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Containers

FCL (Full Container Load)

Abbreviation: FCL

FCL means one shipper books a whole container, however much cargo is inside. The empty box is collected from the depot, stuffed at the shipper's premises, sealed and delivered to the terminal's container yard. FCL is safer and faster because cargo is not mixed with others. As a rough rule, a 20-foot FCL starts to beat LCL at around 12–15 m³, but the break-even depends on rates; always compare real quotes.

Related terms

  • LCL (Less than Container Load)

    LCL is a shipment too small to fill a container, so a forwarder or NVOCC consolidates it with other shippers' cargo at a container freight station (CFS).

  • Container Yard (CY)

    A container yard is the stacking area in a terminal where full and empty containers are stored before loading or after discharge.

  • Stuffing

    Stuffing is loading goods into a container, either at the shipper's premises for FCL or at a CFS for LCL.

  • Container Seal

    A container seal is a uniquely numbered locking device fitted to the doors after stuffing to prove they were not opened in transit.

Covered in these guides

Export-import

LCL vs FCL: Cost, Transit Time, Risk and the Break-Even Point

What LCL and FCL mean, how W/M pricing works, the role of the CFS, cost components, a break-even example with hypothetical rates and when to choose each.

5 min read

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