Contact Us   
Search   
Your Position: Home > Info-Tools > Expertise

Difference between LCL and FCL

2013/6/11      view:

FCL and LCL are two of common terms used in shipping under  Export and Import  trade of International business.
What does the term LCL mean?.  How does FCL  work?  What is the difference between LCL and FCL?
FCL means Full Container Load  and LCL means Less Container Load.

What is FCL?
 
If an exporter has goods to accommodate in one full container load, he books an FCL (Full Container Load) to stuff his cargo. In an FCL cargo, the complete goods in the said container owns by one shipper. In an FCL owned by one shipper, the cargo in the container need not have fully loaded cargo in the container. Let the cargo be half loaded or quarter loaded container, if booked by one shipper under one shipment, the said shipment is called FCL shipment.

What is LCL?
 
Under an LCL cargo, where in a shipper does not have enough goods to accommodate in one full container, he books cargo with a consolidator to console his goods along with goods of other shippers. This type of shipment is called LCL shipment. The said consolidator arranges a fully loaded container (FCL), and consoles the shipments of other shippers and deliver each shipment to final destination by separating each shipment at final destination.