Bicai Multi-port Intermodal Transport Ensures Smooth Departure of Yongkang Foreign Trade Cargo

For foreign trade merchants in Yongkang, Wuyi, Jinyun, Jinhua and Yiwu, selecting the right freight forwarder for shipment means securing delivery schedules, controlling costs and safeguarding business reputation. Rooted in Ningbo, Bicai Supply Chain Management (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. has set up an office in Yongkang. Its subsidiary Ningbo Bicai International Logistics Co., Ltd. specializes in freight forwarding and international logistics services. For years, we have refined our comprehensive capabilities centered on shipment demands of the central Zhejiang industrial belt, delivering integrated multi-port services covering Ningbo Port, Shanghai Port, Wenzhou Port and Zhapu Port.

Multiple ports for your selection, our multi-port layout meets all your shipment requirements.

Since entering the central Zhejiang market, we have fully mastered the strengths of each port to precisely match your diverse shipment needs:

Our primary port — Ningbo Port. In terms of geographical distance, the highway and railway mileage from central Zhejiang production areas to Ningbo Port is short. The whole journey from downtown Yongkang to Ningbo Port container terminal is less than 200 kilometers. Wuyi and Jinyun are only dozens of kilometers further. The transportation distance is over one third shorter than that to Shanghai Port, and the road transportation cost is lower than that to Wenzhou Port.

What does a short distance mean? It directly cuts RMB-denominated expenses to the minimum. Savings can be achieved on trucking fees, container pickup fees and terminal handling charges with no extra transit costs, greatly lowering enterprises’ total logistics costs. This is why more than 60% of foreign trade merchants in central Zhejiang prefer Ningbo Port for regular shipments. As a logistics enterprise originating from Ningbo, Bicai is far more familiar with Ningbo Port’s operational procedures, terminal rules and shipping line coordination than out-of-town forwarders. Document release, container pickup and customs declaration can all be completed about half a working day faster than competitors.

Global hub port — Shanghai Port. As the world’s largest port by container throughput, Shanghai Port boasts irreplaceable advantages. Nearly all major global shipping lines regard Shanghai Port as a port of origin with dense vessel schedules. Near-sea routes have daily sailings and ocean routes have multiple weekly departures, with far more abundant space reservation than other ports. If your customers impose strict schedule requirements, you need fast sailings or routes calling at special ports, shipment via Shanghai Port is your reliable choice.

Bicai maintains long-term in-depth cooperation with numerous shipowners and terminal agents at Shanghai Port. The speed and stability of space acquisition outperform small and medium forwarders operating only at local ports. Even if you temporarily switch the loading port to Shanghai, we can complete all process coordination within 24 hours to avoid delivery delays caused by port change.

Advantageous port for near-sea routes — Wenzhou Port. Many merchants in central Zhejiang trading with Southeast Asia and the Middle East favor shipments via Wenzhou Port mainly for direct sailings. Shipping lines including Ningbo Marine, Sealand, Macro Ocean Container Lines and COSCO SHIPPING arrange a large number of direct routes to Southeast Asia and the Middle East at Wenzhou Port. Voyages from Wenzhou Port to Laem Chabang, Ho Chi Minh, Jebel Ali and other ports are at least 3–5 days shorter than transshipment from Ningbo Port, with additional transshipment fees saved.

Furthermore, the Jinhua-Wenzhou Railway directly reaches Wenzhou Port. Cargo from Yongkang and Wuyi can be transported to Wenzhou Port via sea-rail intermodal transport at a lower cost than road trucking. It offers prominent cost performance for low-value small commodities shipped by FCL or LCL. Bicai has already established sea-rail intermodal access via the Jinhua-Wenzhou Railway. We handle the whole process from factory pickup to vessel loading at Wenzhou Port without price markup by intermediate forwarders.

Peak season backup port — Zhapu Port. Though less well-known than the above three ports, it serves as a lifeline for many regular clients facing space shortage in peak seasons. Shipping lines reserve fixed container space at Zhapu Terminal every year. When Ningbo Port and Shanghai Port run out of space before National Day and Christmas shipping peaks, stable space can still be secured at Zhapu Port.

Bicai maintains long-term cooperation with barge companies at Zhapu Port to prioritize reserved space in peak seasons and solve clients’ urgent needs.

Why do clients choose multi-port intermodal transport?

You may wonder: I have been using Ningbo Port smoothly, why bother considering other ports? Shipment scenarios are never static and unexpected issues often emerge. Multiple backup ports help you respond to changes anytime.

