A part load is what makes a move to Dubai affordable for anyone not shipping a whole house. Most people relocating to the UAE are not taking everything. An apartment there comes furnished more often than not, so what actually travels is the things that would cost more to replace than to ship, and that is rarely a full container.
A part load, sometimes called groupage or LCL, means your goods share a container with other consignments heading the same way. You pay for the space you use rather than for a container you cannot fill.
A typical job of this kind
| Move type | International shipping, UK to the UAE |
| Load options | Part load sharing a container, or a sole-use 20ft or 40ft container |
| Destinations | Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across the Emirates |
| Services used | Survey, export packing, customs documentation, shipping, delivery |
| Handled by | An international coordinator with 25 years in the industry |
| Loading | 20 ton overhead crane on site at Knowsley for 20ft and 40ft containers |
Part load or your own container
The survey settles it. If what you are taking fills a container, a sole-use 20ft or 40ft container is packed and sealed and travels directly. If it does not, and for most UAE moves it does not, your goods go into consolidation and share the space.
Part loads cost considerably less and take longer, because the container waits until it is full. That trade is the whole decision. If you need your things in a hurry, a part load is the wrong choice and air freight may be the right one.
The crane at Knowsley
The depot has a 20 ton overhead crane for loading and offloading 20ft and 40ft containers on site. It is an unusual thing for a regional mover to have and it removes a step that otherwise happens at a port or a third-party yard, which means fewer handovers and fewer places for something to go missing.
Export packing and the inventory
Goods heading overseas are packed differently from a house move across the city, using specialist export materials, and a full inventory is produced for your records. That inventory is not just paperwork for you. It is the document customs works from at the other end, and errors in it are what cause delays.
The customs side
The UAE has its own import requirements for personal effects, and getting them wrong is expensive in a way that is hard to unwind once a container has sailed. Our international coordination is handled by Amanda Tierney, who has 25 years in the industry and whose particular strength is customs procedures, so the documentation is checked here rather than discovered at the destination.
At the other end
Delivery is door to door through Britannia’s network of overseas agents, who clear the shipment and deliver to the new address. The job does not stop at a port and become your problem.
Storage before you go
Moves to the Gulf often involve a gap. A UK sale completes, the visa or the accommodation is not finalised, and everything needs somewhere to sit. Household storage at Knowsley covers that, and the goods can be shipped straight out of store when the date is confirmed.
Accreditations
- BAR Overseas Group member, covering European and international moves
- Member of the British Association of Removers
- Independently audited against BS EN 12522
- Established 1972, with access to Britannia’s network of overseas destination agents
Get a shipping quote
Tell us where in the UAE you are heading and roughly what is travelling, and we will tell you whether a part load or a container suits you. Call 0151 482 0432, email sales@fleetremovals.co.uk, or use the quote form.
Related pages
Moving to UAE | International Removals | Moving Abroad | Household Storage
