Door To Door Shipping from China: The Complete Guide [2024]

Door-to-door shipping is a highly convenient and reliable way to import. You can imagine receiving all your goods imported from China at your doorstep or warehouse without worrying about logistics, customs clearance, or shipping. This guide is the solution you've been looking for.

What is door-to-door shipping?

Door-to-door delivery is a transportation service freight forwarders provide to clients. Under these terms of service, the freight forwarder picks up the container containing the cargo or the cargo itself, transports it to the destination port by the carrier, and delivers it to the designated location in the destination country while handling all necessary processes and paperwork.

Door-to-door services generally involve trucking or courier services that transport the goods to the delivery location. Transportation usually provides tracking and monitoring systems so that customers can know the cargo location and status of the goods in real-time.

Benefits of door-to-door shipping

Door-to-door transportation is essential as it facilitates the smooth transit of goods within the stipulated time compared to traditional freight. The advantage of door-to-door transit is that it provides a convenient and comprehensive solution. Customers don't have to handle some aspects of logistics themselves, saving time and energy.

Here are just a few of the benefits of door-to-door shipping :

1. Save time: Door-to-door shipping can save you a lot of time. You don't have to travel to the source of goods to negotiate with suppliers, you don't have to engage in tedious negotiations with different freight carriers, and you can avoid time-consuming customs clearance. A freight forwarder will help free up this time, allowing you to focus on other critical aspects of your business, such as finding new customers and growing your business.

2. Cost Savings: By using door-to-door shipping, you can save on shipping costs. This includes your cost of traveling to the point of origin to supervise transportation. A freight forwarder can also minimize your shipping costs by partnering with efficient, low-cost carriers.

3. Minimize inconvenience: Most freight forwarders know shipping and customs clearance requirements. Therefore, your shipment will likely be on time when customs release it or pass through customs. This will ensure your goods arrive on time and minimize your inconvenience.

4. Save effort: With door-to-door shipping, you only need to work with one freight forwarder to handle your shipment to your destination. You only need to choose a freight forwarder familiar with Chinese and your country's customs regulations. This will simplify the shipping process and reduce the cost of hiring another freight forwarder at your destination.

Door-to-door transportation operation process

Destination is a relatively simple process when you work with a logistics company. Let Jike briefly explain how the door-to-door service works.

1. Booking and arrangement: You contact the logistics company or agent to provide detailed information about the goods, including origin, destination (delivery address), cargo type, weight and size, etc. Logistics companies assess transportation needs and provide quotes and service options based on this information. Tips: it will help a lot if you provide a shipment packing list and commercial invoice to the freight forwarder for an exact quote.

2. Picking up and packaging: The logistics company will pick up the goods at the designated location where the goods are sent according to the appointment arrangement. They will dispatch professionals to the pickup location to properly pack and label the goods if necessary to ensure safety during transportation.

3. Transportation mode selection: Based on the nature of the goods, transportation distance, and your requirements, the logistics company will choose the most suitable transportation mode, such as land transportation, sea transportation, air transportation, or rail transportation. They consider transit time, cost, cargo characteristics, and destination accessibility.

4. Customs declaration and clearance: If goods need to cross international borders, the logistics company will handle the relevant customs declaration and clearance procedures. This includes preparing and submitting the necessary documents to satisfy the laws and regulations of the destination country.

5. Transportation and tracking: During the transportation of goods, the logistics company will be responsible for arranging the transport of the goods and providing a tracking and monitoring system to track the location and status of the goods in real-time. Customers can obtain the latest information about the goods through the online platform or contact the customer service staff of the logistics company.

6. Destination delivery: Once the goods arrive in the destination country or region and complete customs declaration and clearance procedures, the logistics company will deliver the goods by truck/express to the destination designated by you, which can be a warehouse, store, or customer's address. They coordinate delivery times and ensure safe delivery to customers.

Get a free  door-to-door quote from China to your place.

Door-to-door Shipping Incoterms

Shipping from China involves many Incoterms that shippers need to be aware of. The International Chamber of Commerce administers Incoterms and adapts them every ten years to suit the practices of the global shipping industry.

