Shipping Vehicles to Port of Tilbury, UK

About Port of Tilbury, UK

The Port of Tilbury, on the north bank of the River Thames in Essex and operated by Forth Ports, is London's principal port and one of the UK's most important gateways for container and RoRo cargo. For vehicle exporters it is the natural choice when shipping in a container, when consolidating several cars into a shared container, or when sailing on West African services.

The Ship Cars uses Tilbury for a large share of our container and shared-container bookings. Cars are loaded at approved packing depots close to the port, braced and strapped inside 20ft or 40ft containers and then moved to the London Container Terminal for loading. Tilbury also receives RoRo cargo for regular services to West Africa, including Lagos, Tema, Cotonou and Abidjan.

Tilbury is about 25 miles east of central London, just off the M25 at Junction 30/31 via the A13. That makes it the quickest port to reach for customers in London, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and East Anglia.

Vehicle Handling at Port of Tilbury, UK

Container vehicles are driven or winched into the container at the packing depot, secured with wheel straps and chocks, photographed and sealed before being moved to the terminal. RoRo cargo is delivered to the RoRo terminal within the vessel's receiving window and driven aboard by port staff. Non-runners are handled by forklift or winch in container.

Terminal Facilities

• London Container Terminal for 20ft and 40ft containers
• RoRo berths for West African and short-sea services
• Nearby container packing depots with vehicle loading equipment
• Shared-container consolidation of 2–4 cars
• Non-runner and salvage vehicle handling in container
• Road access via the A13 and M25 (Junctions 30/31)
• Distances: London ~25 miles, Cambridge ~60 miles, Birmingham ~140 miles

Transit Times from the UK

Typical transit from Tilbury is 2–3 weeks to West Africa (Lagos, Tema, Cotonou, Abidjan), 3–5 weeks to the Middle East and 5–7 weeks to the Far East and Australia, depending on the line and any transhipment. See the RoRo schedule page for current Tilbury closing and sailing dates.

Customs & Clearance

Every vehicle needs a UK export declaration on CDS before it can be loaded at Tilbury. Containers also need a shipping note and the container seal number. We prepare these for you. You provide the V5C, photo ID and a purchase invoice or proof of ownership. Cargo is only accepted on a standard shipping note with UK customs clearance documents.

Shipping Costs to Port of Tilbury, UK

Tilbury handling is included in our container and RoRo prices, which follow our published country rates (for example Ghana from £815 RoRo, Nigeria and West Africa routes by quote). Shared containers split the container cost between cars, often saving 30–50% compared with a sole container. Ask for a quote for a fixed price including depot loading.

Port of Tilbury, UK Shipping FAQs