How groupage works

In the yard where the shipping process begins, there are containers on the ground for each worldwide destination that we ship to. TFM and other contractors bring in consignments and the cargo goes directly into the container that it is going to be shipped in.

Once the container is full the doors are closed and it is returned to port to be loaded onto a ship which will sail to the destination. The container will then pass through customs and immigration and then our agent will unload the container and deliver all of the individual consignments to the customers.

The price we give you will include the delivery of your goods to your address, the terminal handling of the container and normal customs clearance. It will also include the disposal of packing materials and empty cartons but only on the day of delivery.

Our price will not include inspection by either customs or immigration, storage if required at the destination and any taxes or duties that are applicable.

How long does groupage take?

It depends how much cargo there is at the time of year you ship, which will determine how long it takes to fill up the container. It will then depend on how often a ship sails to the destination, the time the ship takes to reach the destination and then the time it takes to have the container released to our agent. We will try to give you an indication of time but apart from the collection of goods the whole process is out of TFM’s control and our indication of timescale is an educated guess.