A different commercial model
Container shipping is dominated by liner services - scheduled, published routes and port rotations run by operators who plan capacity months in advance, sell space to many shippers, and rarely fix a single vessel for a single voyage the way a bulk carrier or tanker is chartered.
Behind that liner network, however, sits a genuine chartering market: tonnage providers who own container vessels but do not operate liner services themselves, chartering ships out on time charter to the liner operators who need capacity.
The tonnage provider market
| Class | TEU range | Typical role |
|---|---|---|
| Feeder | up to ~3,000 TEU | Regional distribution, hub-and-spoke networks |
| Panamax/Neopanamax | ~3,000-14,000 TEU | Mainline and secondary routes |
| ULCV (Ultra Large) | 14,000+ TEU | Major East-West mainline trades only |
Time charter rates for container tonnage are typically quoted per TEU per day rather than per dwt, and period lengths on charter fixtures often run one to three years, considerably shorter than the multi-decade commitments common in LNG but longer than typical spot tanker or bulk fixtures.
Where genuine chartering activity concentrates
- Feeder vessel chartering into regional and transhipment networks is the most actively fixed segment.
- Charter-owner tonnage providers periodically fix and refix vessels to different liner operators as contracts expire.
- Sale and purchase of secondhand container tonnage is a distinct and active market alongside chartering.
Frequently asked questions
Is container shipping chartered like dry bulk or tankers?
Mostly not. The bulk of container capacity moves on scheduled liner services rather than voyage-by-voyage spot chartering. A separate but genuine market exists for time-chartering vessels from tonnage providers to liner operators.
What is a feeder vessel?
A smaller container ship, typically up to around 3,000 TEU, used to move boxes between a regional hub port and smaller ports that mainline vessels do not call. Feeder chartering is the most actively fixed part of the container charter market.
How is container charter hire quoted?
Typically per TEU per day, reflecting the vessel's nominal container capacity, in contrast to the per-dwt-day convention more common in dry bulk time chartering.