Sea Freight

Everything you need to know about Ocean Freight

Not sure if Ocean Freight is right for you? Read on to find out more on shipping via the Sea

Sarah Woodrow

September 1, 2022

At KTL Europe we have a dedicated team who specialise in Ocean freight, with years of experience they are on hand to answer any questions you may have and can sort the whole shipping process for you and your goods.

Sea freight is a great choice for larger quantities of goods – and is often used when importing from manufacturers based in the Far East.

There are a number of different forms of sea freight, including:

  • Full container load (FCL) in which a single shipment is loaded into a container.
  • Less than container load (LCL) where several shipments share a container and are split at their destination
  • Roll on roll off (RORO) in which lorries and other vehicles drive onto the ship with their cargo, are safely secured for the journey, and then simply drive off at their destination
  • Dry bulk shipping, used for commodities such as metals or aggregates, which can be dropped or poured into the hold of a ship rather than being loaded on in containers.

The advantages.

There are a number of advantages to using sea fright. Not only is it great to move good long distances but it is the most cost effective method of shipping for heavy or large loads. With many different shipping options, duty and VAT can also be less expensive compared to Air Freight. Sea freight is more environmentally friendly and you can also ship goods of any shape and size via sea freight.

The disadvantages.

Sea Freight can be time consuming – it can take several weeks to move goods . The pricing structure makes it less suited to small loads, which can sometimes be more cost effectively sent by air or using a courier. Sea freight is more prone to damage during transit compared to air freight so insurance is always recommended. At KTL Europe we can arrange insurance for you.

Shipping costs.

Shipping costs vary significantly depending on what you’re moving and where. It can be expensive to move goods around the world. As a business, you’ll want to protect your profit margin and with our global network of partners we are able to get you the very best price.

How long does sea freight take?

Sea freight takes much longer than moving goods by air. You’ll need to take into account the time it’ll take to get goods to the port at their point of origin, time to clear customs both at their origin and the UK, as well as time on the water.

We will be able to give you a good idea of how long it’ll take to get your sea freight shipment. However, you should bear in mind that there are a number of issues which can cause delays. 

Obtaining a Sea freight quote

Let us look into what it would cost to ship your shipment, in some cases Air freight works better for smaller shipments but with our dedicated team we can get a quote over to you pretty quickly. All we need is ....

  • Current location and destination of shipment
  • Dimensions and weight of shipment
  • FCL shipments
  • Type of product to be shipped.
  • What is your time scale.


Sea freight remains a cheap and reliable way of moving goods round the world and is well suited to many businesses. Your shipment will be tracked so we can keep you informed every step of the way. Our experience and global connections will ensure your sea freight will arrive safely and on time.

For more information please do get in touch with our team or email sales@ktluk.com

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