Picture this. You’ve accepted that dream job in Vancouver. The visa’s approved, the flights are booked. Now you’re standing in your living room, wondering how your entire life fits into boxes and gets across an ocean.
Pick wrong and you’ll blow your budget or wait months for your stuff to show up. Neither option sounds fun when you’re trying to settle into a new country.
We’re going to break down your two main options: container shipping and air freight. You’ll know exactly which one suits your international move. No jargon, no information dump, just what you need to know.
Two Ways to Ship Your Belongings Overseas
You can get your belongings from Australia to your new home via sea or air. Let’s look at how each one works.
Container Shipping (Sea Freight)
Container shipping means your belongings travel by cargo ship in those massive steel containers you’ve seen stacked at ports. It’s how most household goods leave Australia.
You’ve got two ways to do this.
- FCL (Full Container Load) means you get an entire container to yourself. Think of it like hiring a removal truck just for your stuff. You fill it, lock it, and it travels exclusively with your belongings inside.
- LCL (Less than Container Load) is more like catching a bus. Your boxes share container space with other people’s shipments. You only pay for the cubic metres you use. The shipping company packs multiple customers’ goods into one container, and everyone splits the cost.
Drawing from our experience with Australian relocations, LCL works brilliantly for smaller moves like a one-bedroom apartment. FCL makes sense when you’re shipping an entire household.
Air Freight
Air freight does exactly what it sounds like: your belongings fly to your destination as cargo on a plane. Your boxes get loaded into the cargo hold alongside commercial freight and mail.
This method moves much faster than shipping by sea. But it comes with strict size and weight limits because aircraft can only carry so much. You’re also paying premium rates for that speed.
Through our hands-on experience, most people use air freight for specific essentials rather than their entire move. It’s the express option when you need certain items quickly.
How Container Shipping and Air Freight Compare
Here’s how the two methods stack up on cost, speed, reliability and security, and environmental impact.
Cost
A full 20-foot container costs between $3,500-$6,000 from Sydney to Los Angeles. To the UK, expect $5,000-$8,000 due to the longer journey. Prices vary based on distance, fuel costs, port handling charges, and seasonal demand.
Shared container space runs cheaper at $150-$250 per cubic metre. A one-bedroom apartment (15-20 cubic metres) costs $2,500-$5,000 total.
In contrast, air freight charges by weight between $8-$15 per kilogram. A 100-kilo shipment costs $800-$1,500. At 500 kilos, you’re paying $4,000-$7,500.
The difference becomes obvious with larger shipments. Container shipping moves 1,000 kilos for $2,000-$3,000. Meanwhile, air freight costs $8,000-$15,000 for the same weight. That’s roughly 5 times more expensive.
Speed
Air freight gets your belongings there fast. You’re looking at 5-10 days from pickup to arrival, plus another 3-5 days for customs and delivery. That’s roughly two weeks total. Long time!
Yes, container shipping takes longer. Ships follow set routes and schedules, so there’s no rushing them. For example, Sydney to the US West Coast takes 3-4 weeks at sea, while Europe takes 6-8 weeks. New Zealand is closer at 1-2 weeks.
But that’s just ocean time. Once your container hits port, customs clearance adds another 1-2 weeks. Then it travels inland to your new home. Door-to-door, you’re waiting 6-10 weeks for North America and 8-12 weeks for Europe.
Reliability and Security
Container shipping handles large moves well, but delays are part of the game. Ports get congested during busy seasons. A cyclone or storm can push your delivery back by weeks. Customs can be unpredictable, too.
Even with these limitations, sea freight keeps your belongings secure. Full containers stay sealed from pickup to delivery. Nobody else touches your stuff. However, shared containers involve more hands since the shipping company packs multiple shipments together. Damage risk goes up slightly in case of shared containers, but good movers know what they’re doing.
Air freight is more reliable when time is the priority. Less can go wrong in two weeks than in two months. That said, flights get cancelled. Security screening takes longer than expected sometimes. And oversized items? Space gets tight fast.
Our suggestion here is pretty simple: get insurance no matter which option you pick. Container shipments include basic coverage, but bump it up for valuables. Air freight usually needs a separate policy.
Environmental Impact
The choice becomes pretty clear if you care about your carbon footprint,
Let’s go through some data: sea freight produces 10-40 grams of CO2 per tonne-kilometre. Air freight sits around 500 grams, where flying cargo creates 12-50 times more emissions than sending it by sea, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
That means, a 1,000-kilo shipment from Melbourne to London produces about 100-150 kilos of CO2 per container. Send it by air, and that jumps to 1,500-2,000 kilos. Yes, it’s a shocking calculation.
Which Shipping Method Suits Your Move?
Now that you’ve seen how they compare, here’s how to decide.
Choose container shipping if you:
- Have 6 weeks before you need your belongings
- Want to save thousands on your relocation budget
- Are moving furniture and most of your household
- Care about reducing your carbon footprint
- Need to ship fragile or valuable furniture
Choose air freight if you:
- Need items within 2-3 weeks
- Are shipping under 200 kilos total
- Start work immediately and can’t wait months
- Value reliability and tracking over cost
- Are moving high-priority items only
The smart approach: Most families we work with use both methods. Send your furniture, books, kitchenware, and bulk items by container. Fly one or two boxes with work clothes, a laptop, important documents, and essentials for your first few weeks. You get immediate necessities while saving thousands on the main shipment.
Planning Your International Shipment
Choosing the right shipping method comes down to three things: your timeline, your budget, and what you’re moving.
For most Australians relocating overseas, the best approach is a combination of both methods. Container shipping handles the bulk of your belongings at a fraction of the cost, while air freight gets you the essentials you’ll need right away.
Start by making a list of everything you’re taking. Separate items you’ll need in the first two weeks from the rest of your belongings. This simple split usually makes the shipping decision easier.
At Homeport Northwest, we’ve helped hundreds of Australian families navigate international moves. We handle everything from packing and customs clearance to door-to-door delivery.
Get in touch for a free quote. We’ll assess your move and recommend the best approach based on your timeline and budget.
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