The essentials at a glance. Figures marked as indicative depend on the carrier, season and cargo, and are confirmed in your quote.
| Model | Coordinated through ocean carriers and partner container suppliers; we do not own a container fleet |
|---|---|
| Standard equipment | 20GP, 40GP, 40HC and 45HC dry containers, subject to carrier availability |
| Special equipment | Reefer (20RF / 40RF), open top (20OT / 40OT) and flat rack (20FR / 40FR), confirmed at booking |
| Ownership options | Carrier-owned (COC) or shipper-owned (SOC), bought or leased through partners |
| Weighing | Verified gross mass (VGM) required before loading under SOLAS, in force since 1 July 2016 |
| Free time | Agreed free days per container recorded on your cost sheet and counted down in your case file |
| Charges |
|---|
| Equipment, special-equipment premiums, deposits, detention and demurrage shown as separate lines |
| Facts as of | 1 November 2026 |
|---|
As of 1 Nov 2026
These are the same stages you will see in your case file in the customer portal.
We check the cargo, weight, dimensions, route and destination rules to choose the right equipment.
You approve the equipment, ownership option, free days and every charge line.
We book the container with the carrier or partner and post the confirmation to your case file.
The release order, VGM details and any reefer or dangerous-goods instructions are prepared.
The container is collected, its condition recorded on the EIR, loaded and gated in.
Milestones are updated and the free days for each container are counted down.
The empty goes back to the named depot, the return EIR is filed and the case is closed.
Your quote itemises every charge, so you can see exactly what is covered before you approve it.
We arrange the right container for each shipment, from standard dry boxes to reefers, open tops and flat racks, and we manage its release, loading, weighing and return.
Nil Ocean Shipping does not own a container fleet. We book carrier-owned equipment through the ocean carrier, and when you need your own container we source it through partner suppliers and depots. In both cases the equipment details, the free time and every charge are recorded in your case file before the container moves, so nothing is agreed only by phone.
Most importers use carrier-owned containers (COC), while shipper-owned containers (SOC) suit routes where carriers restrict equipment or where you want to keep the box at destination.
| Carrier-owned (COC) | Shipper-owned (SOC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the box | The ocean carrier | You, or a leasing partner on your behalf |
| Detention after free time | Yes, under the carrier's tariff | No carrier detention; the purchase or lease terms apply |
| Empty return | To the depot the carrier names | Not required; you keep it, sell it or return it to the lessor |
| Best for | Standard imports and exports | Remote inland destinations, project sites, storage on site, one-way moves |
| What to check | Free days at origin and destination, return depot | Condition, CSC plate, owner code, carrier acceptance of SOC |
SOC is not automatically cheaper: you pay for the container or the lease, and some carriers accept SOC only on certain services. We compare both options with real figures before you decide.
We can book special equipment when the carrier or a partner has it on your route, and we confirm availability in writing at booking rather than promise it in advance.
| Type (ISO code) | Use it for | Plan for |
|---|---|---|
| 40ft high cube (45G1) | Light, bulky cargo that needs extra height | About 76 m³ internal volume (typical) |
| Reefer (22R1 / 45R1) | Chilled or frozen food, pharmaceuticals | Set temperature, ventilation, power at the terminal, pre-trip inspection |
| Open top (22U1 / 42U1) | Tall cargo loaded by crane from above | Tarpaulin, lashing, possible over-height charges |
| Flat rack (22P1 / 42P1) | Machinery, vehicles, steel, out-of-gauge items | Lashing points, over-width charges, limited fleet |
For dimensions and payloads, see our container sizes guide. For cargo too large for any container, see project and breakbulk cargo.
Every container passes the same checkpoints: release, pickup, loading and weighing, gate-in and, at the end of the journey, delivery and the empty return.
We post each step to your case file with the date and the name of the person who updated it.
The best protection is free time agreed in writing before booking, plus a clear plan to clear, unload and return the container within it.
Demurrage is charged while a full container stays in the port beyond its free days; detention is charged while the container is outside the port beyond its free days, and daily rates usually rise the longer the delay. We record the agreed free days for each container on your cost sheet and count them down in your case file, so you see the deadline before charges start. Where it helps, we ask the carrier for extra free days at booking, which some carriers grant or sell. See demurrage vs detention.
Before you commit to a shipper-owned container, we check that it is fit to travel and that its markings will be accepted by carriers and terminals.
The disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has changed where containers are discharged and returned, so we confirm the return depot and the free-time start for every box.
