What is a 40ft high cube?

A 40ft container with an extra 30cm of internal height (2.69m vs 2.39m), useful for vans, large SUVs and any vehicle over 1.9m tall.

Can I share a 40ft container with strangers?

Yes - that is the basis of shared container shipping. All vehicles are loaded and sealed under our supervision, photographed and individually documented, so your car is fully traceable end-to-end.

How long does 40ft shipping to Japan take?

30 to 38 days from a UK loading warehouse to a Japanese arrival port via the Suez Canal.

40ft Container Shipping from UK to Japan

Move up to four vehicles in a single 40ft container, or up to six with R-Rak racking. The most cost-effective enclosed option to Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

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Why Choose a 40ft Container to Japan?

A 40ft container is the most efficient unit on the UK to Japan trade lane. The box itself only costs roughly 30% more to ship than a 20ft, but offers twice the cargo capacity, so the per-cubic-metre rate is materially lower. For a dealer moving stock, a family relocating with multiple cars, or a group of friends consolidating personal vehicles, a 40ft sole-use is the right answer. For a single vehicle, a 40ft shared (£750 per space) is our cheapest enclosed product anywhere on the route.

How Many Cars Fit in a 40ft Container?

Loaded conventionally on the container floor, a 40ft fits four standard saloons (Golf, Civic, Focus); three mid-size SUVs (X3, RAV4); two large 4x4s plus a small car or motorcycle; or two pickup trucks. The actual count depends on wheelbase, width and turning circle for loading. With R-Rak racking installed (see below), capacity rises to five or six vehicles in the same box.

40ft High Cube Container for Japan

The 40ft high-cube (40HC) adds 30cm of internal height - 2.69m instead of 2.39m. This matters for taller vehicles such as the VW Transporter, Mercedes Sprinter, Toyota Land Cruiser 200, Range Rover (LWB) and any aftermarket roof-rack or roof-tent build. High-cube units cost an extra £150 to £200 over a standard 40ft. Availability is good year-round on the Japan trade lane.

R-Rak Racking System Explained

R-Rak is a patented vehicle racking system that allows a second tier of vehicles to be loaded above the first inside the same container. The lower vehicles sit on the container floor; the upper vehicles sit on a portable steel rack lifted into place by forklift. R-Rak adds two vehicle slots to a 40ft container without compromising safety or insurance, cutting the per-vehicle freight cost by roughly a third. We are one of only a handful of UK consolidators rigged to load R-Rak shipments to Japan.

Cost of 40ft Container UK to Japan 2026

Sole-use 40ft from £1,800. Shared 40ft from £750 per vehicle space. 40ft high-cube from £2,000. All prices include ocean freight, UK export customs, standard lashing and a photographic condition report. Japanese consumption tax (10%) and arrival port handling are billed separately at clearance.

Sole Use 40ft vs Shared 40ft for Japan

Sole-use 40ft is the right choice when you can fill the box - typically three or more vehicles, or two vehicles plus household effects. Shared 40ft is the right choice when you have one vehicle and want enclosed protection at the lowest possible cost. The break-even point is roughly three vehicles: at three you save money on sole-use, at one or two you save money on shared.

Loading Process at UK Port

Container loading takes place at our Tilbury warehouse. Vehicles arrive by truck or are driven in. Each is photographed and condition-reported before loading. Lower-tier vehicles are reversed into the container and chocked; the R-Rak (if used) is then lifted in and the upper tier vehicles winched on. All vehicles are strapped at four points each, batteries disconnected, fuel reduced to one-quarter tank, and the container is sealed with a tamper-evident bolt seal before delivery to the port.

Japan Arrival and Customs Clearance

On arrival at Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya, the container is discharged and moved to the bonded yard. Your nominated Japanese clearing agent files the import declaration using the bill of lading, packing list and commercial invoice. Consumption tax (10%) is paid at clearance, and the container is then released for unloading. Vehicles can be collected from the port or moved to a Japanese registration shop for shaken and number plates.

Real-World 40ft Loading Plans

A few worked examples make the 40ft cube tangible. Plan A family relocation: one Range Rover, one Mini Cooper, one motorcycle and twenty crates of household effects fills a standard 40ft sole-use with five centimetres of headroom. Plan B dealer consolidation: four Honda Civic Type R models nose-to-tail, photographed and individually documented, ships sole-use with personal effects banned to keep customs clearance fast. Plan C R-Rak: three Toyota Land Cruisers on the floor, three Suzuki Jimnys on the upper R-Rak tier, six vehicles in one box at the lowest per-vehicle freight rate available. Plan D mixed classic: an E-Type Roadster on a cradle, an MGB GT alongside and a classic Mini at the rear, all wrapped and individually strapped for collector-grade protection.

40ft Container Lashing Standards

Lashing for the UK to Japan trade lane meets the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing plus our internal collector-car protocol. Each vehicle is chocked at all four wheels with bolted hardwood blocks. Twelve polyester soft straps connect from chassis recovery points (never bumpers or trim) to D-rings at floor and ceiling level, applying tension fore, aft and laterally. Wheel-only lashings are used on lowered cars where chassis access would scrape the underside. R-Rak vehicles are additionally secured to the rack frame with four upper-tier straps. The complete lashing diagram is photographed and attached to the bill of lading.

40ft Sailing Schedule and Booking Lead Time

40ft consolidation sailings depart Tilbury bi-weekly on the Suez routing to Yokohama. Cut-off for loading is typically seven working days before the vessel UK departure - vehicles received after cut-off roll to the next sailing. Lead time from booking confirmation to the vehicle arriving in Japan is typically forty-five days end-to-end, including a UK consolidation buffer of seven to ten days. For time-sensitive shipments we can prioritise loading to catch a specific sailing; for non-urgent shipments the schedule flexes to optimise box utilisation and reduce your per-space cost.

40ft Container vs Two 20ft Containers

A practical question we hear often: is a single 40ft cheaper than two 20ft units for four vehicles? Almost always yes. The 40ft ocean rate to Yokohama is roughly thirty per cent higher than a single 20ft, not twice the cost, so the per-cubic-metre rate is materially lower in the larger box. Two 20ft units also incur two sets of UK terminal handling, two bills of lading and two arrival clearance fees in Japan, adding 400 to 600 GBP of avoidable cost. The only times we recommend two 20ft over one 40ft are when the vehicles are destined for two different Japanese arrival ports, when one shipment is sole-use and the other is shared, or when the loading windows do not align and waiting two weeks for the second car is unacceptable.

Option	Vehicles	Price From
Shared 40ft	1 space	£750
Sole use 40ft	4 cars	£1,800
40ft High Cube	4+ cars	£2,000

Ready to ship to or from Japan?

Speak to a Japan trade specialist for live sailing schedules and a fixed all-in price.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Four standard saloons loaded conventionally, or up to six using our R-Rak racking system.