Best International Shipping Companies in UK

What are the best international shipping companies in UK in 2022?

In this article, we presented a list of the top UK international shipping and container shipping companies we recommend based on quality of value service, reputation, price and destination.

A.P. MOLLER-MAERSK GROUP

TEU: 4,176,517

Founded: 1904HQ: Copenhagen, DenmarkRevenue: USD 9.6bnEmployees: 76,000

Official website:www.maersk.com

The A.P. Moller-Maersk Group is a Danish business conglomerate and the largest supply vessel- and container ship operator in the world. The company has several core subsidiaries (including Maersk Line, APM Terminals, and Maersk Container Industries) that provide transport and logistic services. Subsidiaries that serve the energy sector include Maersk Supply Services, Maersk Oil, Maersk Drilling, and Maersk Tankers.

A.P Moller-Maersk operates in 130 countries and ships around $675 billion worth of goods per year. The company has a fleet of five Maersk Triple E-class container ships. Each one can carry more than 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). This container ship was the largest in the world before the CSCL Globe surpassed it in 2013.

MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY S.A. (MSC)

TEU: 3,657,272
Founded: 1970
HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
Revenue: USD 28.19bn
Employees: >70,000
Official website:www.msc.com

Mediterranean Shipping Company is a privately owned and global provider of shipping and logistics solutions. With their fleet of more than 500 container vessels and a capacity of approximately 3 million TEU, MSC facilitates international trade between the world’s major economies and emerging markets.

The company stops at 500 ports on 200 trade routes around the world and delivers dry cargo as well as reefer cargo. MSC also offers intermodal transportation services that include door to door, factory to consumer, and a combination of transport solutions to fulfill their delivery obligations.

MSC’s services include overland transportation logistics, and the company has a growing portfolio of port terminal investments.

HAPAG-LLOYD

TEU: 1,688,396

Founded: 1970HQ: Hamburg, GermanyRevenue: EUR 11.5BnEmployees: 12,900

Official website: www.hapag-lloyd.com

Hapag-Lloyd is based in Germany and is the country’s largest ocean liner with five regional headquarters in Piscataway, Hamburg, Valparaiso, and Singapore. The company serves 128 countries through 399 offices, and it has a total capacity of just under 1,7 Million TEU.

With its modern reefer container fleet of 237 ships, Hapag-Lloyd offers a total of 118 liner services throughout the world.

The Hapag-Lloyd fleet stops at 600 ports on all continents to provide fast and reliable international trade connections. The company is also an ocean carrier for Latin America, Intra-America, Middle-East, and Transatlantic trades.

ONE (OCEAN NETWORK EXPRESS)

TEU: 1,579,868

Founded: 2017HQ: SingaporeRevenue: USD 2.87BnEmployees: 14,000

Official website: www.one-line.com

Ocean Network Express started trading in April 2018 and is a joint venture between Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and K-Line. Despite being a relatively young company, ONE has a sizable fleet that consists of 240 container vessels and 31 container ships. Each has a capacity of 20,000 TEU. Currently, ONE has more than 14,000 reefer containers.

ONE’s global headquarters is in Singapore, and it has a holding office in Tokyo, Japan. The company’s regional headquarters are in London, Richmond, Hong Kong, and Sao Paulo. ONE also has local offices in 90 countries that take care of corporate and sales activities.

EVERGREEN MARINE CORPORATION

TEU: 1,303,420

Founded: 1968HQ: Taoyuan City, TaiwanRevenue: NTD 124.47bnEmployees: >10,000 employees

Official website: www.evergreen-marine.com

The Evergreen Marine Corporation is an established Taiwanese shipping and container transportation company. Evergreen Group’s divisions include Uniglory Marine Corporation, Evergreen UK Ltd, and Italia Marittima S.p.A.

The company’s primary trade routes are between the Far East and countries in the southern hemisphere, the Americas, and northern Europe and the East Mediterranean. Additional routes are between Europe and the east coast of North America and between Asia and the Middle East.

 Evergreen’s fleet consists of more than 200 container ships, and the company calls on 240 ports throughout the world.

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation

TEU: 644,185

Founded: 1972HQ: TaiwanRevenue: NTD 141.85BnEmployees: 5,393

Official website: www.yangming.com

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation are a Taiwanese shipping company founded in 1972, transporting load both domestically and overseas and cover Asia, Australia, Europe and America.

