Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 237 | 42.8d | 40.9–44.2 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 42.8 days. This is based on 227 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 40.9–44.2 days (P25–P75 of 237 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Rotterdam to Durban is approximately 7,017 nautical miles (12,995 km).
Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
No transshipment paths are present in the tracked dataset for this lane — containers observed move directly from Rotterdam to Durban.
Approximately 48.8 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Rotterdam is 4.13 days. Vessel sail time from Rotterdam to Durban is 42.8 days. The median gate-out dwell at Durban is 1.83 days.
Container shipping from Rotterdam to Durban spans approximately 7,017 nautical miles, equivalent to 12,995 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 237 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 227 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Rotterdam to Durban with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 42.8 days. Most shipments arrive within 40.9 to 44.2 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 48.8 days. Median gate-in dwell at Rotterdam is 4.13 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 Rotterdam to Durban is 42.8 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 237 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 227 were containers literally booked direct from Rotterdam to Durban and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk 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 42.8 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 40.9 to 44.2 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 40.9 to 44.2 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 3.3-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 4.13 days of gate-in dwell at Rotterdam and 1.83 days of gate-out dwell at Durban on top of the chosen sail time.