Full container load — your cargo, one box
FCL means the container is yours: sealed at loading, opened at destination. It is the right mode when you fill enough of a container to make the maths work, when cargo should not be handled twice, or when you simply want your goods isolated from everyone else’s.
Typical equipment: 20’ (about 28–33 cbm usable), 40’ (about 58–67 cbm) and 40’ high-cube (about 68–76 cbm). Exact capacity depends on carton dimensions and stacking — we confirm the plan before booking, not after the container is stuffed.
Less than container load — consolidated, itemised
LCL consolidates your cargo with other shipments heading the same way, and charges by volume or weight. It rewards shippers who move a few pallets rather than a container — but it adds consolidation handling at both ends, and with it, two honest caveats: LCL transit can add days, and origin/destination handling charges are a real part of the cost. A quote that hides them is not cheaper.
We itemise them. If your volumes have grown to where FCL wins, we will show you the crossover in the quote — it is in our interest to keep you on the mode that fits.
What the engagement includes
Origin pickup
Collection from your supplier and delivery to the port of loading, arranged and priced per shipment.
Export customs
Declaration filed and released before the vessel sails, with any classification questions resolved with you first.
Documents
Bill of lading drafted to your requirements, reviewed by you before issuance; invoices and packing list checked for consistency.
Status through departure
Updates from booking to sailing — and early notice when a cut-off or schedule moves, with the options that follow.
What we need to quote sea freight
| Detail | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Route | Origin city or port in China, destination port (and country) |
| Cargo | What it is, how it is packed, cartons or pallets, stackable or not |
| Volume & weight | Cubic metres and kilograms — dimensions per package for LCL |
| Readiness | When the goods will be ready for pickup |
| Trade terms | Incoterm on the purchase order — FOB, EXW, CIF, DAP… |
| Requirements | Insurance value if needed, documents your importer requires |
The short version lives in our quote checklist — send those eight details and the itemised quote follows. Need the shipment delivered to your address rather than the port? That is our door-to-door scope, arranged where the destination and the cargo allow.
Sea freight questions
How are LCL charges calculated?
LCL is charged on volume or weight, whichever yields more — quoted per cubic metre against a weight basis. Consolidation also adds origin handling at both ends, which is why an itemised quote matters more on LCL than on FCL.
When does FCL start to make sense instead of LCL?
As a rule of thumb, once your cargo is around half a container or more, a full container usually wins on cost — and it always wins on handling, because your cargo is not consolidated with anyone else’s. The exact crossover depends on current rates; we show it in the quote.
What is a cut-off?
The deadline by which shipping documents or cargo must reach the carrier before a vessel sails. Cut-offs differ per carrier, port and terminal — your booking confirmation states the ones that apply to your shipment.
Have cargo ready to move by sea?
Send the route, the cargo and the readiness date — the itemised quote follows.