You were told a few weeks, the date has come and gone, and the car still isn't here. It's a horrible feeling, especially when you can't see the ship and don't know who to ask. The good news is that most delays have an ordinary cause, most of them are temporary, and there are a few simple things you can do to find out where you stand.
- Most common at sea
- Rolled bookings and schedule changes
- Most common on arrival
- Paperwork or release
- Who to ask first
- Your shipping agent
- Cost to watch
- Port storage after the free period
First, work out where the delay is
A late car is late at one of three points: before it sails, while it is at sea, or after it has landed. Each one has different causes and a different fix, so the first useful question is which stage your car has reached. If you don't know, that's the first thing to ask.
It also helps to check what you were actually quoted. The transit times we give cover the journey itself, not the weeks either side. From Japan, for example, the crossing is about 5 to 8 weeks, and collection, customs and registration come on top. Our guide to how long shipping takes lays out the whole timeline, so you can see whether your car is genuinely late or just in a stage you hadn't counted.
Delays before the car sails
These are the ones people don't expect, because the car hasn't gone anywhere yet. The usual reasons are:
- A missing title, export certificate or other document the car can't leave without
- A shared container waiting for enough cars to fill it before it goes
- The car being collected late from the seller or an auction yard
- Export checks at the other end, which have their own deadlines
A shared container is cheaper because the cost is split, but it sails once enough cars are booked. On a quieter route that can add to the wait. If you have a firm date, our guide to shared and sole containers explains the trade-off.
Delays at sea
Once the car is booked on a ship, a few things can move the date, and most of them are down to the shipping line rather than anyone handling your car.
| Feature | What it means | What usually happens |
|---|---|---|
| Rolled booking | The car was not loaded on its planned sailing, often because the ship was full | It goes on the next sailing on that service |
| Schedule change | The line has delayed, skipped or rerouted a sailing | A new arrival date, sometimes at a different UK port |
| Transhipment | The car changes ships at a hub port partway through the trip | A wait at the hub until the connecting ship arrives |
| Port congestion | A busy port means ships queue to berth or unload | The ship arrives on time but waits to come alongside |
| Weather | Storms or fog slow a crossing or close a port | Usually a short delay once conditions clear |
Ships run fixed rotations, calling at a set list of ports in order, and carriers do reroute services. If that happens your car may land somewhere other than the port you expected. Our guide to which UK port your car arrives at explains how that works.
Delays after the car lands
A car only leaves the port when two separate things have happened. The shipping line has to release it, which depends on the bill of lading, and HMRC has to clear it. Either one on its own isn't enough.
When the paperwork is complete and matches, customs is usually quick. EU cars can usually be cleared the same day, and shipped cars are usually a few days at port. When it stalls, it's nearly always a document: a VIN that doesn't match, an invoice that doesn't match the value declared, or an original bill of lading still in the post. Our guide to customs delays goes through those causes and how to clear them.
This is the stage that can cost money. Once a car or container is discharged, there is a limited free period at the port. After that, storage can be charged, and on a container the line can charge demurrage too. Our guide to port storage and demurrage explains who charges what and how to stay inside the free period.
How to get a proper update
The person who can see what's going on is your shipping agent. They have the booking, the line's notices and, after arrival, the customs entry. You can't see most of that, so a short, specific question gets a better answer than a general chase.
What to ask your agent
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Ask for the bill of lading reference and, on a container, the container number. The reference can be used to track the shipment with the line, which helps you see whether a new date is the ship or something else. Keep the answers in writing, so you have a record if anything changes again.
What you can do to help
- Reply to any request for documents the same day if you can
- Keep the VIN the same on everything you send
- Have funds ready for the import VAT and duty, so payment doesn't hold the entry
- Don't pay unexplained extra charges until you know what they are for
- Hold off booking insurance start dates or trips until the car is cleared
The import tax calculator gives you a rough tax figure to have ready, and our list of the documents you need is worth checking against what you've already sent.
Delays after the port
Once the car is out of the port, the timing is mostly ours to manage. Container cars come to our private facility in Castle Donington to be unloaded by our own team, and testing happens on our own lanes, so there's no wait for a government test slot. One thing is outside anyone's control: registration applications for cars from certain countries can face extra DVLA history checks. They are rare, but in some cases they have added 4 to 12 weeks. Our guide to how long registration takes covers it.
Questions people ask
Why is my shipped car late?
Usually for one of a few ordinary reasons: a booking rolled to the next sailing, a schedule change by the shipping line, a transhipment wait, port congestion, or a paperwork or release hold once it lands.
What does a rolled booking mean?
It means the car was not loaded on the sailing it was booked on, often because the ship was full, and it goes on the next sailing on that service instead.
Will I pay storage if my car is delayed?
Delays at sea do not usually start storage charges. Once the car or container is discharged at the UK port there is a limited free period, and storage and demurrage can be charged after that, so delays on arrival are the ones to watch.
How do I find out where my car is?
Ask your shipping agent which stage it has reached, the ship name and the current arrival date. The bill of lading reference can also be used to track the shipment with the line.
Can my car arrive at a different port?
Yes, it can happen. Ships run fixed rotations and carriers sometimes reroute services, which is why the UK port is confirmed when the car is booked.
If your car is with another agent and running late, talk to us anyway. Get in touch through the quote form and we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do from here.