While the terminology involved can be confusing for shippers, the process will be smooth and easy with the guidance and support of an experienced freight forwarder. Here are three Incoterm's explanations when it comes to door-to-door shipping :

• EXW (Ex Works): This term indicates that the seller has prepared the goods for pickup by the buyer at a location specified by the seller. The seller's responsibility is limited to delivering the goods to the area designated by the buyer, who is responsible for arranging the entire transportation process and costs, including duties, shipping charges, insurance, and any other liabilities involved. Simply put, if you are the buyer, then it is your responsibility and duty to arrange door-to-door shipping.

• DAP (Delivered at Place): This term means that the seller delivers the goods to the destination designated by the buyer. The seller is responsible for arranging the transportation and costs of the goods but is not responsible for customs clearance and payment of duties. Once the goods arrive at the destination, the buyer is responsible for customs clearance, payment of duties, and other fees. Simply put, if you are the buyer, then it is the seller's responsibility and duty to arrange door-to-door shipping, but you need to handle customs clearance and pay for taxes and duties that occur in your country.

• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): This term means that the seller delivers the goods to the destination designated by the buyer, and the seller is responsible for arranging the transportation of the goods, customs clearance, and payment of duties and taxes. The buyer only needs to take delivery of the goods and bear further transportation costs to the destination. Simply put, if you are the buyer, then it is the seller's responsibility and duty to arrange door-to-door shipping, and you DO NOT need to pay or do anything, just wait for the goods' arrival at your doorstep.

  

  Other trade terms for reference

• FCA (Freight Forwarding Carrier): Under FCA, the exporter or seller will be responsible for handling the export goods and handing them to the carrier for onward transportation to the destination designated by the importer or buyer. If the selected location is the exporter's business premises, the exporter will be responsible for loading the goods onto the transport vehicle. Please note that once the goods arrive at the destination agreed upon by both parties in Incoterms, the exporter is no longer responsible for the goods.
  

• FOB (Free on Board): Importers requiring door-to-door transportation have higher requirements for this Incoterm. Under a FOB agreement, the seller delivers the goods to the port and is responsible for loading the goods onto the carrier after customs processing. Once the goods are loaded with the carrier, the risk of loss passes to the buyer, who will bear the costs of transportation and insurance from that location to the delivery country.

• CFR (Cost and Freight): CFR involves joint liability between the buyer and seller. The seller exports the goods and pays the freight, and once the goods are on the ship, the buyer is responsible for shipping and insurance costs as well as customs duties.

• CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight): Under this Incoterms rule, the seller assumes full responsibility for delivering the goods to the carrier and paying applicable duties, and the seller also pays for the insurance. Once the goods arrive at the destination port, responsibility passes to the buyer responsible for paying customs clearance fees and other related charges.

• FCA (Free Carrier): This term means that the seller delivers the goods to the designated carrier or the agent designated by the buyer at the location specified by the seller. The seller is responsible for providing the goods to the designated area and bears the associated costs. Still, once the goods are delivered to the carrier, the buyer is responsible for transportation and expenses.

• CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight): This term means that the seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the designated destination port and bearing the freight and insurance costs until the goods arrive at the destination port. Once the goods arrive at the destination port, the buyer is responsible for customs clearance, payment of duties and other charges, and further transportation.

• FAS(Free Alongside Ship): FAS states that the seller is responsible for transporting the goods from its factory or warehouse to the loading port. Once the goods arrive at the port, the buyer assumes the subsequent risk and transportation charges until the final destination.

Door-to-door sea shipping from China

The economics of sea freight and its suitability for transporting bulky goods make it an ideal choice for Chinese importers. Ocean freight can carry goods that cannot be transported by air, such as refrigerated cargo or cargo of unique sizes. However, one limitation of ocean shipping is the long transit time. Relative to air or rail transportation, sea shipping takes more time. Therefore, you need to arrange the goods in advance.

