GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Sep 9, 2026
Feeder service
Feeder services move containers by smaller vessels between a large hub port and the surrounding smaller ports.
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Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feederschiff
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Definition & Explanation
Feeder services move containers by smaller vessels between a large hub port and the surrounding smaller ports. Deep-sea mainliners call only a handful of hubs for cost reasons — in northern Europe typically Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg or Bremerhaven. From there, feeder vessels of a few hundred up to roughly 3,000 TEU distribute boxes onward, for example into the Baltic, Scandinavia or the United Kingdom. For the forwarder this adds a transhipment step: more handling, another time window and additional delay risk, in exchange for access to ports without deep-water berths. When a large vessel calls a port directly, the feeder leg disappears — the commercial core of every direct-call debate. Feeder services by sea are distinct from hinterland transport by rail or road.
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