1.Space shortage in peak seasons. The European and American peak seasons in Q2 and Q3, and the Christmas season in Q4 witness frequent space crunches at Ningbo Port. Shipping lines close booking and lock space one or two weeks in advance, leading to awkward situations where cargo is ready but no space is available. With multiple backup ports, you can switch shipments to Zhapu Port, Shanghai Port or Wenzhou Port to secure space and avoid troubles.

We once helped a Yongkang vacuum flask manufacturer with no available space at Ningbo Port during the 2023 peak season, with only 5 days left before the delivery deadline. We diverted the shipment to Zhapu Port, connecting to main vessels at Ningbo via barge. The cargo was loaded on time and the vessel departed one day earlier than expected, helping the client retain orders worth hundreds of thousands of RMB.

2.Mandatory requirements of shipping line contract rates. Many large-volume shippers or overseas consignees sign annual contract rates directly with shipping lines. Such contracts usually specify loading ports; preferential rates are only valid for shipments departing from agreed ports. If your forwarder only serves a single port, you either give up contract rates and pay market prices, incurring substantial extra logistics costs, or find another forwarder qualified for the designated port, resulting in time-consuming coordination and delays.

Since Bicai operates at all four ports, we can directly handle shipments regardless of the port specified in your contract rate. No forwarder replacement or extra intermediate operation fees are required. We can also verify contract rate information to prevent loss of preferential tariffs caused by port mismatch.

3.Personal preferences of overseas consignees. Years of practical operation show that many overseas consignees have fixed port preferences. Some require shipments to depart from designated ports; others have exclusive booking channels and only accept bills of lading issued from corresponding ports. Failure to meet such requirements may lead to lost clients. Bicai’s multi-port layout addresses such personalized demands. Whichever port your client specifies, we can operate directly without you coordinating other forwarders. End-to-end coordination ensures accurate information transmission and smooth operations.

4.Cost and lead-time advantages of multimodal transport. Customized multi-port intermodal solutions for different destinations can cut costs and shorten transit time. For instance, for Yongkang factories shipping goods to Laem Chabang in Thailand, the solution of “loading at Yongkang factory → sea-rail intermodal transport to Wenzhou Port → direct sailing from Wenzhou Port to Laem Chabang” saves freight and shortens voyage compared with road trucking to Ningbo Port plus transshipment, which is critical for goods for seasonal sales. For bulky heavy cargo with high road trucking costs, we can arrange rail transit to target ports, much cheaper than pure road transport. Such multimodal transport solutions are only available from forwarders covering multiple ports, which single-port forwarders cannot provide.

What services can Bicai offer for multi-port intermodal transport?

First, stable guarantee for sea-rail intermodal transport. Bicai has opened sea-rail intermodal channels from Yongkang, Wuyi and Jinyun to the three major ports. Sea-rail shipments can be arranged to Ningbo Port, Wenzhou Port or Shanghai Port. We maintain long-term cooperation with railway authorities and port sea-rail platforms to secure space even in peak seasons. For factories with large cargo volumes, sea-rail transport is much cheaper than road trucking. We coordinate all links directly, from container pickup at factories to vessel loading at ports. You only need to contact one dedicated account manager.

Second, exclusive support from our self-operated road fleet. To guarantee trucking service quality in central Zhejiang, Bicai has deployed a self-operated container fleet, providing factory-to-port trucking services for shipments to the four ports. Containers picked up at Yongkang factories are delivered directly to Ningbo Port, Shanghai Port, Wenzhou Port or Zhapu Port by our own fleet. Our fleet has run these routes for years and is familiar with road conditions and port entry regulations, avoiding port entry delays caused by wrong routes or unfamiliar terminal rules.

Third, flexible multi-port transit and intermodal services. Bicai holds qualifications and capability to provide various combined intermodal solutions. For example, shipments from Yongkang can transit via Wenzhou Port before connecting to main vessels at Ningbo, or take barges at Zhapu and then depart from Ningbo Port. We can complete these cross-port intermodal operations directly without segmental cooperation with multiple forwarders.

Merchants in Yongkang, Wuyi, Jinyun, Jinhua and Yiwu who choose Bicai obtain worry-free shipment guarantee. You will not face space shortage in peak seasons, inability to switch ports per client requests, or troubles during multimodal transit. From local office support and multi-port layout to self-owned transport capacity, all links are designed to satisfy shipment demands of foreign trade merchants in central Zhejiang.

If you are troubled by booking space, logistics costs and delivery schedules, or seeking a powerful and reliable freight forwarder and logistics company that truly understands Yongkang foreign trade, feel free to contact Bicai Yongkang Office (No.579 Chengdong Road, Yongkang City). Our professional team will visit your site and customize multi-port intermodal shipment solutions.