Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 642 | 48.1d | 47.5–48.6 d | — |
| via Yantian | 22 | 51.5d | 50.8–53.0 d | 5.0d |
| via Tanjung Pelepas | 21 | 53.1d | 51.0–55.4 d | 5.34d |
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 48.1 days. This is based on 530 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 47.5–48.6 days (P25–P75 of 685 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Qingdao to Thames is approximately 10,828 nautical miles (20,054 km).
Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Yantian (51.5d total, 22 records); Tanjung Pelepas (53.1d total, 21 records).
Approximately 54.4 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Qingdao is 2.34 days. Vessel sail time from Qingdao to Thames is 48.1 days. The median gate-out dwell at Thames is 4.0 days.
Container shipping from Qingdao to Thames spans approximately 10,828 nautical miles, equivalent to 20,054 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 685 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 530 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Qingdao to Thames with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 48.1 days. Most shipments arrive within 47.5 to 48.6 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 54.4 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 Thames is 48.1 days. Median gate-out dwell at Thames is 4.0 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 642 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 530 were containers literally booked direct from Qingdao to Thames and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by MSC and COSCO also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 48.1 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 47.5 to 48.6 days.
2 transshipment alternatives appear in the dataset, each routing a container through one or more hub ports between Qingdao and Thames. The Yantian-routed path takes a median of 51.5 days based on 22 records, with a P25–P75 range of 50.8 to 53.0 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.0 days. The Tanjung Pelepas-routed path takes a median of 53.1 days based on 21 records, with a P25–P75 range of 51.0 to 55.4 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.34 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 47.5 to 48.6 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 1.1-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 2.34 days of gate-in dwell at Qingdao and 4.0 days of gate-out dwell at Thames on top of the chosen sail time.