CONTAINER VS TRAILER: What is best for Brexit?

Port operators and service providers in the United Kingdom are preparing for a Brexit shift of European cargo from direct import-export routes via Dover to other ports around the country.  Uk transport system has been recently heavily discussed because of a post-brexit congestion that could hit the sector. The government, together with the players and all involved is working on different solutions to try and convert some of the trailer traffic into container traffic, should the prediction become real (https://theloadstar.com/to-ease-post-brexit-congestion-trailer-traffic-could-be-switched-to-containers/)

UK has a 5.9M TEU spare capacity for containers terminal and they will try and spread the load across the different ports.

How to make sure you take advantage of those new scenarios?

Zeta System can offer direct  container services from West Med and other Eastern and Central Europe countries to UK main ports of arrival (and the whole Northern European region).

The container we use are generally 20ft & 40ft STANDARD, 40ft High Cube, 40ft Pallet Wide High Cube and 45ft Pallet Wide High Cube (mostly) which have the same as a standard 13.6m trailer / rail container (per number of pallets).

26 standard pallets on the deck / 52 stacked or
33 euro pallets on the deck / 66 stacked specifications.


Why prefer sea freight to road freight or rail

One of the main advantages of using sea freight is that you can take cheaper shipping rates. It is well known that fares are normally cheaper compared to road transportation. The two have different timings but for a lot of businesses, timing is not as critical as price can be.

With sea freight you won’t have any problem when it comes to large volume shippings as the biggest modes of transportation are the ones that travels on water.

Sea freight has less chance of border delays, compared to road freight and rail freight, because it is mainly just a short trip from the factory to the port and no borders to cross so its just a domestic trucking arrangement both sides.

We believe this will be a major advantage to consider when Brexit happens because when containers arrive by sea you will have MORE free time to arrange the clearance and delivery so there is more flexibility there whereas by road you will have LESS free time after which you’ll start paying penalty charge in the form of daily fees, this because you would be holding up both the trailer and the driver.

Cargo is also much more secure by container/sea because as mentioned its typically only on the open road for a few hours at origin and at destination and the rest of the time its in a highly secure port or on the water and therefore much less risk to cargo thefts or contamination which we are sure is a major consideration for goods in a lot of industries.

Sea freight has advantages also when compared to rail.

Unless you are very close to one of the main rail routes, it can get very complicated and expensive to favourite that solution, especially if the distance becomes substantial or if you are trying to ship to islands.

Possible delays in cross border due to change of train operator is another common issue with rail as well as bookings and other aspects related to a slower tech infrastructure.

Maritime industry has reached a greater level of automation and process optimisation in the latest years that guarantees a smooth experience.

 

 

40' HC Pallet Wide

UK pallets
24 on deck / 48 double stacked

Euro pallets
30 on deck / 60 double stacked

Internal dimensions

L: 12 . 182 m
W: 2 . 46 m
H: 2 . 69 m

Max Cargo Weight: 28.583 Kg
Max Cargo Volume 79.000 m3

45' HC Pallet Wide

UK pallets
26 on deck / 52 double stacked

Euro pallets
33 on deck / 66 double stacked

Internal dimensions

L: 13 . 60 m
W: 2 . 46 m
H: 2 . 69 m

Max Cargo Weight: 29.720 Kg
Max Cargo Volume 89.000 m3

If you are looking for high quality freight services, Zeta System has almost 30 years of experience and a great team of knowledgeable professionals. Sea Freight is our core business and we take it very seriously. We also offer a variety of other services that we bring to you in collaboration with our top worldwide partners.

If you want to know more information, you can visit our Services page or contact us via the form below.

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