Freight glossary
FCL vs LCL
FCL (full container load) is a whole container that's yours; LCL (less-than-container load) shares a container with other shippers' cargo.
FCL means you book an entire container — typically a 20' or 40' box — whether or not you fill it. LCL means your cargo is consolidated with other shippers' goods into a shared container and separated again at destination.
LCL is priced by volume (per cubic metre) and suits smaller shipments. FCL is priced per container and becomes cheaper per unit once you have enough volume — usually somewhere around 13–15 m³, where the shared-container premium of LCL overtakes the flat FCL rate.
Why it matters
Choosing wrong costs money: pay for a full container you can't fill, or pay LCL premiums on volume that should have been FCL. A good quote shows both side by side.
Example
A 3 m³ shipment ships LCL. Grow to 18 m³ and a full 20' FCL container is usually cheaper and faster (no deconsolidation).
Related terms
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