LCL vs. FCL Container Shipping: How to Choose the Perfect One    

Shipping

If you want to transport goods from one location to another through ocean freight, you’ll be overwhelmed by the benefits of FCL and LCL shipping. The shipping method you choose is dependent on the quantity of the goods you’re transporting and the delivery time.

However, before deciding which shipping method is relevant for your business, you need to pay close attention. If you don’t know how to decide whether to go with LCL or FCL shipping, this article is perfect for you.

In this article, we will discuss everything about LCL and FCL shipping, their delivery time, the cost, and some great ways to make the process smooth.

What are LCL and FCL?

LCL and FCL are two of the most effective shipping methods for businesses planning to transport goods through ocean freight shipping methods. LCL means less container load and FCL means full container load.

As the name implies, FCL means shipping your products in full containers. When you choose this shipping method, you will pay for the entire container so that your products can occupy the space. This shipping method is relevant if you’re planning to transport many goods. If your goods are enough to fill the whole container, you should choose FCL from evergreen shipping line. 

On the other hand, you need to share the container’s space with other shippers while choosing LCL shipping. Shipping through the LCL method is effective for business owners transporting a small number of goods or looking for flexible delivery options.

Differences between FCL and LCL

Since the spacing implications of LCL and FCL are different, they also come with different fundamentals. Even though the space is the primary difference between FCL and LCL shipping, you need to know the top 3 other differences.

Cost

When you choose FCL shipping, you need to pay for the whole container, whether the products fill the container or not. As you’re purchasing the entire container, you don’t need to worry about the volume of your shipment. Keep in mind that the price of FCL shipping is higher than the LCL shipping as you will be charged per CBM for your shipment.

If you have a small business and want to transport a small number of goods, LCL is perfect as this shipping method is comparatively less expensive. As per Forbes, LCL is an excellent shipping method while shipping via ocean.

Volume

LCL is perfect for shipping loads that have less than 10 CBM shipments. However, if you’re transporting products less than 200 kg, you should choose air freight as this option is more cost-effective. But if you’re shipping goods of more than 10 CBM, the price difference between LCL and FCL won’t matter.

Speed

This is one of the notable differences between LCL and FCL shipping. The speed of LCL is lower than the FCL shipping method. This is because your goods will be shipped with other goods. And therefore, the journey will take additional days to complete due to multiple stops. Not to mention, you also need to consider the time required to load, sort, separate and unload goods at each port. Since FCL shipment is owned only by you, it will reach the destination faster.

Conclusion

This is everything you need to know about FCL and LCL container shipping. Do you have any other questions? Contact us, and we will assist you.