"How long will it take?" has two answers: the time on the ship or plane, and the time from your factory door to your customer's door. The second is what matters for planning.
Door-to-door by mode
| Mode | Typical door-to-door |
|---|---|
| Express courier | 3–5 days |
| Air freight | 5–9 days |
| Sea FCL to West Coast | 25–35 days |
| Sea LCL to West Coast | 30–45 days |
| Sea to East Coast / Gulf | 35–50 days |
Port-to-port from Ho Chi Minh City / Cai Mep
- Los Angeles / Long Beach: ~18–25 days
- Seattle / Tacoma: ~20–26 days
- New York / New Jersey, Savannah, Houston: ~30–40 days (all-water)
Where the extra days come from
- Before sailing: booking lead time, trucking, export clearance, cut-off (3–7 days).
- Transshipment: some services transship in another Asian hub.
- At destination: terminal dwell, customs, exams, drayage appointments (2–7 days).
- Blank sailings: cancelled voyages push cargo to the next vessel — see blank sailings.
Plan by route: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago.