LCL & FCL

Shipping is the most commonly used mode of transport for export and import trades. Ocean freight has several advantages – ships can carry large volumes over long distances, at relatively stable conditions. When choosing to ship cargo, common terms you may come across are FCL (full container load) and LCL (less than container load).

FCL refers to a full container load, where the shipment or cargo requires the full space of the container. In this case, the complete cargo of the container is owned by the shipper, and the container space is not shared by any other cargo.

The term LCL means less than container load. It refers to situations when the cargo has small volumes or dimensions that will not take up the entire space of a container. In this case, the shipper can opt for LCL, which combines their shipment with other smaller cargoes. This is also called a consolidated container, where multiple smaller cargoes are combined to be shipped together in the same container.