Sea freight: full container (FCL) or shared container (LCL)?

LCL (shared container)

Your cargo shares a container with others and you pay per cubic metre, usually with a minimum. It suits small and medium volumes but involves extra consolidation and devanning steps that can add time.

FCL (full container)

You book a container for yourself. Common sizes are 20 ft, 40 ft and 40 ft high cube, with internal capacity of about 33, 67 and 76 CBM respectively; usable volume is lower depending on cartons.

When to move to FCL

When the LCL cost approaches the cost of a full container. As a rough illustration, 8 CBM is typically LCL, while 20–25 CBM may make a 20 ft container competitive once LCL handling fees are added. Figures vary by destination, so price both.

Beyond price

• FCL means less handling of your goods.
• In LCL, your cargo can wait if another shipment in the same container is delayed, depending on port procedures.
• Destination charges differ between the two.