FCL vs LCL Ocean Freight Shipping:

If you have expertise importing and exporting goods, you may have heard about FCL vs LCL shipping. This will explain the distinctions between FCL and LCL logistics, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. As a result, you can make an informed decision about a more advantageous shipping alternative when ordering.

What is FCL vs LCL?

FCL and LCL shipping are two common terminologies in the worldwide logistics sector for maritime freight export and import.

• FCL stands for Full Container Load.
• LCL stands for Less than Container Load.

FCL logistics is a way of carrying products in which your consignment takes up the entire container (of any size). Many cargoes share container space in LCL logistics. It means that if your cargo doesn't require a complete container capacity, it must be blended with the LCL shipments of other importers and transported within a container. As a result, LCL shipping is sometimes referred to as 'Consolidation' or 'Groupage'.

Transit time

LCL shipping obviously takes longer than FCL shipping due to consolidation and deconsolidation. To be more specific, service businesses must group a large number of shipments, categorize and pack them into containers, and then arrange transportation for the goods from the port of loading (POL) to the port of destination.

LCL is a more time-consuming and sophisticated operation than FCL.

If there is a problem with a specific shipment during the customs clearance procedure, it may affect all importers who have cargo in that container, resulting in delayed delivery. Meanwhile, because FCL shipments do not need to be loaded and unloaded alongside other shipments, their travel time is usually one or two weeks less.

Shipping costs

LCL typically costs more per unit of freight than FCL. LCL costs are generally determined by volume, which is commonly measured in cubic meters (CBM), therefore the more room you use, the more you pay. Full container load (FCL) is preferred by freight agencies and shipping companies since it is much easier for them to calculate how many different shipments can fit in a full container.

LCL shipments are expensive per unit because they entail additional logistical and administration fees for delivering many goods in one container. According to Freightos, LCL price quotations from freight forwarders include the following:

• Pickup: the expense of retrieving your items from a warehouse or manufacturer.

• Origin: Your LCL shipments must be placed onto containers with other shipments at a Container Freight Station (CFS), often known as container stuffing.

•Main leg : The main leg is the cost of the sea voyage.

•Destination : LCL shipments must stop at a CFS in the destination country for deconsolidation, commonly known as unstuffing.

• Delivery: the expense of transporting your items to the final warehouse.

Despite being the most important leg of the cargo, this may not be the most expensive expenditure. Charges at the CFS, on the other hand, may be higher because they include significant machine and labor.

Risk for goods

LCL shipments are more vulnerable to damage and loss than FCL shipments since they contain a diverse range of commodities.

When it comes to LCL shipping, you usually don't get to choose where your own items go in a container. When packaged with other particular goods such as liquids, hefty goods, or goods with a peculiar odor, this can cause harm (infection, spillage, damage) to your goods in transportation.