A good estimate needs a correct distance

Every figure in a voyage estimate depends on the distance. A straight line on the map can cross land, so it is not a real distance. Here the route follows the sea, uses canals where they apply, and turns a speed and a sea margin (extra time for weather) into days.

This works between any two of 11,425 ports. A new route is measured the first time someone asks for it and then saved, so the next person gets the answer at once.

What the estimate includes

Bunkers by grade

Chartering and above

Each fuel grade has its own price. A ship burns VLSFO at sea and usually gas oil inside an emission control area. One average price hides that difference, and when the margin on a voyage is small, the difference matters.

Port costs and canal dues

Chartering and above

Costs for each port call, and dues for the canals the route actually uses rather than a guess at which way the ship goes.

Commission, both kinds

Chartering and above

Address commission goes to the charterer and brokerage goes to the broker. They are worked out on different amounts, so they are two separate deductions.

Time charter equivalent per day

Chartering and above

The daily earnings of the ship on this voyage. It tells you if the cargo is worth taking, and it is the fair way to compare one voyage with another.

Several ships, ranked

Fleet and above

Run the same cargo against up to eight ships at once, sorted by TCE per day. The list shows which ship to offer first.

Sea distance on its own

Desk and above

Get only the distance and the sailing time, without a full estimate.

What it does not do

There is no weather routing and no live fuel price feed. You type the fuel prices yourself. An old price shown as a live price is worse than no price, and you know your own fuel prices best.

This is an estimate for chartering, not a record of ship performance. It tells you what a voyage is worth before you agree the deal, not how much fuel the ship really used.

The basic calculator is free

The free TCE calculator on this site does the same sum with the numbers you enter. It runs in your browser and needs no account, but it cannot measure the sea distance, save the estimate with a cargo, or rank eight ships for one enquiry.

The free TCE calculator, the free sea distance calculator, the worked example, or what the desk costs.