Full container load fcl is a container shipping option where a container is exclusively used for a single shipment and the container is not shared with other cargo shipments and the costs are borne by one party.
What is fcl and lcl container.
Lcl less than container load.
What is fcl and lcl.
Many will summarize fcl as full container load and lcl as lesser container load.
In the case of fcl the cost is borne by one party while in lcl the cost is divided among different owners.
This difference is only on the surface.
As it will be the cargo for one specified consignee.
Thus fcl full container load and lcl less than container load are not only frequently used in shipping but also in transport by truck rail and air freight.
For example a 20 full container rate at the beginning of the month can decrease or increase by mid month depending on what market forces are present at the time.
Let s look into the fcl and lcl shipments and how they operate.
Thinking inside the box.
Fcl full container load.
Fcl for full container load and lcl for less than container loads.
The lcl per cbm rate will likely not be affected by the fcl s price fluctuation or if it is it will take the consolidator time to apply the changes.
Lcl shipment or less than container load.
The terms lcl and fcl refer to the two main modes of container shipments.
In shipping practice an fcl means a single container that is booked by the shipper exclusively for the transportation of their cargo only.
Even if the container isn t enough completely filled to the brim with cargo the shipping party can choose to still opt for it.
A full container load fcl is a container that is for the use of a single consignee.
An fcl refers to one full container load and the decision whether to go for fcl or lcl will be a product of cost time underlying product transport method amongst many other elements.
The shipper doesn t have to share the container with cargo booked by other shippers.
If for example shipments are transported by truck forwarders use the very similar terms ftl which means full truck load or ltl less than truck load.
An fcl shipment or full container shipment as its name suggests is a shipment that occupies the entire space of a container without having to share it with other merchandise.
This suggests that fcl caters to exporters requiring a full sized container to load their cargo whereas lcl caters to exporters that do not need a full container to load its cargo.