The full timeline: order to your dock
I have had buyers ask if they can get production parts in two weeks from PO to door. The answer is no, not by sea, and usually not by air for anything beyond a simple prototype. The total timeline from order placement to parts arriving at your warehouse is the sum of production, packing and handoff, export processing, international transit, import clearance, and last-mile delivery. Each stage has a range, and the total is almost always longer than the ocean transit time people focus on.
Production completion to port departure
Production time is quoted separately and varies by complexity, quantity, and shop load. Prototypes at TruPart typically run 5-7 working days, with production batches depending on volume and complexity. But production finishing is not the start of shipping. Once parts are machined, inspected, and packed, there is a handoff sequence.
- Final inspection and packaging: 1-2 days after production completion; parts are cleaned, inspected against drawings, packed, and labeled
- Inland transport to port: 1-2 days by truck from the Pearl River Delta to Shenzhen, Yantian, Guangzhou ports or to Hong Kong
- Port processing and vessel loading: 2-5 days including container loading, customs declaration in China, and waiting for the scheduled vessel departure
Under FOB terms, the supplier handles this leg. The clock on buyer-controlled transit starts at vessel departure. Plan for roughly 5-9 days from production finish to the vessel sailing, sometimes longer if a weekly sailing was missed.
Ocean and air transit: realistic timeframes
The international leg is where mode choice dominates the timeline. These are industry-typical ranges from South China ports (Shenzhen/Guangzhou/Hong Kong) to major destinations, but actual transit varies by carrier, routing (direct vs. transshipment), and external conditions.
| Destination | Express air (door) | Standard air | Sea FCL (port) | Sea LCL (door) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US West Coast | 3-5 days | 5-7 days | 14-18 days | 25-35 days |
| US East Coast | 4-6 days | 6-9 days | 25-35 days | 35-45 days |
| Western Europe | 3-5 days | 5-8 days | 22-30 days | 30-40 days |
| Australia/NZ | 3-5 days | 4-7 days | 12-18 days | 20-30 days |
LCL door-to-door times are longer than FCL port-to-port because of consolidation time at the origin port (waiting for the container to fill) and deconsolidation at destination. These ranges are general guidelines; actual transit time depends on the specific routing, carrier schedule, and time of year.
Customs, last-mile, and delivery
After the vessel arrives or the flight lands, goods still need to clear customs and get to your door. For air freight with pre-filed documents and no inspection, clearance can complete in 1-2 days and last-mile delivery adds another 1-2 days. For sea freight, port handling and deconsolidation (for LCL) add 3-7 days before goods are even available for clearance; clearance itself adds 1-5 days with clean paperwork, and last-mile trucking adds 1-3 days depending on distance from port.
- Air shipments: 2-5 days from arrival to delivery, assuming clean docs and no inspection
- FCL sea shipments: 3-7 days from port arrival to delivery
- LCL sea shipments: 7-14 days from port arrival to door due to deconsolidation
- Add 3-10 days if customs selects the shipment for inspection or documents need correction
Peak season and common delay factors
Several predictable factors extend transit times. Peak season runs roughly August through October as shippers build inventory for year-end holidays; carriers fill up and rates rise. Chinese New Year (January or February, depending on the lunar calendar) causes a 2-3 week shutdown of factories and a backlog surge before and after, which can add 1-2 weeks across the entire logistics chain. Golden Week in early October is a shorter but real disruption.
- Add 1-2 weeks during peak season (Aug-Oct) on all modes
- Add 2-3 weeks around Chinese New Year for factory shutdown and backlog
- Add 3-7 days for random customs inspection or document discrepancies
- Weather events, port congestion, or carrier schedule changes can add unplanned delays
- Transshipment ports for inland destinations add 2-7 days vs. direct service
Planning realistic delivery dates
A realistic FOB sea shipment timeline for production parts looks like this: production (per quote) plus 5-9 days to sail plus ocean transit (14-35 days depending on destination) plus 3-14 days clearance and delivery. For a US East Coast delivery, that is roughly 4-7 weeks from production completion to door under normal conditions, and 5-9 weeks during peak season. An air shipment cuts that to roughly 1-2 weeks from production completion to door.
Build buffer. If your production schedule needs parts by a certain date, add 1-2 weeks of contingency for sea freight, and never cut it to the wire on a critical order. The parts almost never arrive on the earliest possible date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get production CNC parts from China in under two weeks?
Only by air. Prototypes with expedited production (5-7 working days) plus express air (3-5 days) can theoretically arrive in about two weeks. Production batches by sea require 4-7 weeks minimum from production finish to door under normal conditions.
How much time does Chinese New Year add?
Factories shut for 1-2 weeks, but the backlog before and capacity ramp after means a practical impact of 2-3 weeks on production and shipping. Place orders for January or February delivery by early December at the latest.
Does DDP take longer than FOB?
DDP uses the same vessels and flights, but adds a handoff layer through the suppliers forwarder network. It can add a few days compared to FOB with your own direct forwarder relationship, but the difference is usually modest compared to total transit time.
How can I track progress?
Your forwarder provides container or AWB tracking. For FOB, ask the supplier for the vessel name and ETD immediately after booking, then track the container on the carrier website. Request status updates proactively rather than waiting for a delay notice.
What is the fastest option for emergency parts?
Express air courier (DHL/FedEx/UPS) is fastest at 3-5 days door-to-door from pickup. Combine with expedited production if the parts have not yet been made. The cost is high but it is the only option that compresses the timeline to under a week from factory to door.