The difference between FCL and LCL is whether you use a container alone or share it. FCL (Full Container Load) means an entire container for your cargo. LCL (Less than Container Load) means your cargo shares a container with other shipments, and you pay only for the space it takes.
Which option works out cheaper depends mainly on the volume of your shipment. Transit time and the type of goods matter too. LCL is also known as groupage.
How does FCL work?
With FCL, the container is yours alone. You load it at your own site or have it loaded at a warehouse. It is then sealed and travels that way to the consignee. You pay a rate per container, whether it is half full or packed to the roof.
The common types are the 20ft, the 40ft and the 40ft high cube. A 20ft offers about 33 m³ of space, a 40ft about 67 m³ and a high cube about 76 m³. In practice you fit less in, because pallets and cartons never fill every centimetre. You will find the internal measurements per type in our article on container dimensions.
How is LCL priced?
LCL is priced per W/M, short for weight or measurement. In sea freight, 1 m³ counts as 1,000 kg, and you pay for whichever is greater. A shipment of 4 m³ weighing 1,500 kg is charged as 4 W/M. A minimum of 1 W/M per shipment usually applies.
On top of the ocean freight come handling charges at the consolidation warehouses, known as CFS (container freight station). At origin, your goods are loaded into a container with other shipments. At destination, they are unloaded and separated again. You pay for that handling at both ends.
From how many m³ is FCL cheaper than LCL?
As a rule of thumb, a 20ft container becomes cheaper from around 13 to 15 m³ . Below that volume LCL costs less, because you are not paying for empty space.
That threshold moves with the market. When container rates on a route are low, FCL pays off at a smaller volume. If you are close to the tipping point, ask for both prices. A half-full 20ft can cost more on paper, but it is faster and safer in transit.
When should you choose LCL?
- Your shipment stays well below 13 m³.
- You ship small lots irregularly, such as samples or a first trial order from a new supplier.
- You prefer ordering small quantities more often over building up stock.
- Your goods are well packed and can handle an extra round of loading and unloading.
When should you choose FCL?
- Your shipment is around or above 13 m³.
- Your goods are fragile or valuable, and you want them handled as little as possible.
- You want a shorter, more predictable transit time.
- You ship dangerous goods. Not every LCL service accepts IMDG cargo.
- Your goods come from several suppliers and you want them together in one container.
What are the risks of LCL?
LCL takes longer than FCL. Your goods have to reach the consolidation warehouse on time, the container sails on the LCL service's fixed schedule, and at destination it has to be unloaded before you can collect your shipment.
Every extra handling is also an extra chance of damage. Your pallet sits next to other shippers' cargo and goes through a forklift at least twice. With LCL, good packaging is not optional.
If customs inspects the LCL container on arrival, unloading can be delayed for every shipment inside. That applies even when nothing is wrong with your goods.
What should you watch for with FCL?
A shipping line container comes with a limited number of free days. If it stays at the terminal or at your premises longer, demurrage and detention charges start to run. Plan the unloading before the container arrives.
For export, every container needs a VGM (Verified Gross Mass), the verified gross weight of the loaded container. Without a VGM, it does not go on board.
How does PLS handle FCL and LCL?
For FCL, PLS arranges the sea freight via Antwerp and the container haulage. On request, we have your goods loaded through container stuffing at the Antwerp warehouses we have access to. If your goods come from several suppliers, we have them collected and loaded together into one container. Ideally, allow 3 days before the vessel's cut-off.
For LCL we work with partners. PLS has no consolidation service of its own, so your shipment travels in a partner's LCL container. You still deal with one dedicated contact at PLS, from booking to delivery.
Want to know whether FCL or LCL is cheaper for your next shipment? Send us the number of packages, the dimensions, the gross weight and the route, and we will work out both options. Contact us here.