Updated October 22, 2026, with rates and transit times from our shipping calculator, container sizes from Hapag-Lloyd's fleet specifications, and the CBP export rules in 19 CFR 192.2.
One car in a container from New Jersey to Bremerhaven costs $1,100 and spends 30-33 days at sea. For any car worth more than its freight bill, we think that is money well spent: four steel walls, a numbered seal on the paperwork, and nobody else driving your car up a ramp.
Container Car Shipping by the Numbers
- $1,100: one car by container, New Jersey to Rotterdam (17-20 days) or Bremerhaven (30-33 days), from our calculator on October 22, 2026.
- $1,350 vs $16,500: New Jersey to Dubai by container (65-70 days) or by air (10-14 days). The container takes 55 more days and costs $15,150 less.
- 2,340 mm: the door opening width of a standard 20 or 40 foot container (7' 8 1/8"), per Hapag-Lloyd. Every car goes in through that door.
- 72 hours: how long before export CBP must see the car and its title when it leaves by ship or plane (19 CFR 192.2(c)(1)).
Container Shipping Rates and Transit Times for 2026
These are the ocean prices our shipping calculator quotes for one car by container, from our warehouse to the destination port, as of October 22, 2026. Pickup, insurance and destination charges are quoted separately in the calculator.
| From | To | Price per car | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Rotterdam, Netherlands | $1,100 | 17-20 days |
| New Jersey | Bremerhaven, Germany | $1,100 | 30-33 days |
| New Jersey | Southampton, UK | $1,200 | 14-16 days |
| New Jersey | Genoa, Italy | $1,450 | 17-23 days |
| New Jersey | Jebel Ali, UAE | $1,350 | 65-70 days |
| New Jersey | Tema, Ghana | $1,500 | 27 days |
| Florida | Rotterdam, Netherlands | $1,225 | 28-31 days |
| California | Bremerhaven, Germany | $1,850 | 40-45 days |
| California | Yokohama, Japan | $3,200 | 24 days |
The pattern is simple: the warehouse closest to the destination wins. A car headed to Germany costs $750 less and arrives about 10 days sooner from New Jersey than from California. The calculator shows that tradeoff for your lane before you book.
Why We Put Collector Cars in Containers
A container is the only ocean option where your car is loaded, strapped down and sealed by the people you hired, and opened again at the other end. On a RoRo ship the car is driven aboard by port staff and parks next to hundreds of others. RoRo has its place for running cars on busy lanes (see our RoRo car shipping guide), but for a classic, a project car or anything that doesn't start on the first try, we would pick the box every time.
Non-runners settle the question. A car that can't drive onto a RoRo ship can still be winched or forklifted into a container.
Air is the other choice, and it is a choice about the calendar. New Jersey to Dubai costs $16,500 by air against $1,350 by container. Unless a concours entry date or an auction pickup deadline forces it, we think the 55 days are worth the $15,150. Our air vs ocean car shipping guide runs that math lane by lane.
How We Load a Car Into a Container
Our own team loads every car and handles every document. That matters most at the door: a 1.8 m wide car has about 276 mm (11 inches) of room on each side, and no room to open its doors once it's inside.
Before loading
- Take your own photos of every panel, the odometer and the VIN before pickup.
- Fuel low, alarm off, nothing loose in the cabin or the trunk.
- A healthy battery, or a disconnected one if the car will sit for weeks.
Loading and securing
Running cars are driven in slowly with a spotter at the door. Non-runners are winched in or lifted on a forklift rack. Inside, each wheel is chocked and the car is strapped to the container's lashing points, so it moves with the box rather than inside it. The step-by-step version, with photos, is in how cars are loaded in containers.
Container sizes for cars
| Container | Inside length | Inside height | Door width x height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | 5,900 mm (19' 4") | 2,395 mm (7' 10") | 2,340 x 2,292 mm |
| 40 ft standard | 12,032 mm (39' 5") | 2,395 mm (7' 10") | 2,340 x 2,292 mm |
| 40 ft high cube | 12,032 mm (39' 5") | 2,700 mm (8' 10") | 2,340 x 2,597 mm |
Source: Hapag-Lloyd container specifications. Containers vary slightly by manufacturer.
A 20 foot box takes one car. A 40 foot box takes more, and our calculator quotes full 4-car containers on some lanes, for example $4,800 from New Jersey to Tema. Lifted trucks and tall vans need the high cube's extra 305 mm at the door. Our guide on how many cars fit in a shipping container covers the combinations.
Motorcycles in a Container
Motorcycles ride in the same containers as cars, crated or strapped to the floor. Our calculator quotes a motorcycle by ocean at $600 from New Jersey to Rotterdam (17-20 days), Bremerhaven (30-33 days) or Southampton (14-16 days). At that price we see no reason to fly a bike to Europe unless a rally date says otherwise. Rates for every lane are on our motorcycle shipping rates page.
Export Documents and the 72-Hour Rule
The paperwork decides the sailing date more often than the ship does. Under 19 CFR 192.2, every used car leaving the US by ship or plane must be presented to CBP with its documents at least 72 hours before export. Container or air, the rule is the same.
- Title: the original Certificate of Title or a certified copy, plus two complete copies.
- Lien or lease: a signed letter on the lender's letterhead that expressly allows export.
- Foreign title: the original proof of ownership, plus two copies.
- EEI filing: required for every used self-propelled vehicle regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2).
Our advice: get the title to us before the car arrives. A car with clean paperwork books the next container; a car waiting on a title waits in the warehouse. The full sequence from pickup to delivery is on how we ship a collector car.
Insurance is quoted on the declared value. On a car declared at $50,000, our calculator quotes $990 of cargo insurance. Coverage details are on our cargo damage protection page.
Our Warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey
We load from our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, covering all of the US for imports and exports. We ship door to door by ocean and air, so a car bought at a US auction, or one coming back from an overseas event, moves under one plan from pickup to delivery.
Container Car Shipping FAQ
How much does it cost to ship a car in a container?
From our calculator on October 22, 2026: $1,100 from New Jersey to Rotterdam or Bremerhaven, $1,200 to Southampton and $1,350 to Jebel Ali for one car by container. Pickup, insurance and destination charges are quoted separately.
How long does container car shipping take?
Transit runs from 14-16 days (New Jersey to Southampton) to 65-70 days (New Jersey to Jebel Ali). CBP also needs the car and its title at least 72 hours before export.
How many cars fit in a shipping container?
A 20 foot container usually takes one car. A 40 foot container takes more; our calculator quotes 4-car containers on some lanes.
Can I ship a non-running car in a container?
Yes. Non-running cars are winched or forklifted into the container, which is not possible on a RoRo ship.
What documents do I need to export a car in a container?
The original title or a certified copy plus two copies, a lender's release letter if there is a lien, and an EEI filing, which is required for every used vehicle regardless of value.
More Car Shipping Guides
- How Cars Are Loaded in Containers
- How Many Cars Fit in a Shipping Container?
- RoRo Car Shipping: Costs, Process and Prep
- Air vs Ocean Car Shipping
- How We Ship a Collector Car
- Motorcycle Shipping Rates
Ship Your Car by Container
Bought a car at a US auction, or found one at an event overseas? Put the lane into our shipping calculator for a price in a minute, or contact our team and we'll book the next container out of the warehouse closest to its destination.
It's your dream car. Let's bring her home.
How Cars Are Loaded in Containers: Step-by-Step Guide
How Many Cars Fit in a Shipping Container? | West Coast Shipping
