The cargo ship is almost in the Port of Rotterdam! Can you deliver our goods this afternoon?
At The Freight Hero, we assist both clients who ship several containers per week and companies importing a few cubic meters for the first time into the Netherlands or Belgium. Naturally, for companies importing for the first time, it can be quite exciting to discover how long-distance transport actually works.
While experienced importers confidently rely on us to deliver goods to their doorstep on the agreed day without giving it much thought, we often see start-up companies nervously monitoring their customer dashboard. They closely follow every step in the shipping process being checked off — especially tracking the cargo ship’s journey and estimating its arrival time in the Port of Rotterdam or Antwerp.
On their dashboard, customers can see exactly when their goods will be delivered — usually two to five days after the ship’s arrival. Yet we often receive questions like:
"The ship is almost here. Can you deliver my goods this afternoon?"
At The Freight Hero, we're fast — but not that fast.
Why we can’t deliver the same day
As a ship nears the port, there can be heavy traffic at the terminal. It's not uncommon for a cargo ship to wait before a berth becomes available. Even if docking happens immediately, it can take many hours or even days to unload all containers — especially since these vessels carry hundreds or thousands of containers. You can’t just “grab your container off the ship.”
On the quay, everything is done systematically and safely.
Another common question we get is:
"Can you pick up my container a little earlier?"
This is impossible if thousands of containers are standing in the way!
A cargo ship arrives with the help of a tugboat. Ships dock 24/7. The container locks are released, and cranes unload the containers. Fully autonomous vehicles transport the containers to collection points.
Customs procedures and groupage (LCL) take time
While the ship arrives, The Freight Hero prepares all customs formalities. Once the container is on the quay, we must wait for customs clearance before proceeding.
We ensure the container is picked up and delivered as quickly as possible. However, most first-time importers don’t have a full container, but rather a few cubic meters (LCL – Less than Container Load). That means the container contains goods from multiple importers.
In such cases, the container is moved from the quay to a warehouse, where all the cargo is unpacked and sorted per customer. This unpacking takes time — over 30 million tons of partial loads are handled in Rotterdam every year!
After customs clearance
Once The Freight Hero receives a Permission to Remove (TTW), the cargo can be released. Still, we hope our trucks won’t get stuck in traffic jams around Rotterdam or Antwerp, or at the warehouse gates.
Customers can also pick up their cargo themselves. We always advise:
Bring an extra lunch — you might be waiting a while.
Random inspections & physical checks
Sometimes, customs selects shipments for random physical inspection, based on their gut feeling. A location for inspection is agreed upon. For full containers, a gas measurement must be done first to ensure it’s safe for customs officers to enter.
Although The Freight Hero can arrange such inspections quickly, they still take time. So even after your ship docks, there is still a lot to organize before your goods arrive at your doorstep. We always strive for speed, but patience is sometimes necessary.