Shared Container Shipping to USA from the UK

A typical UK saloon car occupies around 12 CBM — only a third of a 20ft container. A motorbike crate is closer to 2 CBM. Even a complete three-bedroom household removal often fills no more than half a 40ft container. Paying for the empty space in a sole-use container makes little economic sense when consolidation is available.

Shared container shipping (also called groupage, or LCL — Less than Container Load) lets you pay only for the volume you actually use. We collect cargo from multiple UK customers, load it together into a single container bound for USA, seal it, ship it, and clear it at destination. Savings of 50–70% versus a sole-use FCL are typical on this lane.

Classic and specialist UK cars over 25 years old qualify for the EPA/DOT exemption and can be imported relatively easily — we ship cars to US collectors every week.

Cargo is collected from your UK address or dropped at our consolidation depot, where it is checked, measured and loaded into the next outbound container for USA. Containers are typically sealed and dispatched within 5–10 days of receipt depending on how quickly the consolidation fills.

Once sealed, the container moves by road to a UK departure port — usually Southampton, Tilbury, Felixstowe or London Gateway — and is loaded onto a scheduled vessel bound for New York. Port-to-port transit averages 14–21 days.

• Southampton
• Tilbury
• London Gateway
• Felixstowe

We use four primary UK ports for USA-bound consolidations. Southampton is our default for southern and Midlands collections, with the most frequent sailings on the North America trade lane. Tilbury and London Gateway handle the bulk of our south-east London and Essex collections. Felixstowe is used for east-coast collections and offers some of the fastest onward connections to global trade lanes.

Liverpool is available for north-west collections, with onward feeder services to deep-sea departure ports. We choose the ideal departure port for each shipment based on collection location, sailing schedule and cargo type.

• New York
• Miami
• Houston
• Los Angeles

Your shared container will arrive at New York, Miami, Houston, Los Angeles. Newark/Elizabeth marine terminal; one of the busiest US East Coast ports. Florida's gateway for Caribbean and Latin American trade. Texas Gulf Coast hub with strong onward US distribution. Los Angeles is the standard discharge port for UK shipments on this lane.

Once the vessel berths, the container is discharged, moved to the customs yard and presented for clearance. Allow 3–10 working days from arrival for clearance and release depending on port congestion and document readiness.

Shared containers to USA carry a broad spread of cargo — cars, motorcycles, household goods, furniture, pallets, commercial cargo. Most personal-effects shipments combine a vehicle or motorcycle with boxes of household goods, furniture and white goods.

Commercial customers send pallets of stock, machinery, parts and equipment. We handle dangerous goods (DG) declarations where required and can advise on packing for sensitive cargo such as electronics, art and ceramics.

Cars are loaded inside the shared container alongside other cargo. The vehicle is driven in (or winched if non-runner), chocked, strapped to the container floor with ratchet straps, and the wheels are blocked. Fuel is drained to under a quarter-tank and the battery is disconnected for safety.

Motorcycles are typically crated or palletised. A standard motorcycle crate measures around 2.2 m × 0.9 m × 1.3 m (~2.5 CBM) and protects the bike from incidental contact with other cargo during the voyage.

For multiple-vehicle exports, our R-Rak racking can double a 40ft container's capacity to four cars, reducing per-vehicle freight cost substantially. Speak to us at quote stage if you're shipping more than one vehicle.

Household removals to USA typically range from a few boxes to a full three-bedroom move. We can collect from your UK address, supply export-grade packing materials, or accept goods dropped at our depot.

For a typical full household move, expect to use 25–35 CBM in shared container space. Most customers combine the household with a personal vehicle in the same container — a common and efficient pattern on this lane.

Pack items in uniform, stackable boxes wherever possible. Label every box with a unique number, your surname, and a one-line description of contents. Provide a packing list that matches — this is essential for customs and insurance.

Disassemble large furniture, wrap with bubble wrap and protective blankets, and crate anything fragile (glass tabletops, mirrors, marble, artwork). Avoid prohibited items, foodstuffs and untreated wood, especially for destinations with phytosanitary controls.

Total door-to-door transit to USA typically breaks down into three phases. First, UK consolidation — 5–10 days from collection to the container being sealed and dispatched to port. Second, ocean freight — port-to-port averages 14–21 days on this lane. Third, destination handling — 5–10 working days for discharge, customs clearance and onward delivery.

Total realistic door-to-door is therefore around 24–41 days from UK collection to delivered at the USA address. Express options can shave a few days off — speak to us if speed is critical.

Pricing on the UK-to-USA lane starts from £990 for a small consolidation (typically up to 2 CBM). Per-CBM rates scale down as volume increases — larger consolidations attract lower unit rates because the consolidator's fixed costs are spread over more cargo.

A typical car ships for around £1584–£2178 including marine insurance; a motorcycle crate is closer to £545–£891. A full household removal (25–30 CBM) commonly lands between £3465 and £4950. Final pricing depends on cargo class, dimensions, collection location and any destination delivery requested.

These figures are indicative — the calculator above gives an instant estimate, and our team confirms a firm quote within one hour of enquiry.

US and Canadian imports are regulated by CBP and CBSA respectively. Vehicles require EPA/DOT compliance (USA) or Transport Canada admissibility (Canada) — most UK road cars 25+ years old can enter the US under the classic-vehicle exemption. Household goods qualify for duty-free entry for returning residents and new immigrants.

Standard documents required for USA are a commercial invoice, a packing list, a copy of your passport (or company UTR/EORI for commercial cargo) and the original Bill of Lading. Vehicles additionally require the V5C logbook, a UK export declaration and proof of ownership.

We handle the UK export declaration in-house and brief you on the destination-side paperwork before the container ships. Most snags at clearance come from missing or mismatched documents — we'll walk you through the checklist.

Returning US/Canadian residents may import personal goods duty-free under household-effects relief. Vehicle duty is typically 2.5% (USA) or 6.1% (Canada) on CIF value, plus state/provincial sales tax on registration.

Prohibited and restricted items include weapons, ammunition, explosives, drugs, counterfeit goods, ivory, untreated animal products, soil, and most flammable liquids and gases. Some destinations also restrict food, alcohol, second-hand bedding and certain electronics — check the destination customs list or ask us before packing.

• Commercial invoice
• Packing list
• Passport copy
• Bill of lading
• Vehicle V5C
• UK export declaration

Marine cargo insurance is recommended for every shipment. Standard cover (All Risks, Institute Cargo Clauses A) typically costs around 1.5–2.5% of declared value with no excess and covers the cargo from collection through ocean transit, customs handling and onward delivery to your door.

Inland delivery across the US and Canada is handled by trucking partners covering both road-trailer and rail-intermodal options. Coast-to-coast inland moves typically add 5–12 days from port discharge.

Plan your move around your container's arrival, not the other way around. Allow a comfortable buffer between vessel ETA and the date you need the goods — port congestion and customs queues can add a few days. Keep your essential items in your air freight or checked luggage, not in the container.

If you're shipping a vehicle, sort out destination registration and insurance before the container lands. Most countries require local registration within a defined window after import; missing that window can trigger fines.

Use the calculator above for an instant estimate, then submit a quote request with your collection postcode, destination address, cargo summary and target sailing date. We confirm the firm quote in writing within an hour during UK business hours and reserve your space on the next outbound consolidation to USA.

Once booked, we collect (or you drop off), pack and consolidate, and keep you updated through every milestone — vessel sailing, ETA at New York, customs clearance and final delivery.