The Port of Felixstowe is the UK's busiest container port. Its deep-sea terminals receive more of the big Asia–Europe ships than any other UK port, so for most importers it's where the journey ends. It's also where things often go wrong: no truck available, no booking slot, a hold nobody spotted, and a container running up charges while it waits.
Being based in Felixstowe means we know how the port works day to day. We can see problems coming and react quickly when plans change.
How container collection at Felixstowe works
- Pre-advice: you or your forwarder send us the container number, vessel, ETA, delivery address and gross weight.
- Customs and release: the customs entry is lodged and the shipping line releases the container once freight and charges are paid.
- Holds checked: we check the container status for customs, port health or carrier holds before we send a truck.
- Slot booked: hauliers book a time slot through the port's container booking system, and drivers need a valid port access card to enter the terminals.
- Collection and delivery: the container is collected from the terminal and delivered at the time booked with your site.
- Empty return: the empty goes back to the port or the depot nominated by the shipping line, within free time.
Delivery times from Felixstowe
| Destination | Approximate distance | Typical driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich and Suffolk | Up to 30 miles | Under 1 hour |
| London and the M25 | 80 miles | 2–2.5 hours |
| Cambridge and Peterborough | 60–100 miles | 1.5–2.5 hours |
| Northampton and Milton Keynes | 110–120 miles | 2.5–3 hours |
| Birmingham and the West Midlands | 155 miles | 3–3.5 hours |
| Leeds and Yorkshire | 200 miles | 4–4.5 hours |
| Manchester and the North West | 225 miles | 4.5–5 hours |
| Bristol and the South West | 205 miles | 4.5–5 hours |
| Scotland | 400+ miles | Usually a two-day delivery, or by rail |
Approximate. Times depend on traffic, the A14, port queues and driver hours. Containers for Scotland and the far north are often more economical by rail from Felixstowe.
Equipment for every site
| Equipment | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Skeletal trailer | Standard deliveries to a loading bay, or unloading by forklift |
| Side-loader | No loading bay, or the container needs to be left on the ground to unload in your own time |
| Tri-axle trailer | Heavy 20ft containers, such as stone, tiles, metals or liquids |
| Drop and collect | Unloading will take longer than a standard delivery allows |
Read more about side-loaders and booking container haulage.
Avoiding charges at Felixstowe
Containers that can't be collected start running up port storage and shipping line demurrage. Once collected, detention runs until the empty is returned. Most of these charges come from late bookings, documents that aren't ready, or slow unloading at the delivery site.
- Send us the delivery details as soon as the vessel's ETA is known
- Make sure customs clearance is lodged before the vessel arrives
- Pay freight and destination charges early, so the line releases the container
- Tell us how long unloading will take, so we can plan side-loaders or drop and collect
- Allow for the terminals' weekend closing hours if your container lands late in the week
Our guide to demurrage and detention explains how these charges build up.
Exports through Felixstowe
For exports, we collect the empty container from the depot the shipping line nominates, deliver it to your site for loading, and take it back into the terminal before the vessel's cut-off. We need the booking reference, the release details, the gross weight (VGM) and any dangerous goods information in good time.
Felixstowe rail
The port has rail terminals with regular services to inland terminals in the Midlands, the North and Scotland. For long-distance deliveries, rail to an inland terminal followed by a short road delivery can be cheaper and lower in carbon than trucking the whole way.
Haulage on its own, or with your freight
You don't need to ship with us to use our haulage. We're happy to quote Felixstowe container haulage on its own, for one container or regular volumes. If we also handle your deep sea freight, we book haulage before the vessel arrives, so there's no gap between the ship and your door.
Written by the 365 Freight team · Last reviewed . Rates, rules and schedules change, so we'll confirm the details for your shipment when we quote.