Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Tanjung Pelepas | 206 | 42.3d | 34.7–47.1 d | 5.34d |
| Direct | 113 | 43.2d | 41.2–48.2 d | — |
| via Ningbo | 29 | 50.2d | 45.8–55.0 d | 7.64d |
All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.
The median transit time is 43.2 days. This is based on 105 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 41.2–48.2 days (P25–P75 of 348 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Qingdao to Durban is approximately 7,342 nautical miles (13,598 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Tanjung Pelepas (42.3d total, 206 records); Ningbo (50.2d total, 29 records).
Approximately 47.4 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to Durban is 43.2 days. The median gate-out dwell at Durban is 1.83 days.
Container shipping from Qingdao to Durban spans approximately 7,342 nautical miles, equivalent to 13,598 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 348 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 105 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Qingdao to Durban with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 43.2 days. Most shipments arrive within 41.2 to 48.2 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 47.4 days. Median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to Durban is 43.2 days. Median gate-out dwell at Durban is 1.83 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.
Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 113 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 105 were containers literally booked direct from Qingdao to Durban and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by Maersk also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 43.2 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 41.2 to 48.2 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Qingdao and Durban. The Tanjung Pelepas-routed path takes a median of 42.3 days based on 206 records, with a P25–P75 range of 34.7 to 47.1 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.34 days. The Ningbo-routed path takes a median of 50.2 days based on 29 records, with a P25–P75 range of 45.8 to 55.0 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 7.64 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 41.2 to 48.2 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 7.0-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 2.34 days of gate-in dwell at Qingdao and 1.83 days of gate-out dwell at Durban on top of the chosen sail time.