Door-to-door shipping is the entire process of transporting goods from the country of origin to other regions or continents through international sea and air transportation. This service is provided by freight forwarders who collect the goods from the pickup point and deliver them to the final destination specified by the owner of the goods.

Unlike port-to-port delivery, door-to-door service extends the scope of cargo transportation to a broader range of areas, such as cargo insurance, warehousing and sorting, customized packaging and marking, cargo inspection and quality control, etc. These services can be customized according to the client's needs and requirements.

China FCL door-to-door shipping

Assuming that you are transporting large cargo that can fill an entire container, it is recommended that you choose FCL (Full Container Freight) for transport.

In FCL door-to-door shipping, your freight forwarder will book the entire container and load only your cargo. Once the goods are loaded, they will arrange transportation and send them to your designated location.

The benefit of choosing FCL shipping is that your cargo is secure, as the entire container is loaded exclusively for you. While you can choose not to fill the container, you will still need to pay for shipping the FCL as a whole container. Not filling the container is a good option if you are transporting luxury goods such as cars. Doing so will minimize the risk of damage when shipped mixed with other goods.

China LCL door-to-door shipping

You can still ship from China using LCL (Less Than Container Freight) door-to-door shipping for small and medium-sized shipments that cannot fill an entire container.

LCL Shipping will consolidate the cargo with other shippers to fill the container space based on the cargo dimensions and requirements you provide. Freight forwarders will do the same to consolidate shipments that don't serve a container but are heading toward your destination. By pooling these shipments, your forwarder can fill the entire container and schedule shipping.

Please note that LCL container shipping has longer transit times compared to FCL. Because during LCL shipment, your freight forwarder needs to unload other goods for delivery to other consignees.

Get a free  door-to-door quote from China to your place.

Door-to-door air shipping from China

Air freight is the best way to quickly get your goods to their destination. Door-to-door air freight service provides complete air freight services from the starting point in China to the destination, ensuring that the entire air freight process, including cargo reception, transportation, customs declaration, customs clearance, and distribution, is handled by professional logistics companies or agents.

Air cargo companies can handle various types of cargo, including general and special cargo. General cargo may include commodities such as jewelry, medicines, watches, etc., while special cargo may be live animals, cargo requiring temperature control, or cargo classified as dangerous.

Compared with ordinary air transportation, door-to-door air transportation service is faster and more efficient. It provides a more direct way to transport goods, reducing the time and uncertainty of intermediate links. In addition, door-to-door service is also beneficial for transporting perishable goods as it can quickly deliver the goods to the destination, ensuring the freshness and quality of the goods. Whether pursuing speed or guaranteeing the quality of your goods, door-to-door air freight is a more reliable choice.

Door-to-door rail freight from China

If you must transport goods from China to Europe, Russia, or Asia, rail freight may be your ideal shipping option.

Rail transport times are faster than sea transport, and goods can reach their destination faster. In contrast, although rail transport is relatively more expensive, it offers clear advantages in terms of speed.

When compared to air transport, rail transport is much less expensive. Air shipping may be faster but also comes with higher shipping costs. Therefore, rail transportation has become an affordable and relatively quick intermediate option.

One of the advantages of rail transport in China is that it can handle almost any cargo volume. Whether it is full container cargo ( FCL) or bulk container cargo (LCL), or even over-length, over-width, and over-height (OOG) cargo, railway transportation can flexibly handle it.

By choosing rail freight, you can take full advantage of China's developed railway network and connections to other countries, allowing your cargo to reach its destination safely and reliably. Rail freight provides a logistics solution that balances speed and cost to meet your transportation needs.

China door-to-door express shipping

When you sometimes need to ship a small amount of goods, choose to use express delivery to ship goods from China.

Express shipping often involves cargo planes designed to transport small quantities of goods, ensuring your goods arrive quickly. Express transportation in China is mainly provided by major airlines such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, and EMS.

Using express shipping can get your goods to their destination faster, which is helpful in emergencies. Courier services typically offer fast shipping speeds and reliable delivery, ensuring your goods arrive on time.

