Ocean freight is one of the most widely used and efficient solutions for shipping goods across international markets. Discover what sea freight shipping is, how it works at each stage, the main shipping methods available, the advantages it offers businesses, and why it remains a strategic choice for global supply chains.

FCL maritime transport

FCL refers to the fact that a single container is dedicated to one company and cannot be destined for other customers. The container doesn’t necessarily have to be full: the term refers to the ownership of the container itself, not its commodity.

LCL maritime transport

LCL is used when a single container is loaded with merchandise from multiple senders individually, not filling the entire loading unit. It is the most convenient solution for small quantities of goods to transport.

Ocean freight shipping: procedure and loading methods

The procedure for maritime shipments can be summarized briefly in the following steps:

Goods are packed based on their size, shape and nature;
The ocean freight forwarder books the container(s) and the necessary space on the vessel for the shipment;
The merchandise cargo is moved to the port and goes through export customs ;
After customs clearance procedures, the goods are loaded into containers and onto the ship;
Once the vessel arrives at the destination port, the container is unloaded and the goods go through import customs procedures;
After passing customs, the goods are released and ready for delivery.

Container Ships

Among the most used for sea shipments are container vessels. As the name implies, this type of ship is structured to contain large quantities of cargo compacted inside various types of containers. Container ships are available in different sizes (Panamax, Suezmax, Post-Panamax, Post-Suezmax and Post-Malaccamax) and can be structured for specific purposes. For instance, there are refrigerated container ships, designed for transporting goods at a controlled temperature (used in the shipments of food and beverages).

Bulk Carrier Ships

Along with container ships, another widely used type is bulk carriers. These are especially designed for the transport of dry cargoes in bulk quantities. The cargoes are, indeed, transported without specific packaging. There are various types of bulk carriers: conventional bulkers, geared bulkers, gearless bulkers, self-discharging bulkers and more.

Tanker Ship

There are also ships specialized for transporting liquid cargoes: tanker ships.

These are divided into various types depending on the type of cargo they carry: oil tankers (for transporting crude oil and by-products), liquefied gas transport ships (for transporting LPG, LNG and other liquefied chemical gasses) and chemical product transport ships.

There are other types of tanker ships: from integrated tug-barges to tanker ships for shipping wine and spirits.