Sea Freight
Sea freight is the most economical solution for large volumes and intercontinental distances — and Logisticoo organises it door to door: truck pre-carriage from 147 German cities to the seaports (Hamburg and Bremerhaven as the most important German container ports, or alternatively Rotterdam and Antwerp), the ocean voyage, customs clearance and onward carriage in the destination country. You choose between FCL (Full Container Load) with your own 20- or 40-foot container — worthwhile from around 13 to 15 cubic metres or for sensitive goods — and LCL (Less than Container Load), where you pay only your share of the consolidated container. Typical transit times: Northern Europe to the US East Coast around 2 to 3 weeks, the Far East 4 to 6 weeks, in each case plus pre- and onward carriage and port handling. The service includes seaworthy export packing with IPPC-treated wood (ISPM 15), correct VGM declaration (verified gross mass under SOLAS), export declaration, bill-of-lading handling and, on request, transport insurance over the full route. Your personal dispatcher lays out sailings and closing dates — and the fixed-price quote, with all ancillary costs, arrives within 30 minutes.
Service features
- FCL (20'/40' container exclusively) and LCL (share of a consolidated container) by consignment size
- Door to door including pre-carriage, port handling, ocean voyage and onward carriage
- Sailings from Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Antwerp
- Seaworthy export packing with ISPM 15 wood and corrosion protection
- Full customs handling: export declaration, documents, VGM declaration under SOLAS
- Transparent all-in costing with no after-the-fact surcharge surprises
Or call us directly: +49 30 346 467 850
When sea freight is the right choice
Sea freight pays off when the volume is large, the goods are heavy and the timing is plannable. For machinery and plant, building materials, furniture, serial consumer goods, vehicles and complete business fit-outs it is many times cheaper than air freight — the price per cubic metre or tonne is unbeatably low. The prerequisite is that the multi-week transit time fits your planning: anyone with a fixed arrival date plans backwards, including the vessel closing. For urgent, high-value or small-volume shipments, air freight is the better choice, and for intra-European lanes, road transport. Classic sea-freight customers are importers and exporters with regular overseas lanes, as well as machinery builders and traders who move container volumes.
FCL, LCL and the handling in detail
We organise the complete chain door to door: pre-carriage by truck from 147 cities to the port (Hamburg, Bremerhaven, or alternatively Rotterdam or Antwerp), container packing, the ocean voyage, customs clearance and onward carriage at the destination. With FCL you use a 20-foot container (around 33 m³) or a 40-foot container (around 67 m³, more as a High Cube) exclusively — worthwhile from around 13 to 15 m³ or for goods sensitive to theft and moisture. With LCL you pay only your share of the consolidated container, ideal for smaller quantities. The handling includes seaworthy packing with ISPM 15-treated wood against pest infestation, the mandatory VGM declaration (verified gross mass under SOLAS before loading), the export declaration, the bill of lading and, on request, transport insurance over the entire route.
Sea freight, air freight and FCL versus LCL — the distinction
Compared with air freight, sea freight trades time for money: it is much slower (weeks instead of days) but a fraction of the price per volume — the classic trade-off between urgent, expensive air and cheap, patient sea. Within sea freight, the quantity decides between FCL and LCL: LCL (consolidated container) is cheaper at smaller volumes, but requires an additional handling in the consolidation warehouse on both sides and carries a certain handling risk there. FCL (your own container) becomes worthwhile from around 13 to 15 m³ — you then pay less per cubic metre, avoid the handling and have the goods secure in a sealed container. For sensitive or valuable goods, FCL can be the better choice despite the smaller quantity; we calculate both variants for you.
What does sea freight cost?
For FCL the sea-freight price depends on container type and lane (a flat rate per container); for LCL it depends on the greater of cubic metre and weight tonne (the W/M rule); on top of this come port charges, pre- and onward carriage, customs and variable surcharges such as BAF (fuel) and currency surcharges. There is no per-kilometre rule of thumb as with the truck — but we calculate the German pre-carriage to the port at the usual values (e.g. semi-trailer combination ~€1.95/km). What matters are the early closing dates of the booked vessel, from which we plan backwards. We bundle all items — freight, port, pre-/onward carriage, customs — into one transparent fixed price with no after-the-fact surcharge surprises, and lay out sailings and cut-offs, within 30 minutes.
FCL, LCL and transit times at a glance
| Option / lane | Capacity / quantity | Transit time (pure sea) | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCL consolidated container | share, < ~13 m³ | per lane + handling | smaller volumes |
| FCL 20-foot | around 33 m³ / up to ~28 t | per lane | from ~13–15 m³, heavy goods |
| FCL 40-foot (High Cube) | around 76 m³ | per lane | large, light volumes |
| US East Coast | FCL/LCL | 2–3 weeks | plannable overseas freight |
| Far East (e.g. China) | FCL/LCL | 4–6 weeks | large series, cost focus |
Frequently asked questions
From what quantity is your own container (FCL) worthwhile instead of LCL?
As a rule of thumb from around 13 to 15 cubic metres — below that the consolidated container (LCL) is usually cheaper, above it FCL means you pay less per cubic metre and avoid the handling in the consolidation warehouse. For goods sensitive to theft or moisture, FCL can also be the better choice despite the smaller quantity; we calculate both variants for you.
How long does a sea-freight shipment to China or the USA take?
Pure sea transit times: US East Coast about 2 to 3 weeks, the Far East 4 to 6 weeks — plus pre-carriage, port handling, customs and onward carriage, together usually another 1 to 2 weeks. We plan binding deadlines backwards from the desired arrival date, including the closing of the booked vessel.
What is the VGM declaration and do you take care of it?
VGM stands for Verified Gross Mass — the verified gross weight of the packed container, which under the SOLAS Convention must be declared to the shipping line before loading; without a VGM the container is not shipped. We determine and declare the weight on time, so that your shipment reliably catches the booked vessel.
Do you handle the seaworthy packing and the customs?
Yes. For overseas we organise seaworthy export packing with ISPM 15-treated wood (protection against pest infestation, mandatory in the destination country) and corrosion protection. Our customs department handles the export declaration, and we organise the import clearance through partners in the destination country — you receive a seamless door-to-door handling including bill-of-lading handling.
What does sea freight cost?
FCL is charged as a flat rate per container and lane, LCL on the greater of cubic metre and weight tonne (W/M); on top come port charges, pre-/onward carriage, customs and surcharges such as BAF. There is no per-kilometre rule of thumb — we calculate the German pre-carriage at the usual values. We bundle all items into one fixed price with no surcharge surprises and quote it within 30 minutes.