Once you know your car is going by container, the next question on the quote is whether it shares a box with other cars or has one to itself. It can feel like a choice between saving money and keeping your car safe. In practice both are sealed, both are strapped and both come to the same place at our end. The real differences are cost, timing and flexibility.
What a shared container is
A shared container, sometimes called a consolidated container, carries your car alongside other customers' cars. Each car pays for its share of the space, so the cost of the box and the sailing is split.
We normally use a 40ft container for this. The cars go in on a wooden frame, which is what lets more than one vehicle fit safely in the same box. For most long routes, it is the cheapest way to send a car, and it is what we quote by default to keep the cost down.
What a sole container is
A sole-use container, which we also call a dedicated container, carries your car and nothing else. We normally use a 20ft container for one car.
You pay for the whole box, so it costs more. It is the most expensive way to ship by container. In return, the container is booked around you, it sails when you are ready, and no other car is loaded or unloaded beside yours.
What stays the same either way
It is worth clearing this up first, because it is where most of the worry sits. Sharing a container does not mean your car is treated as part of a bulk load.
- The car is strapped down inside a steel container, out of the weather
- The doors are sealed at origin and not opened again until the container is unloaded in the UK
- Nobody drives it on or off a ship
- The container comes to our private facility in Castle Donington, where our own team unloads it
- Marine insurance is available, covering the car up to its full value
Our team is not paid by the hour to empty boxes quickly, so we take as long as each car needs. That applies to a shared 40ft box with several cars in it just as much as a 20ft box with one. Our guide to how cars are loaded into a container goes through the handling step by step.
Shared and sole side by side
| Feature | Shared container | Sole container |
|---|---|---|
| Usual size | 40ft, several cars | 20ft, one car |
| Cost | Lower, the box is split | Higher, you pay for the box |
| When it sails | Once enough cars are booked | When you are ready |
| Sealed until the UK | Yes | Yes |
| Unloaded at our site | Yes, by our own team | Yes, by our own team |
| Car must run | No, a non-runner needs special loading | No, a non-runner needs special loading |
The trade-off is mostly time
A shared container has to wait for enough cars to fill it before it goes. On a busy route that may barely matter. On a quieter one, or at a quiet time of year, it can add to the wait before your car sails.
A sole container removes that wait, because nothing else needs to be booked. If you have a date to work to, such as a move, an event or a car that has to be off a seller's premises, that certainty can be worth paying for. Our guide to how long shipping takes sets out the rest of the timeline.
When shared makes sense
For most people, most of the time, shared is the sensible answer. It is how we ship the majority of cars, and the protection is the same sealed box.
- You want the lowest sensible cost on a long route
- You are not working to a fixed date
- The car is an everyday car, a classic or a non-runner with nothing unusual to load
When a container of your own makes sense
Sole use earns its price in a narrower set of cases. These are the situations where we would talk it through with you.
- You need the car to sail by a certain date
- You would simply rather nothing else was loaded next to your car
- The car is unusual in size or needs handling that does not suit a shared frame
- You are sending parts or spares with the car and want to discuss space
Parts and spares can travel in a container if they are declared, whichever type you choose, so check with us before you pack anything. RoRo is different: the car normally has to be empty. See belongings in a shipped car for the rules, including the customs side.
Not sure which to pick? Leave it with us. Tell us your dates on the quote form and we will quote the option that makes sense for your car, and tell you what the other one would cost if it is worth considering.
What changes the price
We do not publish a single price for either, because it depends on the route, the port, the time of year and the car. A person on our team prices every job with current rates.
The guide prices on our shipping costs page are a starting point, and our guide to what affects the cost of shipping a car explains the moving parts. Import tax is the same whichever container you choose, and the import tax calculator will give you a rough figure.
Before you decide
Questions to answer first
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If the answer to the first four is no, a shared container is almost certainly the right call. For the wider choice between methods, see container, RoRo or air, or read more about our container shipping.
Questions people ask
Is a shared container less safe than a sole container?
No. In both, the car is strapped down inside a sealed steel container that is not opened until it is unloaded in the UK. In a shared box the cars go in on a wooden frame so more than one fits safely. Both come to our site in Castle Donington for unloading.
How much more does a sole container cost?
It depends on the route, port and timing, so we price it per job. As a rule, sole use is the most expensive way to ship by container because you pay for the whole box.
Why might a shared container take longer?
A shared container waits until enough cars are booked to fill it. A sole container sails when you are ready, because nothing else needs to go in.
What size containers do you use?
Normally a shared 40ft container for several cars, or a dedicated 20ft container for one car.
Can I send parts with my car in a shared container?
Parts and spares can travel in a container if they are declared. Check with us before you pack anything, so we can confirm what is allowed.
Tell us about the car and your dates on the quote form and we will recommend shared or sole, with the price for each if it helps you decide.
