Keep hearing ,, "Share Container"

There is absolutely no reason to share a container at all.

Every forwarder has cargo that is not quite a container full be it 20 ft or 40 ft box!
They are always looking for a LCL cargo (less than container load)

Just have them pack it and fill the container at their schedule, You pay 1/3 - 1/4 of the total box! And they ship to every where ! Be it Timbuktoo !

If you fill the container it's closer to your schedule rather than theirs and the customs at the other end won't delay your bike while they look at the other stuff packed in with it. You also reduce the risk of mix ups when the load is split down.

We export pumps all over the world. The worst case was one that disapeared into the shippers and customs mess and turned up 11 months later as a barbeque (some guy 200 miles away got our pump instead of his barbeque). Full containers only ever fall off the ship, if they make it they are OK.

Andy

How do you find these almost full containers?

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Not to hijack the thread but what kind of pumps do you deal in as I am in the pump business in the oil and gas industry

YOU--as an individual--don't.
As seouljoe says in original, it's the forwarder who has/ finds almost
full containers; but "at their schedule," which often but not
always is a schedule that also works for you and your bike.

There are certain circumstances where a group of riders can save
money on a "shared container." But that assumes "organizing" a
large enough group of bikes to fill a container going to same destination
at same time.

Pricing also depends on the "local" freight forwarder market conditions:
competition, total volume seafreight going Point A->Point B, jadda jadda.

What's true Genoa-->Inchon now, may not be true 6 mos from now, and
may not be true, e.g., Hamburg-->NYC now.

Google Verderflex. Our closest office will be Macon. Peristaltics, so pointless for petrochemicals where the fluid is clean and attacks rubber though. Might help you with the clean up side though.



Andy

Stephen ,,
Goods move in abundance ,, the volume is significant. They ship households to electronics,, to dry squid,, all sorts of dry and wet cargo to all over the world. A Large forwarder ex Korea such as Korea Express, with offices in USA and Europe has the kind of LCL volume that gets filled up fairly quick. Ships leave Korea-China-Japan for USA and Europe daily ,, some 3 - 4 at a time.
There are over 7 major carriers such as China Container Line, OOCL, Mitsui, NYK, Han Jin, Maersk etc ,, leaving and arriving the Asian ports non stop.
Other exotic destinations are possible i.e., Korea - Mexico, Korea Peru or Chile ,, since we have a strong FTA with both,, volume is huge.
A good forwarder at both ends will not mix up your bill of ladding with a ton of fish.
It's always transit time vs cost vs your budget.
I have moved personal goods this way for years. As well as having worked for a shipping company, for some 10 years. Sea-Land, London and Nedlloyd Korea.

Look for a large ocean forwarder ,, such as Schenkers, Danzas, Panalpina, Korea Express , Nippon Express ,, with big consolidation powers. Or use Ro-Ro carriers such as Wilhelmsen or Eukor, where you can negotiate own rates.

It is USD 1,000 for ocean vs USD 4,500 for air freight.