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When it comes to international shipping, understanding the difference between FCL (Full Container Load) and LCL (Less than Container Load) is crucial for businesses and individuals who want to ship goods. Both FCL and LCL are sea freight services provided by freight forwarders and are an important part of the logistics and supply chain. The following are the main differences between FCL and LCL in international shipping:

1. Quantity of goods:

- FCL: Full Container is used when the cargo is large enough to fill the entire container. This means that the entire container is reserved exclusively for the shipper’s cargo.

- LCL: When the volume of goods cannot fill the entire container, LCL freight is adopted. In this case, the shipper's cargo is combined with other shippers' cargo to fill the container.

Note: 15 cubic meters is usually the dividing line. If the volume is larger than 15 CBM, it can be shipped by FCL, and if the volume is smaller than 15 CBM, it can be shipped by LCL. Of course, if you want to use a whole container to load your own goods, that is also possible.

2. Applicable situations:

-FCL: Suitable for shipping large quantities of goods, such as manufacturing, large retailers or bulk commodity trading.

-LCL: Suitable for shipping small and medium-sized batches of cargo, such as small and medium-sized enterprises, cross-border e-commerce or personal belongings.

3. Cost-effectiveness:

- FCL: While FCL shipping may be more expensive than LCL shipping, they may be more cost-effective for larger shipments. This is because the shipper pays for the entire container, regardless of whether it is full or not.

- LCL: For smaller volumes, LCL shipping is often more cost-effective because shippers only pay for the space their goods occupy within the shared container.

Note: When charging for FCL, the cost per unit volume is lower, which is beyond doubt. LCL is charged per cubic meter, and it is more cost-effective when the number of cubic meters is small. But sometimes when the overall shipping cost is low, the cost of a container may be cheaper than LCL, especially when the goods are about to fill the container. So it is also important to compare the quotations of the two methods when encountering this situation.

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4. Safety and Risks:

- FCL: For Full Container Shipping, the customer has full control over the entire container, and goods are loaded and sealed in the container at the origin. This reduces the risk of damage or tampering during shipping as the container remains unopened until it reaches its final destination.

- LCL: In LCL shipping, goods are combined with other goods, increasing the risk of potential damage or loss during loading, unloading and transshipment at various points along the way.

5. Shipping time:

- FCL: Shipping times for FCL shipping are usually shorter compared to LCL shipping. This is because FCL containers are loaded directly onto the ship at origin and unloaded at destination, without the need for additional consolidation or deconsolidation processes.

- LCL: LCL needs to be consolidated with other cargo owners' goods at the beginning, and it may take a week or more to wait for the collection to be completed. LCL shipments may take longer in transit due to the additional processes involved in consolidating and unpacking shipments at various transfer points.

6. Flexibility and control:

- FCL: Customers can arrange the packing and sealing of goods on their own, because the entire container is used to transport the goods.

- LCL: LCL is usually provided by freight forwarding companies, who are responsible for consolidating the goods of multiple customers and transporting them in one container.

Through the above description of the difference between FCL and LCL shipping, have you gained some more understanding? If you have any questions about your shipment, please consult Senghor Logistics.