Door to door sounds like a complete answer and rarely is. The phrase describes the geography of the move, not the scope of the price. Two quotes with the same words can differ by a third once the cargo is on the water.
The nine segments of a real door price
- Collection at the shipper's premises by road freight, including loading time allowance
- Export customs formalities at origin
- Origin terminal handling and documentation
- Ocean freight and its surcharges
- Destination terminal handling
- Carrier release and delivery order at destination
- Import customs entry and any inspection costs
- Drayage or delivery from the port to the final address
- Unloading at the consignee, if agreed
A quote covering one to eight but not nine is still described as door to door by most forwarders, and unloading is where arguments start.
The exclusions you should assume are there
Duties and taxes. Never included in a freight price. They are assessed by the destination authority against the importer.
Waiting time and access. Free loading and unloading time is limited, typically a couple of hours. Residential delivery, restricted access, tail lift requirements and inside delivery are all extras.
Storage after free time. If the consignee cannot receive on the planned day, the container or the cargo waits, and demurrage, detention or warehouse storage begins. The clocks are explained in demurrage and detention.
Where door to door earns its money
On lanes with a transshipment, coordination is the product, and it is what gateway logistics exists to provide. Every handover is an opportunity for cargo to sit while two parties wait for each other. A single provider holding the whole chain removes those gaps, and it removes the argument about who caused the delay.
It also simplifies the commercial position with your customer. Selling on a delivered basis lets you quote one landed price, which is often the deciding factor in markets where buyers cannot easily arrange their own import leg. What you take on is the destination risk, so make sure you understand the free time and the clearance profile of the country you are selling into.
Door to door and Incoterms
DAP and DDP describe delivered outcomes in the sales contract, and they are not the same as a forwarder's door to door price. Under DDP the seller carries import duty and clearance in the buyer's country, which usually requires being registered there or having an importer of record arrangement. Many sellers agree DDP casually and then discover they cannot legally act as importer. Fix that before quoting, not after.
Questions that make the price comparable
- Are duties and taxes excluded, and who is importer of record?
- How much free loading and unloading time is included?
- How many free days at destination?
- Is the import entry included, or is that the broker's separate invoice?
- What happens if the consignee cannot receive on the agreed date?
The full comparison method is in how to compare ocean freight quotes.
FAQ
Does door to door include customs duty?
No. Freight and duty are separate. Only a DDP arrangement puts duty on the seller, and it must be agreed explicitly.
Is door to door more expensive?
The total is usually similar or lower than assembling the same segments separately, because the coordination and the destination charges are priced up front rather than discovered.
Who unloads the container at my address?
Assume you do, unless unloading is specifically included. Live unload allowances are limited and overtime is chargeable.
Can I use door to door for LCL?
Yes. The cargo is deconsolidated at destination and delivered from the warehouse. See LCL container shipping.
What if my buyer wants to clear customs themselves?
Then you are selling on a port to door or port to port basis. Make the handover point explicit in the contract and on the transport document.
Want one price from your dock to your customer's? Send us the route and we will scope it segment by segment.