Container shipping Rotterdam to Varna

Main themes

• Shipment to harbor Varna from Rotterdam (Netherlands)
• How to export a container in April 2024
• Find a container that suits your cargo
  • Advantages of a twenty foot container
  • Advantages of a 40 FT container
  • What is the meaning of FCL container?
  • The advantages of Less than container (LCL)
  • Special containers for special freight
• Types of Cargo Shipped by Sea Freight Transport
• FAQ: questions and answers about international transport

Advantages of a 20 ft container

20 ft. containers (sometimes also called dry van) is the most commonly type for shipment in ocean freight. They are easy to transport, which ensures low handling costs. Widely used for transporting household goods and movings. What you might not know: TEU is a standard measurement of volume in container shipping and means 1 20 Foot container.

• This box is often used for transporting cargo via the ocean.
• A 20-foot container has the following dimensions: 5.90m x 2,35m x 2,39m.
• It can contain 11 Euro-pallets on a single level.
• In terms of weight load, the following applies: +/- 27.200 kg.

Explanation of the 40 FT container

Besides the 20-foot, the 40-foot container is another popular option. They are very suitable for e.g. industrial goods and retail products. This makes it very economical for shipping large sea freight. In conclusion, there are also special extra tall ‘high cube’ choice. This is one foot taller than a regular 40 ft. This makes them particularly useful for niche applications.

• Used for dry freight of all kinds.
• The format is universal: 12.19m long x 2.44m wide x 2.59m high.
• The Forty Foot Equivalent Unit (FEU) can hold 20-24 pallets.
• In terms of goods, there is a weight limit of +/- 28.100 kilogram.

In which situations do I choose an FCL container?

When you want to ship large quantities of goods, then a full container is often worth it. Freight forwarders then refer to it as FCL (Full Container Load). You don’t need to share space with others like LCL. It is a popular transport method: It guarantees a faster transit time, less likely to damage your goods (as the container just contains your goods) and you pay lower price per unit. Important to mention: the transport over land is more complex (truck) and insurance is extra important. Have your cargo depart from another port? See also Antwerp to Varna (BGVAR) or Hamburg to Varna (BGVAR).

• What we mean by FCL is that an exporter is fully booking one or more shipping containers.
• Perfect for the transportation of large amounts.
• Relevant when you are sending more than 15 m3.
• Available at: e.g. CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, ONE.

When is a LCL container a good choice?

If you want to transport a small cargo by sea, a shared container can be used. This is known as LCL (Less Than Container Load). What we mean by LCL is that you share the container with other importers. The advantages of this option include: you can save money on smaller shipments, you spend less on inventory space and more options during peak shipping season. Remark: if you can fill more than half of a container, then it is often more interesting to go for an FCL shipping. The shipping costs are calculated on the basis of the actual volume that the shipment occupies in a shared shipping container.

• The premise of LCL is that your cargo is transported in a partial container.
• Cost effective for shipments between 4 m3 & 14 m3.
• Cost-effective for freight forwarders with smaller shipment volumes.
• Wide availability in all months of the year.
• Available at: e.g. Evergreen, HMM, POL, Yang Ming, ZIM.

What other types of containers are there

The range of boxes is very varied for transporting your cargo. There is a suitable solution for every type of cargo. The Dry van is the variant that most people will recognize. But there are also specific options for liquids, flour, coffee or cocoa or very exclusive stuff. Our expert has laid out a list below. You can also look further at transport options in Jodhpur (INJDG), port of Yangon (MMRGN), Buenaventura (COBUN) harbor and terminal Wuhu (CNWHI).

Kind of load: What do you want to ship?

Exporting cargo by ocean from Rotterdam (NLRTM) to Varna (BGVAR) has a lot of pluses: attractive costs, you can ship easily big and high volume cargo and minimal restrictions. The most important ocean cargo imported via sea shipping includes: containerized, neo bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, break bulk. Below we explain some goods/cargo.

• Car shipping: your vehicle (car/motorcycle) will be shipped safely and relatively cheaply.
• House Moving: affordable and reliable way for international relocations.
• Removals (Household Goods): your household effects are shipped in a fast and secure manner.
• Liquid Bulk: e.g. kerosene, gasoline, hydrogen, petroleum, biofuels, chemicals.
• Dry Bulk: coal, iron ore, grain but also stuff like salt, rods, sugar, plates.
• Roll on Roll off (RORO): one of the most flexible methods of shipping vehicles overseas.
• Breakbulk: goods that are stowed on board ship in individually counted units.
• Retail & other: load like electronic goods, art and antiques, medical/pharmacy, clothes, sports equipment and shoes, drinks, food, machines, furniture.