If your cargo moves by ocean, the first call to make is whether you pay for a full container (FCL) or share one with other shippers (LCL, consolidated freight). There’s no universal answer — but there is a clear way to decide.
The difference, in short
| FCL — full container | LCL — consolidated | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s billed | Flat price per container | Per cubic meter or ton (whichever is greater) |
| Transit time | Faster: it goes straight through | Slower: waits for consolidation and deconsolidation |
| Handling | Sealed at origin, opened at destination | Handled several times at the warehouse |
| Damage risk | Low | Higher: shared space, extra touches |
| Someone else’s delay | Not a factor | Very real: another shipper’s paperwork problem can hold the whole container |
The break-even point
The rule of thumb we use: above roughly 15 m³, a 20' container usually comes out the same or cheaper than consolidated — and it arrives sooner, with less risk. Below 8–10 m³, LCL almost always wins. In between sits the zone where you quote both. Calculate what your cargo actually takes up before deciding: almost nobody eyeballs their volume right.
The hidden cost of LCL
LCL freight looks cheap on the quote. What gets underestimated is the destination charges: deconsolidation, warehouse handling, documentation, and storage at the bonded facility. On small shipments those charges can add up to more than the freight itself. Always ask for the all-in quote through to delivery — not just the ocean leg.
Costing trick: if your volume sits near the break-even, quote the full 20'. It often pays to run the container “half empty” just to skip deconsolidation, other people’s delays and the extra handling. And you get to bring in extra inventory for the same freight cost.
When LCL is clearly the call
- First trial shipments with a new supplier.
- High-value, low-volume goods.
- Urgent inventory top-ups that don’t justify a container.
- A steady flow of small shipments where working capital matters more than unit cost.
When FCL is clearly the call
- Volume above the break-even point.
- Fragile or delicate cargo that shouldn’t be handled more than necessary.
- Goods that can’t share a container (odors, cross-contamination, food products).
- Operations with a committed delivery date.
Which container, then? Here’s the catalog with dimensions and capacities: 20', 40', high cube, reefer, open top and flat rack. And remember your Incoterm decides who pays for which leg — all 11, explained.
Want both quotes side by side? Write to us with your volume, weight and lane: we’ll send you FCL and LCL all-in, and tell you which one wins and why.