Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Busan | 170 | 50.2d | 48.7–53.4 d | 6.01d |
| Direct | 36 | 42.7d | 41.1–47.3 d | — |
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 42.7 days. This is based on 16 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 41.1–47.3 days (P25–P75 of 206 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Qingdao to San Antonio is approximately 10,540 nautical miles (19,520 km).
COSCO line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Busan (50.2d total, 170 records).
Approximately 47.0 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to San Antonio is 42.7 days. The median gate-out dwell at San Antonio is 2.0 days.
Container shipping from Qingdao to San Antonio spans approximately 10,540 nautical miles, equivalent to 19,520 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 206 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 16 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Qingdao to San Antonio with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 42.7 days. Most shipments arrive within 41.1 to 47.3 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 47.0 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 San Antonio is 42.7 days. Median gate-out dwell at San Antonio is 2.0 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 36 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 16 were containers literally booked direct from Qingdao to San Antonio and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. COSCO operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by MSC also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 42.7 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 41.1 to 47.3 days.
One transshipment alternative is present in the dataset. The Busan-routed path takes a median of 50.2 days based on 170 records, with a P25–P75 range of 48.7 to 53.4 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 6.01 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 41.1 to 47.3 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 6.2-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 2.34 days of gate-in dwell at Qingdao and 2.0 days of gate-out dwell at San Antonio on top of the chosen sail time.