All About Full Container Load (FCL)

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ALL ABOUT FULL CONTAINER LOAD (FCL)
Deciding the shipping method is the crucial part
of expanding a business internationally.
Businesses can choose between air freight, ocean
freight, or road freight. However, regardless of
the options chosen, there is one choice that
almost always confuses business owners. Should
they choose full container load (FCL) or less
than container load (LCL) for their shipment?
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FCL VS LCL

1. Full container load and less than container load
   are two shipping terms commonly used for sea or
   ocean freight. Large cargo consignments or
   containers are usually used to pack and
   transport material. Each customer is allotted one
   container.
2. The FCL option allows the customer to pack their
   entire cargo in the same container without
   compromising on space. If there is space left,
   the space is not allotted to another customer.
   Only one customer's cargo uses the entire
   container. In contrast, the extra space is
   allocated to smaller cargo shipments or other
   customers' cargo in the LCL option. Therefore,
   the basic difference is in FCL, the container
   is exclusively provided to the customer, while in
   LCL, the space is shared between two or more
   customers.

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BASIC ELEMENTS OF FCL

• Product type The FCL option is chosen by
  businesses that need to transport heavy, large,
  or delicate cargo. In contrast, LCL is ideal for
  light and portable cargo.
• Shipment pace The transit time for FCL is low
  since the entire container is unloaded and
  directly transported to the customer. In
  contrast, LCL first requires permissions for
  various customers' cargo, and then the cargo is
  sorted before transport.
• Security There is no significant difference in
  safety between the
• two. However, with the LCL option, the chances of
  cargo being misplaced or mistransported are
  higher since the cargo needs to be sorted before
  transport.

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WHEN IS FCL THE BEST CHOICE?
Given the above comparison, FCL and LCL are two
choices that do not seem to have significant
differences. However, the choice should be made
based on various factors. Three of the most
important factors to consider are discussed
below Size and volume FCL is ideal for at least
15 cubic metres in size or larger cargo. Since
ocean freight has large containers, larger cargo
size is ideal than small, lightweight cargo.
Three container options are provided size 20
(approximate capacity 33 cubic metres), size 40
(64.5 cubic metres), and size 40 (76 cubic
metres). If the size of the product or volume is
small, FCL shipping can be very expensive for the
business. Type of business FCL shipping is ideal
for raw materials or finished goods that are
heavy, bulky, and large. For example,
transportation of dangerous goods that can pose a
risk to the health and safety of the environment
or population or manufacturing products can be
transported using FCL shipping. Product quantity
As the sizes mentioned above indicate, businesses
need many products using the FCL option.
However, if the shipment is of lightweight
products such as jewellery, the space is
unlikely to be filled. Therefore, the business
will suffer a loss if they choose the FCL option.
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ADVANTAGES OF FCL SHIPPING
Lightning speed FCL shipping is a lot faster and
more seamless than LCL. Since the container
contains cargo from only one business, cargo
transportation from the port to the drop-off
location is smooth and efficient. Reliability
FCL shipping also ensures that the chances of the
cargo being stolen or damaged are low. Since the
container is not opened mid-transit when the
ship docks on other ports, the consignment is
safe throughout the transit. Soundness FCL also
ensures the chances of the cargo being lost are
low. The container with the business consignment
is not opened until the final port is reached.
As a result, the only way the cargo can be lost
is if the entire container goes missing which
is very unlikely to happen. As a result, FCL
promises the highest safety. Charges FCL can be
cheaper than the LCL option when transporting
large goods. The rate is often calculated based
on the volume of the product. As a result, even
if the container is not filled to the maximum
extent, the rates can be in the business's
favour.
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