CONTAINERS – is one of the most profitable ways to deliver cargo to destinations. There are currently more than 17 million container vessels in circulation worldwide. The number of active shipping containers is more than five million. Containers are designed to transport goods safely and stably during travel. Their sizes may vary, they are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

What is FCL?
Full Container Load (FCL) is only used to transport cargo from one buyer. Shippers are not obliged to share their containers with cargo ordered by other shippers. Also, FCL loads simplify the logistics route of shippers and increase the safety of their cargo.

What is LCL?
When exporters do not have enough cargo to cover the entire container capacity, the ‘LCL, Less than Container Load’is preferred. Exporters preferLCL containers when there are small shipments that need to be transported at low cost.

FCL VS. LCL – Which is better:
The main factors are time (transit time) and cost when it comes to determining the correct shipping method. With combined cargo and additional cargo ports, this can delay the reaching of cargoes to their destination. Thus, when collecting LCL, shippers must learn the container filling date, carrier route, shipping schedule and approximate arrival time.

It is obvious that LCL is the best choice for small imports. On the other hand, if the volume of cargo is large, the exporter must analyze the costs for both FCL and LCL. In addition to the cargo, there will be intermodal (freight) and service fees at the destination. These costs may be covered by buyers, but still such price differences may affect future shipments.