LCL (Less than Container Load)
LCL means « Less Container Load ». If a shipper does not have enough commodities to book a full container (what we call FCL), he has to work on an agreement with a consolidator to reserve a spot on the cargo. This type of shipment is called LCL which technically means that you are sharing a container with others. The consolidator organizes a complete container (FCL) with a principal transporter and consolidates the parcels of other shippers. This process implies that the shipping company which reserves a complete container accepts the merchandise of different clients and groups them all in one container that he has booked as an FCL (Full Container Load). Sea freight company sorts merchandise in the order of destination or by points of trans-shipments, intended for different recipients in different ports.
Once the merchandise reaches their destination, the freight forwarder dispatches them to each final destination separately while collecting the necessary costs, where appropriate.