European routes
Rotterdam or Hamburg for machinery from China? Compare the move to the factory
If your buyer can receive machinery through either port, request two quotes ending at the same factory postcode. A lower ocean rate alone tells you little about the cost or practicality of delivering a wide crate inland.
Give both route planners the same load
Use one dated packing drawing and one delivery address for both requests. Specify which side projects, which way the crate must travel and whether anything may be removed. If the cargo is still being built, ask each planner to quote the same estimated envelope and identify what would trigger a new review.
Compare the handovers on each route
Ask who collects the cargo from the terminal, whether it travels inland on the original equipment, and whether a transfer to another vehicle is proposed. If there is a transfer, request its location, the handling scope, the party arranging it and the terms for returning empty equipment. One additional transfer can change the protection your packer needs to design.
Ask for a route-specific answer on inland access
Give the haulier the actual delivery postcode and site contact. Ask which parts of the proposed route need an access or permit review and who will coordinate it. Confirm whether the quote includes that work or leaves it provisional. Where a border crossing or clearance location affects the plan, have the appointed broker confirm the intended handover.
Use a two-column buying decision
Label the columns “via Rotterdam” and “via Hamburg.” In each, enter the confirmed delivery point, transfers, inland vehicle, appointment assumptions, included charges and open items. Compare totals only after both quotes cover the same scope. A route with an unresolved access question should stay conditional even if its price looks attractive.