Container Transport Costs –

You have to calculate that

Containers are handy. With containers you can easily transport bulky goods and organize your goods, your move or a conversion. Nevertheless, there are costs associated with container transport that you have to calculate beforehand. There are different ways to calculate these costs. Whether the costs are calculated as a lump sum, the container transport costs per kilometer or even the costs for container transport with a crane, in this text you will find out what you have to reckon with. Find out here which factors influence your transport costs and what you need to pay attention to when organizing container transport.

Overview of the costs of container transport

In general, you can expect the following costs:

• 20-foot container: €1.50 per kilometer
• Transport by train: €1.25 per kilometer by train
• 20ft container by sea freight: at least 5000€

A standard container is between 20 and 40 feet tall. These two sizes are used for normal transport of non-critical cargo. A major cost factor, however, is the transport route. If the container is transported by truck, it is significantly cheaper than transport by ship.

On average, you can expect costs from €1.50 per kilometer for container transport if you transport a 20-foot container by truck. There may be additional costs for loading and unloading.

Transport by train results in lower container transport costs per kilometer. If you transport your container by rail, you can calculate around €1.25 per kilometer.

The cost by ship is the highest. Transporting containers by ship is necessary when you need to transport your goods between continents. Again, the final cost depends on the distance that needs to be driven. Nevertheless, you should calculate between 5000 and 7000 euros. If you would like to have a 40-foot container driven, you have to calculate from 8,000 euros. The costs of container transport with vehicles with their own loading crane are less easy to calculate. That depends very much on the provider.

Per kilometer or per charge?

The cost depends on the way the container is transported. In addition, there are distance, means of transport and additional safety precautions, for example in the case of dangerous goods or fragile goods.

The transport costs of a container depend on many factors. If you want to calculate properly, you need to include the following aspects:

• Type of transport: By ship, truck or train?
• Transport distance: Do you have to cross borders and pay customs duties?
• Container size: 20 feet, 40 feet or more?
• Other services: Do C02 values have to be monitored, is it a scheduled shipment or do you need specific certificates?
• urgency of the cargo
• Do safety regulations have to be complied with? Is it dangerous goods or not?

Only with this information can the total costs be reliably calculated. In some cases, transport costs have to be combined if, for example, the container has to be driven to the cargo ship by truck and is then taken to the destination by rail at the port of destination. But you should not only look at the costs. Freight trains are often more profitable than trucks on overland routes, even if they are slower and you could lose some time as a result.

It is important that you choose the right transport route for you and your freight.