Ocean Freight

Ocean freight or maritime transportation involves the transport by sea of containerized or break bulk cargo, by loading it onto vessels.

Ocean freight is one of the cheaper and more environmentally friendly options for transporting freight from point A to point B. In fact, a study shows that air freight emits 435 grams per tonne/km CO2 as compared to 80 Grams per tonne/km for trucks (> 40 tonnes) and 7.9 grams per tonne/km for bulk carriers (10,000 – 34,999 dwt).

You may use sustainable fuel solutions to decarbonize the supply chain and meet your company’s sustainability goals. GEODIS offers these solutions for air and sea freight. We not only make it easy to book sustainable fuel-powered freight via several channels, but also share audited reports of your CO2 reduction. Click here to calculate the carbon emissions of your freight transport chains. And speak to our team at GEODIS to see how SMF can reduce your carbon footprint.

It takes an average of 28 days to transport cargo between Shanghai and Rotterdam via ocean freight. But, the actual transit time may vary based on the type of ocean freight service, the service loop, and the number of ports visited. You also need to account for time deviations due to external factors such as container shortages, obstruction in the transport route, turbulent weather, and piracy.

If you have to ship very large volumes of cargo, then you may need to use full containers (FCL). But to transport smaller consignments of goods, you can decide to share space with other shippers’ and/or consignees’ cargo in one container (LCL). This not only saves transport costs but also is better for the environment.
Additionally, you may use GEODIS’ sustainable marine fuel solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of your freight. Our marine fuel recovery service even enables 100% carbon insetting.

To transport temperature controlled cargo, choose special refrigerated containers, also known as reefer containers. These containers are fitted with a refrigeration unit so that your perishable cargoes are always at the right temperature.

You can track your cargo from source to destination with GEODIS’ proprietary, end-to-end freight tracking solution called IRIS.

While our ocean freight solutions can be tailored to fit the needs of all industries, we offer advanced vertical expertise in aerospace & defence, automotive, FMCG, healthcare, hi-tech, industrial & retail sectors.

The obvious difference between air and ocean freight is that the former involves transport of goods by air and the latter by sea. Marine transportation of cargo is also significantly cheaper than air freight. This is a more economical solution comparing to other transport modes. Therefore, it is preferable to use ocean freight to ship heavy cargo.

Ocean freight or marine transport is one of the most economical delivery options, especially for international transport. It is also more efficient than other means of transport, ideal for shipping large cargo, or in bulk. With ocean freight, you can also safely carry hazardous materials and dangerous cargo. Lastly, it is one of the most carbon-efficient transport modes.