However, it is essential to note that express shipping limits the quantity of goods shipped this way. Since courier services often focus on small shipments, there may be other options than sending larger shipments. If you need to ship large quantities of goods, consider different modes of transportation, such as ocean freight or rail freight.

Therefore, when choosing express shipping, it is essential to be clear about the size and needs of your shipment to ensure that express shipping is the most suitable option. Generally, freight forwarding companies provide door-to-door express transportation services, and the prices are lower than major express companies, and the services are more convenient.

Door-to-door shipping costs

The cost of door-to-door transportation in China is affected by many factors and may fluctuate to a certain extent. The specific cost will be calculated based on factors such as the nature of the goods, weight, volume, distance between the origin and destination, etc.

Typically, the following factors are considered when calculating door-to-door shipping costs in China:

1. Cargo weight and volume: The weight and volume of your cargo are essential factors in determining shipping costs. Heavier or larger shipments generally require higher shipping charges.

2. Distance: The distance between origin and destination is also a critical factor in fee calculations. Longer distances generally increase shipping costs.

3. Shipping Method: The shipping method you choose will also impact shipping costs. Different modes of transportation (e.g., air, sea, land) have other rate structures and expenses.

4. Shipping Season: Shipping season is also a factor to consider. Since there are fewer importers during the off-season, shipping companies tend to lower their rates, resulting in lower costs. Conversely, during the peak season, rates are higher due to the large number of shippers looking to transport goods from China. The off-season typically lasts from March to September in China, but this may change depending on demand and supply forces.

5. Type of Shipment: Type of shipment: Different types of shipment like fragile or hazardous goods may require special shipping requirements or packaging, which may result in additional charges.
   

6. Customs duties and import taxes: Depending on the relevant regulations and policies of the destination country, you may be required to pay customs duties, import taxes, or other related fees. These fees may vary depending on the type of item, value, and destination country requirements.

7. Insurance Cost: If you wish to purchase insurance for your goods to ensure their safety, the insurance cost will also be part of the total cost. The insurance cost is usually based on the value of the goods and the chosen insurance plan.

8. Storage and warehousing charges: If you need to store goods or use warehousing facilities during logistics, these additional charges may be factored into the total cost.

The weighting of these factors and prices may vary by carrier and specific circumstances. Therefore, it is recommended that when choosing a logistics company, you consult them for detailed cost calculations and quotes to obtain an accurate cost estimate.

Documents required for door-to-door shipping

The documents required for Chinese exports to other countries may vary depending on the destination country and the nature of the goods. Here are some standard export files:

• Commercial Invoice: This is the official invoice for export goods, which lists detailed information about the goods, such as product name, quantity, unit price, total price, etc. Invoices usually need to be formatted and content according to the destination country's requirements.

• Packing List: The packing list details the information of the goods loaded in each package or container, including the quantity, weight, size, packaging method, etc., of the goods.

• Goods export contract (if needed): This is the primary document for export transactions, describing in detail the rights and obligations of the buyer and seller, including the specifications, quantity, price, payment method, etc., of the goods.
  

• Goods Export License (if needed): Certain specific goods may require an export license or approval document to ensure compliance with exporting country or international regulations and restrictions.

• Customs Declaration (if needed): This document declares export goods to the customs, including detailed information, value, quantity, etc., of the goods, and provides information on taxes and tariff classifications.

• Transportation documents (if needed): Depending on the mode of transportation, corresponding transportation documents may be required, such as a Bill of Lading, Airway Bill, or Waybill, etc.

• Certificates and inspection certificates (if needed): Certain goods require specific certificates or inspection certificates, such as certificates of origin, health certificates, quality inspection certificates, etc., to meet the requirements of the destination country.

• Import and export licenses and certificates (if needed): Depending on the requirements of the destination country, you may need to obtain specific import and export licenses or certificates, such as import licenses, health certificates, etc.

The specific documents required vary depending on the nature of the goods, the requirements of the destination country, and the terms of trade. You should contact your professional logistics service provider and local customs for accurate documentation requirements and guidance.

