LCL v FCL: How To Choose?

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Industry Encyclopedia

Time of issue：

2023-07-06 16:58

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LCL vs FCL: How To Choose?

If you are using the services of a freight forwarder, they will help you decide whether FCL or LCL is best for your goods. Your forwarder can also help you decide which type of container is best for your cargo.

In any case, to help you further in your choice between FCL and LCL, we’ve outlined a few advantages and disadvantages of each method of ocean shipping:

The Pros And Cons Of LCL and FCL Shipping
Advantages of LCL shipping:

Provides the most cost-effective way of shipping consignments too small to fill a container
Ideal for goods occupying no more than six standard pallets
A good solution if your business can’t wait until you’ve got enough goods to make it financially viable to book an FCL shipment
Potential disadvantages of LCL shipping:

Fragile goods could be damaged due to frequent moving and handling
You cannot control which goods are shipped in the same container as your goods
Can be less reliable than FCL if your consignee needs the shipment by a specific date
Advantages of FCL shipping:

Ideal for bulky, heavy, or awkwardly-shaped freight that cannot share a container
Cargo is typically moved or handled less frequently than LCL shipping
Most cost-effective way to ship freight occupying at least half the capacity of a standard 20ft shipping container (6 pallets), or a 40ft shipping container (12 pallets)
Potential disadvantages of FCL shipping:

The shipper/supplier will need appropriate facilities to load and seal the container
The consignee will need to unload their container
Typically less cost-effective than LCL for shipping consignments occupy less than half the capacity of a 20ft shipping container

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