Container shipping is the most flexible and protective way to move vehicles, household goods, machinery or general cargo out of the UK. Your cargo is loaded into a sealed steel container at our warehouse or your address, then transported by truck to a UK container port (typically Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway), shipped to your destination port, and discharged for customs clearance and final delivery.
Unlike RoRo, container shipping accepts non-runners, salvage vehicles, classics, motorbikes, personal effects and almost any general cargo. TheShipCars Worldwide books direct space with Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE and Evergreen on every major trade lane out of the UK.
20ft, 40ft and High Cube — choosing the right size
A 20ft container holds one car plus a moderate amount of personal effects or roughly 28 cubic metres of household goods. A 40ft holds two cars side-by-side or 58 cubic metres of cargo. A 40ft High Cube adds 30cm of internal height and is ideal for tall vehicles or stacked household loads. R-Rak racking systems push a 40ft to four or even six cars for dealers and exporters.
- 20ft: 1 car + effects, or 28m³ household goods, payload 21,750kg
- 40ft: 2 cars side-by-side or 58m³, payload 26,700kg
- 40ft HC: 67m³ — extra height for tall cargo
- 40ft R-Rak: up to 4–6 cars stacked on a removable racking system
FCL vs LCL vs shared container
FCL (Full Container Load) means you book the entire container — fastest, most secure, fixed price regardless of how much you put in. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your cargo shares container space with other shippers, priced per cubic metre or per car-slot — cheaper for small loads but adds 7–14 days for consolidation and deconsolidation.
Shared container is our flagship product for single-car shippers who want container protection at near-RoRo prices: you pay for one car-slot in a 40ft container, we consolidate it with other UK cars heading to the same port, and we ship the whole box together.
Loading methods — depot vs your address
Most cars and shared loads are consolidated at our UK consolidation warehouse where they are professionally lashed and braced inside the container. For sole-use household moves or commercial cargo, we deliver an empty container to your address (subject to access), allow 3–4 hours of free loading time, then collect and seal it for export.
Costs and transit times
Indicative UK-origin container freight: West Africa from £1,650 (20ft) / £2,450 (40ft); East Africa from £1,950 / £2,850; Middle East from £1,450 / £2,250; Australia from £2,650 / £3,450; USA East Coast from £1,750 / £2,650. Shared container per-car slots typically range £700–£1,200 depending on destination.
Ocean transit is broadly similar to RoRo (10–45 days port-to-port) but consolidation/deconsolidation can add 1–2 weeks at each end for shared loads.
Personal effects inside containers
Inside a container you can load tools, spare parts, furniture, white goods and personal items — subject to a full packing list declaration. Restrictions apply to flammables, batteries, weapons, alcohol over personal allowances, and food. We provide a full pre-export packing checklist.
Documents and clearance
UK export clearance is included under our EORI. For destination clearance you (or your local agent) will need the original Bill of Lading, packing list, commercial invoice, V5C for vehicles, and any country-specific permits (e.g. NOVA for USA, conformity certificate for GCC).
Frequently asked questions
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