Door-to-door service from India to UK

In-house experts in both countries are successfully navigating challenges affecting service provision and pricing for both FCL and LCL cargo.

“Capacity is decreasing because shipping lines continue to use smaller vessels, a situation that has also driven up costs which fluctuate every week,” explained Alex Smith, assistant manager at Transmec’s Redditch branch.

“This is where our teams are able to step in, using their relationships and local knowledge to secure container space for goods destined for the UK.”

Transmec has five branches in cities across India, including the major ports of Mumbai and Chennai.

In the UK, a sea freight and customs team operates centrally from offices in Birmingham while Transmec’s biggest warehouse is located at London Gateway Logistics Park, less than a mile from the UK’s second-largest port.

“Unlike many other freight carriers, we offer a genuine door-to-door service with Transmec’s branches in India managing outbound freight with the UK team taking over at the inbound port,” added Alex

“We serve all the major UK ports, including Felixstowe, Southampton and Liverpool, being able to offer additional port services at London Gateway due to the proximity of our hub.”

Ships continue to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, instead navigating around the Cape of Good Hope, a voyage that takes 35 to 40 days.

According to the latest statistics, India is the UK’s 12th largest trading partner with trade between the two countries exceeding £38bn and imports from India increasing by over 18 per cent. A free trade agreement is in the pipeline.