Ascope Shipping Services Ltd

Ascope Shipping Services: vehicle and container shipping from the UK

Ascope Shipping Services Ltd is an international shipping specialist based in Hull that arranges vehicle, container and cargo transport from the United Kingdom to destinations around the world. Its core activity is the organisation of RoRo, container and groupage shipments for cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, classic vehicles, household goods and commercial cargo. The company describes itself as covering the key stages of a shipment, from UK collection and export documentation to port delivery and ocean transport, and as helping clients choose the shipping method that fits their vehicle or cargo.

The company states that it has more than 15 years of experience in international shipping from the UK and that it has shipped over 14,000 vehicles and cargo consignments. It reports regular routes to more than 100 destinations worldwide.

Shipping methods offered

Ascope Shipping organises several transport formats, and the choice depends on the vehicle, the cargo and the destination:

• RoRo (Roll-on/Roll-off): a cost-effective option for eligible running vehicles, which are driven onto a specialised vessel, secured for the voyage and discharged at the destination port.
• Container shipping: an enclosed option for vehicles, household goods and commercial cargo, with dedicated or shared container space depending on the shipment.
• Groupage: smaller consignments share container space with other cargo when a full container is not required.
• Cargo shipping: international transport of commercial and general cargo, with documentation and port arrangements according to the shipment requirements.
• Personal effects shipping: household and personal belongings for relocations or sending possessions overseas, with container and shared-container options.

Vehicles and cargo handled

The service list covers cars, vans, SUVs, trucks, tractor units, buses and coaches, motorcycles, motorhomes and caravans, classic cars, luxury cars, electric and hybrid cars, enclosed car transport and auction car shipping. It also includes heavy plant machinery, trailers and fleet vehicles. On the import side, the company arranges shipping of American cars to the UK, cars from Japan to the UK and classic car imports.

UK ports and worldwide destinations

According to the company, its regular vehicle shipping services depart from several UK ports, including Southampton, Teesport, Tilbury, London Gateway, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, Sheerness and Bristol, with weekly sailings to many international destinations. The routes it describes cover West and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the USA, Canada and Australia, among other regions.

For Africa, the company lists Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It also names Barbados, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Greece, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Turkey and the USA as destinations, with door-to-port collection options.

How a shipment is organised

The process described by the company runs through several stages: choosing a shipping method, obtaining a detailed quote, scheduling the shipment once the quote is accepted, preparing the vehicle (cleaning it, removing belongings unless it travels in a container, checking fluids and battery, and gathering the title, Bill of Lading, invoice and identification), delivering the vehicle to the port or arranging collection, handling export documentation and customs clearance, loading and shipping to the destination port, and finally collection on arrival or delivery where applicable.

Before booking, the company states that it explains the available sailing options, the expected transit time and the destination port, and that where it arranges UK vehicle collection or port delivery it coordinates these stages around the planned sailing. It also refers to 24/7 online tracking.

What affects the cost of shipping

Ascope Shipping indicates that the price of an international shipment depends on the destination and departure port, the dimensions of the vehicle, the shipping method (RoRo and container are priced differently and have different vehicle requirements), the collection location in the UK and current sailing rates, as well as whether additional services such as UK collection or export documentation are required.

The company notes that certain costs usually sit outside the shipping quote and are payable at the destination: import duties, taxes and VAT of the destination country, port handling and clearance fees, local customs agent fees, and any inspections or modifications required on arrival.