Ocean freight pricing with greater predictability

Ocean freight pricing is calculated based on several cost factors, including trade lane, capacity availability, shipment size, container type, routing, fuel, seasonality, port conditions, and service level. For LCL shipments, pricing is often based on the space your freight uses in a shared container, typically measured in cubic meters.

For FCL shipments, pricing is generally based on the container, route, and market conditions. Because ocean freight rates can change with demand and disruption, working with a provider that has market visibility can help you compare options and choose the right balance of cost, reliability, and transit time.

Less than container load (LCL) freight pricing is generally calculated based on the volume your shipment occupies in a shared container. Carriers charge by total cubic meters (CBM) of cargo, or by weight if the shipment is especially heavy for its size.

• Volume-based pricing: You’ll typically be quoted a rate per CBM. For example, if the LCL rate is $100 per CBM and your cargo is 2 CBM, the basic freight charge will be $200. (Weight can also matter.)
• Dimensional weight considerations: For sea freight, 1 CBM is often defined as 1,000 kg. for pricing. If your shipment is very dense (weighing more than 1,000 kg. per CBM), then the chargeable weight may be used instead of volume. In practice, however, most LCL shipments are governed by size, and light cargo is charged by its volume.
• Minimum charges: LCL carriers usually have a minimum charge (often 1 CBM or a fixed dollar amount). Even if your cargo is only 0.5 CBM, you may pay for 1 CBM as a minimum. This covers handling and space reservation in the container.

Yes. Ocean freight is usually the cheapest option for international shipping, especially compared to air freight. For large or heavy shipments, sea transport offers far lower costs per unit. In fact, one analysis found air freight can cost 12–16 times more than ocean freight for the same shipment weight (a $100 ocean shipment might cost $1,200 by air).

• Lowest cost per ton: Ocean shipping generally has the lowest price per ton-mile of any mode. Moving goods by ship is inherently fuel-efficient, which translates to cheaper rates for shippers. Sea freight is widely known to be a cost-effective solution versus air or even trucking for long distances.
• Best for bulk commodities: If you need to ship exceptionally large volumes—say thousands of units of product or heavy industrial equipment—ocean is by far the most economical. You can ship an entire 20-ft or 40-ft container (containing tens of thousands of kilos of goods) for a few thousand dollars, whereas air freight for the equivalent weight could be prohibitively expensive.
• Trade-off is transit time: The main cost savings of ocean come at the expense of speed. A typical cross-continental ocean shipment might take 4–6 weeks door-to-door, versus 1–2 weeks by air. Shippers often plan well in advance and use ocean for regular inventory replenishment, and reserve pricier air freight only for rush or time-sensitive cargo.
• Consider total logistics: While ocean rates are lowest, be mindful of related costs. You may incur warehousing fees (due to longer transit), inventory holding costs, or insurance for the longer journey. Even so, for non-urgent freight, the savings from ocean transport usually outweigh these factors.

International ocean shipping costs are influenced by capacity, trade lane demand, container type, shipment size, port congestion, routing, fuel, seasonality, and special handling needs. A provider with market visibility can help you understand these variables and choose the right service level for your budget and timeline.

The most common dry shipping container sizes are 20-foot, 40-foot, 40-foot high-cube, and 45-foot high-cube. High-cube containers are one foot taller (9′6″ high) than a standard 40-ft., allowing an extra ~9 CBM of cargo, or 2–3 additional pallets worth of volume. Each has a typical internal capacity measured in cubic meters (CBM), which indicates the volume of goods that can fit inside:

• 20-foot container: ~33.2 cubic meters of capacity (around 1,170 cubic feet). This size can normally hold about 10 standard pallets of goods.
• 40-foot container: ~67.6 CBM of capacity (about 2,390 cubic feet). In practice, a 40-ft. can fit roughly 20 standard pallets.
• 40-foot high-cube: ~76.4 CBM capacity (about 2,700 cubic feet). 
• 45-foot high-cube: ~86 CBM capacity (about 3,040 cubic feet).
• Refrigerated containers: Most common sizes are 20-ft. and 40-ft. These containers have less internal cubic capacity than dry containers and different weight limitations due to the refrigeration units.

Yes, standard shipping containers have a maximum gross weight limit. The max payload of the container is indicated on the Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) plate at the doors of the container. While the max limit for 20-ft., 40-ft., and 40-ft. high-cube containers, is officially around 30,480 kg (67,200 lbs.) total, including the weight of the container itself, containers are never loaded to the max levels due to limitations in road and rail.

• Container tare weight: An empty 20-ft. container weighs around 2,200–2,300 kg., and a 40-ft. around 3,600–3,800 kg. This is the “tare” weight. The stated container limits are the gross weight (container + cargo). 
• Legal road limits: Often the practical weight you can pack in a container is lower due to truck weight regulations. Many countries have road weight limits (per axle or total truck weight) that means you might only load, say, 18,000–20,000 kg. in a 20-ft or ~20,000+ kg. in a 40-ft, even though the container could hold more. Always confirm local transport limits to avoid overweight fines.
• Even weight distribution: When filling a container, weight should be distributed evenly. Heavy cargo must be braced and loaded with a low center of gravity. Overloading one end or side of a container can be dangerous during lifting and transport, and shipping lines may reject improperly loaded containers.