Many Dubai-bound containers are now discharged at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and trucked to Jebel Ali under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026 (Al Tamimi & Co), and carriers have changed empty return depots during the crisis. Further afield, importers in Ethiopia faced a shortage of empty containers in March 2026. Check our lane status board before you plan equipment.
A typical checklist. Your coordinator confirms the exact list for your cargo and destination, and you upload everything in the portal.
Every shipment is screened against applicable sanctions lists and checked for restricted or prohibited goods before booking. Some routes and commodities need extra documents or cannot be accepted.
Compliance & sanctions policyRestricted & prohibited goodsLane status
Answers to the questions customers ask most about Container services and special equipment.
A COC container belongs to the ocean carrier: you use it for the voyage, return it empty to the carrier's depot and pay detention if you keep it beyond the free days. A SOC container belongs to the shipper or a lessor, so there is no carrier detention, but you pay for the box or the lease and the carrier must accept SOC on that service.
Yes, through partner suppliers: we can source a shipper-owned container to buy or lease one way. Before you commit, we check its condition, CSC plate and owner code, and we confirm that the carrier accepts SOC on your route.
We book special equipment through carriers and partners when it is available on your route, and we confirm it in writing at booking. Reefers, open tops and flat racks are limited fleets, so tell us early; we never promise special equipment before the carrier confirms it.
Usually the party that holds the container, normally the importer at destination, under the carrier's tariff and the agreed free days. We record the free days on your cost sheet, count them down in your case file and warn you before charges start.
VGM is the verified gross mass of a packed container. Under the IMO's SOLAS rules, in force since 1 July 2016, the shipper must declare it before loading, and carriers will not load a container without it. We help collect the weighing data and submit it on time.
In some destination markets carriers or their agents ask for a deposit or a guarantee to cover the risk that the empty container is not returned. We show any deposit as a separate line, track it in your case file and follow up the refund once the empty is returned.
ChinatoUnited Arab Emirates
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Dubai, with 2026 routing via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and bonded trucking to Jebel Ali.
ChinatoIraq
FCL and LCL sea freight from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and other Chinese ports to Umm Qasr, or through Jebel Ali or Türkiye, with Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA, Decision 957/2025, e-verification) built into every case.
United Arab EmiratestoIraq
Feeder, RoRo and overland options from Jebel Ali and Dubai to Umm Qasr, Baghdad and Erbil, including JAFZA storage and re-export, with Iraq's 2026 document checks prepared before departure.
United Arab EmiratestoSaudi Arabia
Road freight from Dubai and the rest of the UAE to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, with sea options where carriers accept Gulf bookings, transit documents prepared before loading and an update at every border.
United Arab EmiratestoKenya
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to Mombasa, with Kenyan documents such as the IDF and KEBS certificate checked before loading, and onward transit on the Northern Corridor where we can cover it.
United Arab EmiratestoDjibouti
FCL and LCL sea freight and re-export from Jebel Ali and JAFZA to the Port of Djibouti, for Djibouti consignees or for transit to Ethiopia by road or rail to inland dry ports such as Modjo, with the bank and transit documents aligned before loading.
A standard 20ft container is about 5.9 m long inside and holds about 33 CBM; a 40ft holds about 67 CBM; a 40ft high cube is 30 cm taller and holds about 76 CBM. In practice cartons and pallets load to roughly 25–28, 55–58 and 65–68 CBM. Maximum gross weight is commonly 30,480 kg, but the container's own plate and road limits on your route can be lower.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
Next step
Send your route and cargo details. A named coordinator replies with an itemised quote and the next steps.
Nil Ocean Shipping coordinates container equipment for your shipment from Dubai: carrier-owned dry boxes, high cubes, reefers, open tops and flat racks booked through the ocean carrier, and shipper-owned containers sourced through partner suppliers. We arrange the release, pickup, VGM and empty return, record the free days for every container in your case file and warn you before detention or demurrage starts. We do not own a container fleet.
Demurrage is charged while your full container sits in the terminal beyond free time; detention is charged while you keep the carrier's container outside beyond free time. This guide explains how free time is counted, what drives the bills, why they appear even when you did nothing wrong, and how to avoid and dispute them.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
LCL is usually cheaper for small shipments because you pay per cubic metre; FCL becomes cheaper once your cargo fills a large part of a container. For many importers the break-even sits somewhere around 12–18 CBM for a 20ft, but it moves with rates and destination LCL fees. Compare landed cost, not freight alone, and weigh transit time, handling and risk.
7 min read1 Nov 2026
