---
title: "Overweight Surcharge (OWS)"
description: "The Overweight Surcharge (OWS) is charged by shipping companies to transport heavy containers. It applies to 20ft containers and each shipping company sets the rate at their own discretion."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/overweight-surcharge/
lifecycle: live
dateModified: 2026-08-20T06:44:11Z
topics:
  - "Capacity & Rates"
  - "Ocean Freight"
---

# Overweight Surcharge (OWS)

The Overweight Surcharge (OWS) is charged by shipping companies to transport heavy containers. It applies to 20ft containers and each shipping company sets the rate at their own discretion.

## What is Overweight Surcharge?

The Overweight Surcharge (OWS) is charged by shipping companies to transport heavy containers. It applies to 20ft containers and each shipping company sets the rate at their own discretion.

#### Current Overweight Surcharge tariff

Shipments are subject to Overweight Surcharge based on the actual weight of the containers. The Overweight Surcharge will not be shown on the quote but added to the invoice after the shipment has departed.

Back to the [full glossary](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/).

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/overweight-surcharge/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/glossary/overweight-surcharge/) for AI/LLM consumption.*