Ask for a sea freight quote and one of the first questions back will be whether you want FCL or LCL. FCL stands for full container load: you book a whole container and nobody else's goods go in it. LCL stands for less than container load: your pallets share a container with other shippers' cargo, and you pay for the space you take up.
Neither is better in general. The right choice depends on how much you are shipping, how quickly you need it and how much handling the goods can take. Here is how to decide.
How LCL works
With LCL, your goods go to a consolidation warehouse near the origin port, often called a CFS (container freight station). There they are loaded into a container alongside other shippers' cargo. At the destination the container is taken to another depot, unpacked, and your pallets are released once customs is cleared.
You are charged on volume or weight, whichever works out higher, usually per cubic metre (often written as W/M, weight or measure). On top of the ocean rate there are handling charges at both depots. Those fixed charges matter: on a very small shipment they can be a large part of the bill.
LCL suits shipments of a few pallets, first orders from a new supplier, and regular small top-ups where you do not want to wait until you have a container's worth.
How FCL works
With FCL, an empty container is delivered to your supplier, loaded at their premises and sealed. It travels to the port, sails, and is delivered to you still sealed. Nobody else's cargo is involved, so nothing is unpacked or repacked on the way.
You pay a flat rate for the container, whether it is full or not. The common sizes are 20ft (roughly 33 cubic metres of space) and 40ft (roughly 67 cubic metres), and a 40ft high cube gives about another foot of height.
FCL suits larger volumes, heavy goods, fragile or high-value stock, and anything you would rather not have handled at two depots.
The volume where FCL starts to make sense
Because LCL is priced per cubic metre and FCL is priced per box, there is a point where a full container becomes the cheaper option. As a rough guide, it tends to fall somewhere around 13 to 15 cubic metres, or about half a 20ft container. It moves with the market, the route and the depot charges, so treat it as a prompt to ask for both prices rather than a fixed rule.
Paying for a container you do not fill can still be the better deal once you add up LCL handling at both ends, and the goods arrive sealed. So ask for an FCL price earlier than you might expect.
Transit time and handling
LCL usually takes a little longer than FCL on the same route. The container cannot leave until the consolidator has filled it, and at the other end it has to be unpacked before your goods are released. Allow a few extra days either side of the sailing.
Every time cargo is moved it can be damaged, so LCL goods need packing that can stand up to it: strong cartons, proper pallets, shrink-wrap and clear labels. With FCL the loading happens once, at your supplier, and you can check how it is done.
Customs and paperwork
The customs process is the same for both. You need an EORI number, a commercial invoice, a packing list, the bill of lading and the right commodity codes, and import duty and VAT are worked out the same way. With LCL, if another shipper's goods in the same container are held for a check, the whole container can be delayed before it is unpacked. It does not happen often, but bear it in mind when a delivery date really matters.
A quick way to decide
Work out the volume of your shipment in cubic metres: length × width × height of each pallet, in metres, added up. If it comes to a few cubic metres, LCL is almost certainly right. If it is over about 13, ask for both prices. If the goods are fragile, valuable or heavy, lean towards FCL even at lower volumes.
If you are not sure, send us the pallet sizes and weights and we will price both options so you can compare them side by side.
Questions people ask
Is LCL always cheaper than FCL?
No. LCL is usually cheaper for small shipments, but because it is charged per cubic metre plus handling at both depots, a full container often becomes better value at around 13 to 15 cubic metres. The exact point depends on the route and current rates, so it is worth comparing both.
How much fits in a 20ft container?
A 20ft container has about 33 cubic metres of internal space. In practice you will usually load around 25 to 28 cubic metres once you allow for pallet sizes and packing, which is often about 10 standard pallets on the floor.
Does LCL take longer than FCL?
Usually a little, because the cargo has to be consolidated before sailing and unpacked at a depot afterwards. Allow a few extra days compared with FCL on the same route.