Container Shipping Guide 2026: 20ft vs 40ft for Vehicles

Container shipping puts your vehicle inside a sealed steel box for the entire ocean voyage. There is no open-deck exposure, no other drivers behind the wheel, and personal belongings can travel inside the car or in the surrounding space. For classics, luxury, modified or non-running vehicles this is the gold standard.

The trade-off is cost. A sole-use 20ft container is typically 30–60% more expensive than RoRo on the same route, and 40ft containers cost more again. Shared container shipping bridges the gap by splitting a 40ft between two to four vehicles.

A standard 20ft container holds one passenger car up to 5.0m × 2.3m × 2.35m. A 40ft holds two cars in line or three smaller cars with bracing. A 40ft High Cube adds 30cm of internal height for tall SUVs, vans or 4x4s with roof racks.

Measure your vehicle's overall dimensions plus mirrors and aerials before choosing. Most family saloons and hatchbacks fit a 20ft. Pickups, transporters and large SUVs often need a 40ft High Cube.

- Drive-in: most common for running vehicles. The car is driven into the container at ground level using a ramp.
• R-Rak: a folding steel frame that doubles container capacity by mounting one car above another. Used for shared container shipping.
• Forklift / winch: for non-running vehicles and classic restorations. Slings, soft straps and 4-point chocks prevent body damage.
• Crate-in-container: motorcycles and parts are crated inside the container around a vehicle.

Indicative 2026 prices for a sole-use 20ft, port-to-port:

- Felixstowe → Jebel Ali: from £1,950
• Felixstowe → Sydney: from £2,950
• Felixstowe → Toronto: from £2,650
• Felixstowe → New York: from £2,450
• Felixstowe → Mombasa: from £2,450
• Felixstowe → Lagos (Tin Can Island): from £2,750

Shared container is typically 35–55% cheaper. See the international car shipping costs guide for full pricing and the cost calculator for live quotes.

- Vehicle value above £25,000 where enclosed protection is justified.
• Classic, vintage or modified cars requiring secure tie-down.
• Non-running vehicles, project cars and barn finds.
• Personal effects shipments alongside the vehicle.
• Destinations where RoRo is unreliable or unavailable.
• Multi-vehicle moves where 40ft economics overtake RoRo per-unit pricing.

We ship containers weekly out of Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton to every continent. Strong lanes include the UAE, Australia, Canada, USA, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa and Brazil. View destination-specific guides for UAE, Australia, Canada and Pakistan.

Tell us the vehicle, destination port and timeline. We confirm 20ft, 40ft or shared, file the CDS declaration, arrange UK collection and issue the Bill of Lading. Call or WhatsApp +44 (0)1495 320540, email info@shipcarsroro.co.uk or request a quote.

Before any international shipment, vehicles need to reach the loading port — and many customers ask us to handle the UK leg too. Our recovery and transport network covers every postcode, 24 hours a day.

Start with the main hubs: Car Recovery UK, Vehicle Recovery UK, 24/7 Breakdown Recovery and Nationwide Vehicle Transportation.

City coverage includes London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield and Bristol.

Pre-book a port run on a flatbed transporter from Southampton, Portsmouth, Liverpool or Felixstowe via Ipswich, or call 24/7 for breakdown recovery in London, Birmingham or Manchester.