide: full-service RoRo, shared container, sole-use container, classics, EVs, motorbikes, commercial and heavy machinery from every UK port.
Pricing — 1st Move International: removals-led pricing, container-biased. TheShipCars Worldwide: instant online quote with live RoRo, shared and sole-use container pricing on every major lane, 20% deposit to book, balance on B/L release.
Lane coverage — 1st Move International: Australia, NZ, South Africa removals strong; car-only specialists usually beat them on RoRo. TheShipCars Worldwide: every major Africa, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe destination — see the destination directory.
Booking — 1st Move International: typically phone/email-led with a callback quote. TheShipCars Worldwide: instant online quote, online booking, WhatsApp updates and a dedicated coordinator from quote to delivery.
Pricing — how to compare like-for-like
Always compare total landed cost, not just the headline freight figure. A quote that excludes UK collection, port handling, destination charges, customs clearance, duty estimate and marine insurance is not a real comparison — it's a teaser.
When you request a quote from us, we itemise UK collection, UK port handling, ocean freight + BAF, destination port charges, clearance fee estimate, duty estimate (based on destination tariff at current FX) and optional marine insurance. Ask 1st Move International for the same breakdown and put them next to each other — the picture usually clarifies fast.
RoRo vs container — both, not either/or
Some competitors push you toward whichever method gives them better margin on the day. Our quote engine returns live RoRo, shared-container and sole-use container side-by-side for every route that supports them. You see the trade-off and decide.
RoRo is typically cheapest and fastest for a running standard vehicle. Shared container is the value sweet-spot for a single car under £40k when capacity is tight. Sole-use container is right for classics, supercars, non-runners, EVs and shipments with personal effects.
Booking experience and aftercare
Booking with us is a single online flow: instant quote → 20% deposit → coordinator allocated within 4 working hours → UK collection scheduled → vessel cut-off confirmed → bill of lading issued → destination clearance and delivery.
Throughout the shipment you have a named coordinator on email and WhatsApp, with vessel tracking updates at UK departure, mid-voyage, destination arrival and out-of-port. Most competitors of similar size operate similarly, but the level of proactive contact is where customer reviews vary widely — ours is, on the evidence, above average.
When to choose them, when to choose us
Choose 1st Move International if their specific strengths above match your shipment exactly — for example a niche lane where they have an exclusive carrier relationship, or a service tier they specialise in.
Choose TheShipCars Worldwide if you want both RoRo and container priced live, online booking with deposit, proactive WhatsApp updates, and a coordinator who handles UK collection, customs and destination clearance end-to-end on every shipment regardless of size.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to ship?
Get a free, no-obligation quote in under 60 seconds.