Door-to-door delivery insurance

Purchase insurance to protect your goods during loss or damage during transportation. The cargo owner or shipper usually purchases it to ensure the goods are protected throughout transportation from origin to destination.

Door-to-door delivery insurance typically covers the following:

• Loss or damage: The insurance company will compensate for loss or damage to the goods caused by accidents, fires, thefts, natural disasters, or other covered events during transportation.

• Transportation delays: If the goods result in additional expenses or losses due to transportation delays, door-to-door delivery insurance may provide corresponding compensation.

• Liability accident: If a liability accident occurs during transportation, resulting in injury to third parties or property damage, door-to-door delivery insurance may provide corresponding liability insurance.

When purchasing door-to-door delivery insurance, you'll need to contact the freight company or freight forwarder to learn about the coverage, premiums, claims procedures, and restrictions they offer. Usually, the cost of insurance is determined based on the value of the goods, the mode of transportation, the destination, and the characteristics of the goods.

Specific insurance terms and conditions vary by insurance company and product, so you need to pay attention to insurance coverage before purchasing.

Transportation of dangerous goods

Door-to-door transportation of dangerous goods is a professional logistics service that ensures the safe and efficient transportation of dangerous goods from the origin to the destination. This service involves various hazardous goods, such as chemicals, industrial radioactive materials, flammable materials, corrosive substances, gases, etc.

The transportation of dangerous goods is subject to strict laws and regulations designed to ensure safety and compliance during transportation. Logistics companies and shippers must be familiar with and comply with applicable international and domestic regulations, such as the United Nations Dangerous Goods Classification System and national regulatory requirements. In addition, dangerous goods must be packaged and marked specially to ensure safety during transportation. This includes using appropriate containers, fillings, seals, and labeling to prevent leaks or accidents.

Dangerous goods transportation also requires processing various necessary documents and licenses, such as transportation of hazardous goods approval certificates, transportation declarations, safety data sheets, etc. These documents ensure the identity and compliance of the shipment. Door-to-door transportation of dangerous goods requires the support and assistance of professional logistics companies. They have rich experience and expertise to ensure the safe and compliant transportation of hazardous goods. They provide accurate cost and time estimates by comprehensively evaluating the characteristics of the dangerous goods, transportation distance, destination, and other factors.

Therefore, choosing a reputable and experienced logistics company as a partner, such as JIKE Logistics, can ensure that your dangerous goods cargo receives the best attention and handling during door-to-door transportation. They will work with professionalism and a high degree of responsibility to ensure the goods arrive safely at their destination and provide you with an excellent customer experience.

Online consultation

Door-to-door transportation routes in China

Our extensive shipping network ensures that no matter where you wish to ship your goods from China, we can serve you. Our services currently cover an extensive regional network spanning multiple continents. The following are the main door-to-door routes and regions presently covered by Jike Logistics. Please click to learn more!

Complete door-to-door shipping country-by-country guide.

Why choose Jike Logistics to offer you door-to-door shipping from China?

Jike Logistics is a professional door-to-door service provider  headquartered in China that provides logistics services worldwide, including sea freight, air freight, land freight, and multimodal transport. No matter which mode of transportation your goods need to be transported, Jike Logistics can provide reliable and efficient transportation solutions.

As a professional freight forwarder, Jike Logistics can handle cargo transportation, customs declaration, and clearance procedures. We have established close cooperative relationships with many airlines, shipping companies, and land transporters to ensure that goods can be delivered to their destination safely and on time. 

Optimizing your shipping costs is also our top mission in door-to-door shipping from China. We have yearly contracts with airlines and ship owners in the China route. To some extent, we have cheaper First Leg Shipping in China to your country.

The biggest benefit of working with JIKE Logistics is our professional team; Currently, 42% of our staff have more than ten years of door-to-door shipping experience from China. We have been working on different shipping projects for different kinds of Chinese products. 

Whether you need to ship goods from China to anywhere around the world or ship goods to China from other countries, JIKE Logistics can fully support your needs.

Get a free quote.

FAQs

Get a free  door-to-door quote from China to your place.