Sea freight
LCL — Less than Container Load
Less than Container Load (LCL) freight consolidates your cargo with other shippers in a shared container, priced per cubic metre or per 1,000kg — whichever is greater — so you never pay for space you don't use. Available on import and export lanes worldwide.
What is LCL shipping?
LCL (Less than Container Load) consolidates your cargo into a shared container with other shippers' goods. It is priced per cubic metre or per 1,000kg, whichever is greater, which makes it cheaper than FCL below roughly 15 cubic metres. Allow five to eleven extra days for consolidation and deconsolidation.
How consolidation works
Your cargo is delivered to a Container Freight Station (CFS) in the origin country — wherever that is — where it's packed alongside other shippers' goods into a shared container. At the other end it's deconsolidated at the destination CFS and made available for delivery or collection.
It's the most economical option for shipments under roughly 15 cubic metres — you pay only for the space and weight your cargo actually occupies.
How LCL is priced
LCL is charged on W/M (weight or measurement) — whichever produces the higher number:
A minimum charge (equivalent to 1 cubic metres) applies to every LCL shipment, plus a documentation fee and a BAF/CAF surcharge — the fuel and currency adjustments carriers pass through. Per-cubic-metre base rates (that is, the price of one cubic metre of cargo) for each country are published on its country page; send us your dimensions on the LCL quote form and we will work out the chargeable volume for you.
Also available
Complete the move with our other services
Cargo Insurance
All-risk marine and air cargo cover for the declared value of your goods, arranged at quote stage on any lane.
View serviceWarehousing
Bonded and general storage at origin and destination, with pick, pack and onward distribution.
View serviceRoRo
Roll-on/roll-off shipping for cars, vans, trucks, plant and any self-propelled or wheeled equipment.
View serviceDoor to Door
Collection at the shipper's premises and delivery to the consignee's door, with everything between handled by us.
View serviceProject Cargo
Out-of-gauge, heavy-lift and breakbulk consignments that will not travel in a standard container.
View serviceAsk about any of these when you request a quote or get in touch.
LCL: common questions
How is LCL priced?
LCL is priced per cubic metre or per 1,000kg, whichever is greater — the shipping industry's volumetric rule, so a dense pallet is charged on its weight and a light bulky one on its volume. On top of the freight rate, LCL carries container freight station (CFS) handling at both origin and destination, usually charged per cubic metre with a minimum.
How long does LCL take compared with FCL?
Add roughly 5 to 11 days to the port-to-port time. An LCL shipment waits for the consolidator to fill the container at origin, which can take 3 to 7 days, and has to be stripped and sorted at destination, adding a further 2 to 4. On a 30-day Asia lane that overhead is proportionally small; on a short intra-European lane it can double the door-to-door time.
What is the minimum shipment size for LCL?
Most LCL lanes have a 1 cubic metres minimum charge, so anything smaller is priced as though it were 1 cubic metres. Below roughly 0.5 cubic metres, an express courier is usually cheaper and faster than groupage — we will say so rather than book you onto the wrong product.
Is my cargo safe sharing a container?
LCL cargo is handled more than FCL cargo — into the CFS, into the container alongside other shippers' goods, out again at destination — and every handling step is an opportunity for damage. Sturdy, well-shrink-wrapped palletised packaging matters more here than on any other product. If goods are fragile, high value or contamination-sensitive, FCL is often worth taking below the cost crossover.
Ready to move cargo by LCL?
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.