They own over 100 vessels, transporting 640,000 TEU in capacity annually. Yang Ming are ranked ninth for the number of containers imported and exported to and from the US. As members of The Alliance, they collaboratively work with their allies in providing shipping services across 80 ports worldwide. Asides from transport and logistics, they also offer warehouse services and the repair and lease of containers.

Transatlantic Shipping

Website: https://www.transatlantic-shipping.co.uk

Email: info@transatlantic-shipping.co.uk

Phone: +44(0)1773770050

If you’re an importer or exporter looking for an experienced company that offers a seamless shipping process, this is a company to consider. They help with the shipping of goods to and from the UK and advise you on the best option if you’re a first-timer.

They support you throughout the process whether you’re a private or commercial shipper transporting personal effects, pallets, baggage, or plant machinery to or from the UK. It’s good to know that they also assist with customs clearance and documentation issues.

Tropical Shipping

Tropical shipping is a transport and logistics company based in West Palm Beach, Florida, providing door-to-door shipping and intermodal services for container shipments as well as less than container loads (LCL).

They have 50 years of experience shipping internationally across 30 locations for both personal and business use, using integrated real-time shipment tracking services and marine insurance covered by Sea Seas for added piece of mind.

At PSS we use Tropical for shipping from the UK to the Caribbean & Bahamas.

DAL – Deutsche Afrika Linien

DAL are a privately owned German shipping company, run by the Essberger/Von Rantzau family and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

DAL provides both container and general freight services, with its shipping network covering Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean (though its main focus is that of East and South Africa). DAL owns 4 vessels, totalling just over 21,000 TEU in capacity, and is one of the first shipping companies in history to trade to and from Africa.

DAL frequently trades to and from South Africa and the Canary Islands (including Tenerife) so we find them very useful if you’re moving there.

How to Choose the Best International Shipping Company

Here are some factors that you should consider when deciding on the companies to entrust your global eCommerce shipments.

• Delivery Speed: For faster deliveries, working with an international carrier that can handle mission-critical deliveries through overnight shipping or expedited air freight can be a lifesaver when handling critical situations. For slow deliveries, working with international shipping companies that provide excellent ocean or LTL shipping will do the trick. Whatever the case, keep in mind that  working with the fastest international shipping company comes with additional shipping rates, while the cheapest international shipping courier may have favorable rates, but slower speeds.
• Shipping Restrictions: Shipping restrictions take several forms. You’ll want to consider hazardous material handling, as not all companies will work with products containing materials considered dangerous. Additionally,  there are weight limits and size restrictions. You need to be familiar with the size and weight limits for the shipping companies you are considering to work with.
• Weekend Delivery: Sometimes, your buyers’ delivery dates coincide with weekends, and if an international carrier doesn’t deliver on weekends, they will have to wait two additional days until Monday — the next week. It helps to know whether the carriers whose services you are considering deliver on Saturdays.
• Insurance: What will happen if your package gets lost or damaged in transit? International shipping is rife with risk, much more than domestic shipping, making insurance coverage a necessity. Many shipping companies offer insurance coveage, but, if not, it’s wise to take out your own policy. Easyship offers you insurance of up to $5,000 to secure your cargo in transit.
• Tracking: International shipping takes longer than domestic deliveries, and the long wait can turn out into a nightmare of frustrations to your buyers when they can’t see what is happening to their precious items in transit. This makes package tracking capabilities a critical factor to consider when deciding on the best international shipping services.
• Shipping Rates: Finding a cheap option to send packages overseas can be a game-changer for your bottom line.You need to know and compare the types of rates and discounts offered by various international shipping couriers. Make sure to strike a balance between shipping rates and other factors, as the cheapest options may not have the same speed  or customer services as the pricier ones.
• Remote area delivery: International shipping means that you are sending packages to buyers in different countries, and they may not be located near big cities. You need to know whether your carrier delivers to remote, rural areas to the various destinations where you want to ship. If they partner with a third party carrier to handle last-mile deliveries in rural areas, you need to know how that affects the quality of service and package tracking capabilities so that you don’t end up with dissatisfied customers.
• Customer Service: Customer support cannot be left out of the equation when choosing a  company to handle your worldwide deliveries. If your courier is unresponsive or is otherwise unhelpful it can not only be frustrating for you but also for your customer and could even leave them with a negative impression of your business post-purchase.