Container Shipping Costs
20ft & 40ft Containers
Full & Part Loads
Free Quotes & Surveys
Container shipping is how most long-haul household moves travel. The choice is between taking a whole container or sharing one, and getting that decision right is worth more than haggling over the rate.
Container sizes and what fits
| Container | Internal capacity | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | Around 33 cubic metres | A three-bedroom home comfortably |
| 40ft | Around 67 cubic metres | A four or five-bedroom home, or a household plus a vehicle |
| Part load | You pay for the space used | Studios, one-bedroom flats, small offices |
These are standard ISO container dimensions, not company-specific figures. Usable capacity is always slightly less than nominal once packing materials and load stability are accounted for.
Full container or part load
Full container. Sealed at your home and not opened until it reaches you. Fewer handling points, faster clearance because it is one consignment, and you set the schedule. Costs more, and you pay for empty space if you do not fill it.
Part load. Shares with other consignments. Cheaper for smaller volumes, but the container leaves when it is full and clearance waits on every consignment inside it, so add time. Fine for most moves under three bedrooms.
The crossover point is roughly a three-bedroom home. Below it, part load usually wins on cost; above it, a dedicated 20ft often costs little more than a large part load and gives you the schedule.
What affects the shipping cost
- Route and frequency. Busy lanes run more often and price better than thin ones.
- Season. Container rates move with global demand, and summer is the busiest UK moving season.
- Port pairs. Shipping to a major port then trucking inland is often cheaper than a smaller port closer to your destination.
- Inland leg. Distance from the destination port to the door, and whether a large vehicle can reach it.
- Demurrage risk. Containers held at port for missing paperwork accrue daily charges. This is the avoidable one.
Shipping a vehicle in the container
A 40ft container leaves enough room for a car alongside household goods, which is usually the cheapest way to move one. Import rules are set by the destination and several countries require approval before the vehicle ships. See vehicle shipping.
For the wider picture on pricing, see what drives international removal costs.
Not sure which container size you need?
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