Ocean Freight Shipping Schedules for Fashion & Textiles
Find sailing schedules for transporting clothing, shoes, fabrics and fashion accessories, and learn how to plan around cut-offs and transit times.
Free Freight & Planning Tools
Planning estimates only. Confirm final load plans and costs with your forwarder, carrier or customs broker.
Find Sailing Schedules by Carrier
Use each carrier's schedule tool to search by port, trade lane or vessel. Always confirm bookings with your forwarder.
APLCompetitive, reliable transit times to over 140 countries, with a suite of online tools for viewing sailing schedules.
- Evergreen Marine
Taiwan-based carrier founded in 1968 and one of the world's leading container shipping companies.
- HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine)
Korean integrated logistics and container carrier with a global service network.
- KMTC (Korea Marine Transport)
Leading Korean liner carrier operating since 1954.
- Maersk
Integrated container logistics company operating in about 130 countries.
- OOCL
Hong Kong-based container transportation, logistics and terminal company serving Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia. Parent: Orient Overseas (International) Limited.
- Yang Ming
Taiwan-based carrier that lets you search sailings by origin and destination and can email weekly or monthly schedules.
- ZIM
Offers schedule views by trade, line, vessel and port, including planned voyages several months ahead.
- MSC
Mediterranean Shipping Company, one of the world's largest container lines with extensive schedule search.
- CMA CGM
French container carrier and parent of APL, with online schedule tools.
- Hapag-Lloyd
German container carrier with schedules by route, port and vessel.
- Ocean Network Express (ONE)
Japan-based carrier formed by the container businesses of three Japanese lines.
- COSCO Shipping Lines
Chinese carrier with a major Asia-Europe and transpacific presence.
Why Schedules Matter for Fashion
Fashion runs on dates: floor-set dates, wholesale delivery windows, retailer cancel dates and seasonal peaks. A missed sailing can push a delivery by a week or more, and a delayed shipment can turn into an expensive air freight rescue. Reading schedules correctly lets buyers, merchandisers and traffic managers plan production, booking and delivery with realistic buffers.
How to Read an Ocean Schedule
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ETD / ETA | Estimated time of departure from the origin port and estimated arrival at the destination port. Both can change. |
| Transit time | Days between departure and arrival, usually port to port. It does not include trucking, customs or port dwell. |
| Cut-offs | Deadlines to deliver the container to the terminal (CY cut-off), submit documents and provide the verified gross weight (VGM) before sailing. |
| Direct vs. transshipment | Direct services stay on one ship; transshipment moves cargo between ships at a hub and adds time and delay risk. |
| Blank sailing / rollover | A cancelled sailing, or cargo bumped to a later vessel when space is short. |
| Free time | Days allowed to pick up or return a container before demurrage or detention charges begin. |
Planning Backwards From Your In-Store Date
- Set the targetStart with the date goods must be on the floor or in the DC.
- Allow for inlandAdd customs clearance, drayage and receiving time.
- Add ocean transitUse current schedule transit time, plus a buffer.
- Back into the cut-offFind the sailing and its cut-offs, including documents.
- Set factory ex-dateConfirm production and inspection finish before the cut-off.
Seasonal Factors to Watch
- Lunar New Year: Factories in China and nearby countries close for days to weeks, and sailings and trucking tighten before and after.
- Peak season: Late summer and early fall often bring higher demand for holiday goods, tighter space and higher rates on transpacific trades.
- Golden Week and holidays: National holidays can disrupt factory and port operations.
- Weather and port congestion: Storms, labor actions and congestion can delay vessels; build in buffer for critical styles.
Helpful Information
Relevant Transportation Resources
- Air Cargo
- Ocean Freight Lines
- Trucking Companies
- Rail Road Freight
- Consolidator
- Warehouse Directory
- Freight Publications
- Ports
- Shipping Industry Associations
- Tracking Packages
- Pallet Sizes
- Material Handling Equipment
- Maps
- Customs
- Customs Broker Directory
- Customs Attorney Directory
- Factories
- Shipping Directory
Interesting & helpful info
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book an ocean shipment?
Many shippers book one to two weeks ahead on common lanes and earlier during peak season or around Lunar New Year. Your forwarder can advise based on current space availability.
Are ocean schedules reliable?
Schedules are estimates. Weather, congestion and blank sailings can change arrival dates, so treat ETAs as planning guides and build in a buffer for critical deliveries.
What is the difference between transit time and door-to-door time?
Transit time covers the ocean voyage from port to port. Door-to-door time also includes factory pickup, export clearance, port handling, import clearance and delivery.
Where can I find schedules for several carriers at once?
Your freight forwarder can compare carriers for you. You can also check each carrier's schedule tool linked on this page, or use schedule portals such as SchedNet for Asia Pacific.