Container Share & Consolidation

Sharing a container or opting for consolidation can significantly reduce your shipping costs.

When you share a container, you’re also sharing freight charges, trucking, and stuffing fees—often resulting in substantial savings compared to booking a sole-use 20ft container.

In many cases, the cost difference between shipping a 20ft and a 40ft container is minimal, making sharing an even more attractive option.

Whether you’re shipping across the Darién Gap (Colombia to Panama), from Europe to Africa, Australia & New Zealand, or virtually anywhere else, we can help you find the right shipping partner.

Container Sharing & Consolidation Options Include:

• 40ft Container

  • 2 large vehicles

  • 1 large vehicle and several motorcycles

• 20ft Container

  • Several motorcycles

• Flat Rack

  • 2 large vehicles

What’s the Difference Between Container Sharing and Consolidation?

• Container Sharing:
  We match you with another shipper to share space in a container. This option is ideal for routes that don’t have regular consolidated services.

• Consolidation:
  Your shipment is grouped with others through our established consolidation services or those of our trusted partners. We primarily offer this from the UK and Europe to/from the USA and Australia.

Shared Container Shipping – UK & Europe to Global Destinations

Shared Container Shipping from the UK & Europe to South Africa (and Return)

Looking to ship your vehicle from the UK or Europe to South Africa? We offer regular shared container shipping services from major UK ports—London Gateway, Felixstowe, and Southampton—as well as key European ports including Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, and Rotterdam. Our primary destinations in South Africa are Cape Town and Durban. We also provide secure vehicle storage at our warehouse in South Africa while waiting for your container partner or onward travel.  Whether you’re shipping a 4×4, campervan, or motorcycle, container sharing to South Africa is a cost-effective, safe solution.

Shared Container Shipping from the UK & Europe to Montevideo, Uruguay

We offer frequent shared container services to Montevideo, the main gateway for vehicle shipping into South America. Departures are available from UK ports (London Gateway, Felixstowe, Southampton) and European ports (Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Rotterdam). Montevideo is a strategic entry point for overlanders and long-term travellers exploring South America.

Shared Container Shipping from the UK & Europe to Canada

Our container shipping services to Canada include regular shared container options from the UK and Europe to Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver. These ports provide easy access to cross-country travel or vehicle importation into Canada.

Shared Container Shipping: Panama to Colombia & Colombia to Panama

This is one of our most popular container share routes, especially for overlanders and adventure travelers crossing the Darién Gap. We provide frequent shared container departures in both directions—Panama to Colombia and Colombia to Panama—making it a smooth and cost-effective solution for shipping vehicles across this otherwise impassable route.

Consolidated Container Shipping from the UK & Europe to the United States (USA)

We offer reliable consolidated container shipping services from the UK and Europe to major U.S. ports, including Newark (New York), Miami, Houston, and Oakland.

Current open container shares

Below are the current open container shares, if you would like us to pair you up, please ensure you have completed our online quotation,  and select container share.

Once you have your quotation  and are happy to proceed,  please complete our booking form,

Add your shipment to our container share list here

How does container share work?

For container shares, we begin the process of matching you with other shippers only after a deposit has been received. This confirms your commitment and gives you priority in the container-sharing process.

• Priority is given to deposit holders: Customers who have paid a deposit will be offered available container share slots first.

• Non-deposit holders may be notified of available shares only after confirmed customers have been allocated space.

We do our best to match you with a suitable container partner, but container sharing is not guaranteed. We recommend that you also search independently—via Facebook groups, travel forums, or overlander networks—to increase your chances.

Container shares are typically confirmed 2 to 3 months prior to the estimated sailing date, with the actual container booking being placed around 4 to 6 weeks prior to the sailing date.

it’s important to note that the freight price is subject to change until the container is physically booked, when the container is being booked.

To view a current list of customers seeking container share partners, please refer to the IVSS Container Share List above.

Once we receive your completed booking form and deposit, we will either:

• Assign you to an existing container share, or

• Actively begin the process of finding a suitable partner.

This process will only commence once your deposit has been received.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

General Policy

• If a container partner cannot be found and you decide to cancel your shipment before your we have found a container buddy or partner,  your full deposit will be refunded.
• If you cancel after the booking has been confirmed or container partner has been found, the deposit is non-refundable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What happens to my deposit if I cancel?

• If a container share has already been confirmed or a booking is in place, your deposit will be forfeited.
• If a container share has not yet been found, your deposit will be refunded in full.

What happens if the other party cancels before the container is booked?

• The cancelling party will forfeit their deposit.
• We will attempt to find a new container share partner for you or offer you the option of a sole-use container.

What happens if the other party cancels after the container is booked?

• If we can find a replacement partner, the shipment will proceed as normal. The cancelling party will be charged cancellation fees, administrative fees and incurred costs.
• If no replacement is found, the container share will still proceed. However, the person who cancelled will be liable for significant cancellation charges to cover the remaining cost of the container.

What happens if I cancel after the container is booked?

• If we cannot find a replacement for your spot, you will remain financially committed to the shipment, as the funds would have already been allocated.
• If we are able to find someone to take over your booking, we will assess the situation on a case-by-case basis. Where possible, we may reimburse part of your funds, less a cancellation fee (minimum £/€/$500), administrative fees, and any other costs already incurred.

What happens if we need to change the dates after the container is booked?

• We will make every effort to work with all parties involved to accommodate changes.
• However, date changes may incur additional costs, depending on the shipping line, port, or timing.