Last reviewed: 10 September 2026
On a consolidated quote the freight line is usually a single row, but two questions sit behind it: which box does the cargo fit in, and when does that box arrive. This guide puts numbers on both. The volumes and times below are approximate; the exact figure depends on the service, the number of transhipments and the season, and is stated per shipment in the quote.
What fits in a container
Three sizes cover most cargo. The volume figures come from internal dimensions; in practice palletising and stacking mean you never fill all of it.
- 20 ft standard: about 33 m³. Preferred for heavy, dense cargo — tiles, steel, cement.
- 40 ft standard: about 67 m³. For bulky but light cargo it carries twice the volume of a 20 ft for far less than twice the cost.
- 40 ft high cube: about 76 m³. Roughly 30 cm of extra height; if the packaging height suits, it buys another stacking layer.
Does weight or volume fill first
A container has two limits: the weight it may carry and the volume it holds. With dense cargo such as tiles, steel or cement the weight limit is reached long before the volume; the box looks half empty but cannot take more. With light bulky cargo such as plasterboard, insulation, pipe or furniture it is the other way round. The trick in consolidation is to balance the two: putting heavy items in the same box as light ones so both limits fill together.
When LCL makes sense
LCL means sharing a container; the charge is calculated on weight or volume, whichever is greater. For small volumes it is cheaper than hiring a full box, but it has two drawbacks: deconsolidation at arrival takes time, and travelling alongside someone else’s cargo slightly raises the risk of damage. Roughly, once your volume approaches half a container, FCL starts to compete; we show the threshold by putting both options side by side in the quote.
Approximate transit times from Türkiye
The times below are approximate: port to port by sea, door to door by road. Production time, customs clearance and inland delivery at destination are not included.
- West African ports (Lagos, Tema, Abidjan, Dakar): roughly three to four and a half weeks by sea, depending on transhipment.
- East Africa (Mombasa, Dar es Salaam): roughly three to four weeks by sea.
- Gulf ports (Jeddah, Dammam, Jebel Ali): roughly one and a half to two and a half weeks by sea.
- Central Asia and the Caucasus: roughly one and a half to three weeks by road; the border crossing and number of transit countries decide it.
- Europe: roughly one to two weeks by road.
Demurrage and storage: the clock starts on arrival
After the container lands there is a free period; once it runs out, demurrage is owed to the carrier and storage to the port. These accrue daily and grow fast. The real cost of a shipment stuck at customs usually builds up here rather than in the penalty. That is the practical value of having the documents complete before arrival.