Sea freight – always on course
Koch International has been involved in global sea freight forwarding for many years. Our experienced experts would be pleased to advise you on sea freight and container transport.
Use our sea freight service to reliably transport your goods to their destination. Thanks to our long-standing partnership with renowned shipping companies at globally important ports, your shipments reach their destination flexibly and safely.
Koch International is a member of the global World Cargo Alliance (WCAworld) network. Your benefit: Strong partners all over the world allow us to smoothly transport your freight to your customer’s door.
Our services:
- Cross trades: International transport services where your domicile as a consigner, the place of dispatch and the place of receipt are located in different countries.
- Break bulk: Goods that do not fit in a standard container, which are transported in individual, oversize and bulky packages.
Intermodal transport: Combined transport with links to various modes of transport. - FCL (“Full Container Load”): Sea freight shipped as a full container load
- LCL (“Less Than Container Load”): Sea freight shipped as a partial container load
- RoRo: Stands for Roll on/Roll off. The load is transported onto a ship by lorry or train and leaves the ship using the same method.
Our industry experts ensure high-quality transport, perfect space allocation and rapid processing on the high seas as well as in the preliminary and final leg from and to the major ports by rail or land transport.
We also handle the customs clearance and are expert partners on the topic of dangerous goods and packaging. Our packaging consulting service sheds light on how your sea freight shipments need to be packed in order to reach the recipient intact.
Our customers can enjoy seamless Track & Trace thanks to the use of the latest communications technology, IT systems and real-time data exchange. This means that you can keep a constant eye on your shipment.
Why use sea freight?
Sea freight is ideal for exporting or importing large quantities, volumes or heavy goods. In some cases, sea freight is a good shipping alternative for goods that are subject to air freight restrictions. And the lower carbon emissions compared to air freight are another benefit of this mode of transport.
Your benefits:
- We take over the entire process, including transport documents
- You benefit from our extensive experience
- Our membership in the World Cargo Alliance ensures the smooth transportation of your freight worldwide
- You have a single point of contact for all matters for the entire transport service, from beginning to endd
Transportation without limits: our air freight service.
Need things to happen a bit faster? We are your competent freight forwarder for air freight. Our company offers you door-to-door services, express deliveries, the creation of transport documents and customs clearance, among others. Whether individual parcels or several pallets – depending on your needs, we make sure that your freight finds space in the aircraft.
Besides sea freight and air freight services, Koch International also offers logistics solutions by rail. Our experienced team will find the right solution for your entire supply chain.
Our contacts in the Sea Freight Team would be pleased to advise you about our services, provide a non-binding quote and inform you about the transport prices. We take a look at your supply chain together with you and find the right path for your entire transport chain.
Packaging and more.
You can find everything you need to package your goods in our Packaging Shop. Easy. Clever
The most frequently asked questions about sea freight:
These are shipments that are delivered from the manufacturer or seller directly to the recipient.
Idle time of the shipowner in port; is calculated if a defined free timeframe for loaded containers in port is exceeded:
For imports = from arrival of the ship until acceptance
For exports = from delivery until departure of the ship
The shipowner’s container rental; is calculated if a defined free timeframe is exceeded:
For imports = from the loading of the full container until the return of the empty container
For exports = from the loading of the empty container until the return of the full container
Essentially, it is the time in which the container is not in the shipowner’s possession
The terminal’s storage fees; is calculated if a defined free timeframe is exceeded:
For imports = from arrival of the ship until acceptance
For exports = from delivery until departure of the ship
Guidelines for determining the verified gross mass of freight containers.
There are 2 methods for calculating the gross mass:
Method 1: Weighing the packed and sealed container
Method 2: Weighing all the individual packages and cargo (incl. pallets, stowage materials) and adding the tare weight of the container to obtain a total weight
20’ standard containers
40’ standard containers
40’ High Cube standard container (higher than the 40’ standard container)
45’ standard containers
Open-top containers 20’ and 40’ (containers with an open top (can be covered with a tarpaulin), e.g. for overheight goods)
Flatrack containers 20’ and 40’ (containers without side walls and roof), e.g. for overheight and/or overwidth goods
Reefer containers 20’ and 40’ (refrigerated containers in standard dimensions with own refrigeration/heating unit, e.g. for foodstuffs and temperature-sensitive goods)
Platform containers 20’ and 40’ (containers with a platform without side and end walls), e.g. for overwidth and/or overlength goods
Calculation of the sea freight based on dimensions (in cubic metres) or weight (in tonnes), where the higher value is used for calculation.
Estimated Time of Departure
Estimated Time of Sailing
Estimated Time of Arrival
Original B/L = a negotiable document, ownership is transferred by handing over the original B/L. Is used, e.g. for LOC settlement, new business relationships as security for receipt of payment.
At least 1 original B/L must be submitted for release in the port of discharge
Telex release B/L = an original B/L is created for security, after receipt of payment a switch to telex release B/L can be requested, which is then used like a sea waybill for processing
Sea waybill = a non-negotiable document whose electronic form is sufficient for release in the port of discharge
Importer Security Filing is a customs and border security requirement in the USA. All required data (among other things, names and addresses of buyers, sellers, importers, manufacturers and final recipients, type of goods with HS code, country of origin, container data) must be submitted to the American customs office no later than 24 hours prior to ship departure. Non-compliance or false statements risk considerable fines.
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