Ocean freight
A container to send out, or one to bring in? Tell us where from and where to, and we will build the plan.
A well-planned container always costs less than a container sitting at the terminal.
Ocean freight remains the most economical and the most environmentally sound way to move large volumes, provided someone holds the chain together from end to end. Trans-Inter Logistik coordinates your full container loads (FCL) and your consolidated shipments (LCL) internationally, between Canada, the United States, Asia, Europe and other overseas markets, as a freight forwarder, with 25 years in the trade behind every booking.
We do not operate a single vessel, and that is precisely the advantage. Ocean freight is won on the choice of service and sailing date, not on owning container ships.
We place your cargo on the service that best covers your corridor, from the port of origin to the port of destination, instead of selling you the one we happen to operate.
Your goods travel alone in a container sealed at origin and opened at destination. It is the right call once the volume fills the container, when the cargo does not take handling well, or when the deadline matters: fewer touches, fewer transshipments, a more direct transit.
To decide between a 20-foot, a 40-foot or a high cube, our guide to shipping container sizes gives the exact dimensions.
You pay for the space you occupy, not for the whole container. We consolidate your shipment with other goods bound for the same destination, container stuffing and de-stuffing included at both ends.
It is the logical entry point for small and mid-sized businesses importing irregular volumes, or testing a new supplier before moving up to a full container.
Reefer containers for the cold chain, open top and flat rack for anything that exceeds standard height or width, tank containers for liquids, ventilated containers for products that need to breathe. When the inland leg has to stay under a controlled temperature, we continue with our temperature-controlled shipping.
Securing and packing inside the box determine what condition the goods arrive in. We validate the loading plan before stuffing rather than assessing the damage at de-stuffing.
For dangerous goods, we coordinate carriers and lines that comply with the IMDG Code. Classification and declaration remain the shipper's responsibility, and we tell you exactly which documents to prepare.
A container discharged is not a container delivered. We arrange port drayage from the terminal, the intermodal rail leg over long distances, and final delivery by road transport to your dock.
This multimodal chain, ocean then rail or road, avoids transloading between modes and keeps your supply chain continuous.
Tell us what, where from and where to, and by when: we come back with the right service, FCL or LCL, and the right port of entry.
Request a QuoteOcean freight leaves very little room for improvisation, because every step has a cut-off. Here is how we work.
Customs is the leading cause of delay and unplanned charges in ocean imports, ahead of weather and port congestion. We partner with licensed customs brokers who take charge of customs clearance, and we prepare the file so it clears the first time.
The documents that determine whether a container is delivered or held:
Incoterms are not a contractual footnote: plenty of importers find out too late that the term they agreed to left them paying the terminal handling charges at destination. Our article on the role of the freight forwarder explains who does what along this chain.
Nobody can price ocean freight without knowing these variables. Here they are, plainly, because they drive your costs as much as the base rate does:
On transit times, our article on how long ocean freight takes gives the typical transit ranges by corridor.
Your imports and your exports do not necessarily move through the same ports. Montréal, Halifax and Vancouver handle most of Canada's containerized traffic, and we pick the point of entry based on your final destination and the inland cost that follows, not out of habit.
The transpacific lane takes more than a booking: sourcing, inspection of the goods at source and supervision of the supplier. That is the subject of our import from Asia page; this one covers the ocean mode, from the port of origin to your dock.
Sailings in FCL and in LCL to the major export markets, with the shipping line chosen on the price and transit trade-off. Our freight brokerage teams in Montréal then orchestrate the inland leg across North America.
We handle containerized cargo. Bulk in full shiploads, ores, grain or liquids by tanker, belongs to chartering and to shipowners, not to a freight forwarder. If that is your need, we tell you straight instead of selling you a slot.
The vessel takes weeks. A document error takes months.
Consolidation stays the better deal as long as your goods take up a small share of the container. Past roughly fifteen cubic metres, a full container load generally becomes more attractive, and it sometimes does sooner if the cargo is fragile or urgent, because it avoids being stuffed and de-stuffed alongside other shipments.
It depends on the corridor, the number of transshipments and the season, and the time at sea is only part of the door-to-door transit. Our guide to ocean freight transit times sets out the typical ranges, and our comparison of air freight and ocean freight helps you decide when the date is tight.
A licensed customs broker. We do not clear customs in their place: we partner with customs brokers, we prepare and verify the documentation, and we plan the arrival so the formalities cost you neither waiting time nor demurrage.
It is strongly recommended, because an ocean carrier's liability is capped by international convention and rarely covers the real value of your cargo. See our page on what cargo insurance covers before you load.
Ready to send your goods across the ocean? We take care of the container. You run your business.
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