FCL (Full Container Load) is a shipment booked under one shipper-consignee pair into a complete container, 20-foot, 40-foot standard, or 40-foot high cube (40HC). The cargo travels alone in the container from the load port to the discharge port. The shipper pays for the full container regardless of how full the cargo actually fills it.
LCL (Less than Container Load) is a shipment that does not justify a full container. The freight forwarder consolidates the cargo with other shippers’ cargo into a shared container at a Container Freight Station (CFS), routes the consolidated container, and de-consolidates at destination. The shipper pays per cubic metre or per metric tonne (whichever is higher), not per container.
The break-even point
The cost cross-over between FCL and LCL depends on the route, the season, and the freight market, but for typical Chinese chemical exports to US, EU, or Australian ports:
- Under ~10 cubic metres or ~8 metric tonnes: LCL almost always cheaper
- 10 to 15 cubic metres: roughly break-even, consider operational factors
- Over 15 cubic metres: FCL almost always cheaper, even if the container is not fully filled
Beyond cost, three operational factors push toward FCL even at smaller volumes:
- Transit time. LCL adds 5 to 14 days at each end for consolidation and de-consolidation. FCL ships direct.
- Handling exposure. LCL cargo is handled multiple times, at origin CFS for consolidation, at transhipment if any, at destination CFS for de-consolidation. Each handling event is a damage opportunity.
- Documentation control. FCL gets a master B/L direct from the carrier. LCL gets a house B/L from the consolidator and the master B/L is held by the consolidator. House B/L is non-negotiable in some respects and ties the cargo to the consolidator’s process.
Why DG cargo almost always ships FCL
For dangerous goods, LCL is rarely available and rarely advisable:
- Most consolidators refuse DG cargo in shared containers. The IMDG segregation rules constrain which substances can share a container, and the consolidator cannot guarantee that a future cargo won’t violate segregation with your DG cargo.
- Damage exposure is higher for DG cargo. A leak from an LCL chemical drum during de-consolidation contaminates the entire container’s cargo. Liability claims escalate fast.
- DG documentation is per-container. The DG Declaration covers the whole container’s hazardous contents. Mixing DG and non-DG cargo in LCL creates documentation gaps and audit exposure.
Result: most Chinese DG exports below FCL volume either ship FCL anyway (paying for unused container space) or wait until enough volume accumulates for a full container, or share an FCL with another DG buyer of compatible cargo.
Container size choice within FCL
For FCL, the choice between 20-foot, 40-foot, and 40HC depends on the cargo:
| Container | Internal volume | Max payload | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-foot | ~33 m³ | ~28,000 kg | Heavy chemicals, drums of dense liquids, bulk bags of powders |
| 40-foot | ~67 m³ | ~28,500 kg | Light or voluminous chemicals. IBCs, paper products |
| 40HC | ~76 m³ | ~28,500 kg | Volume-limited cargo where the extra 30cm height matters |
For dense liquid chemicals (acids, halogenated solvents), the 20-foot weight limit is reached long before the volume is filled, so 20-foot containers are typical. For lighter materials (alcohols, paper) the 40-foot or 40HC fills first by volume.
Practical sourcing notes
For our chemical shipments, FCL is the default for any volume above 10 cubic metres or any DG cargo regardless of volume. Below that and non-DG, we offer the buyer the LCL option with the trade-off explicit: cheaper freight, longer transit, more handling exposure. For first orders we usually push toward FCL even at smaller volumes, the cleaner documentation chain and the direct routing make the cost difference worth it for most buyers’ first chemical import experience.
Related terms
FOB and CIF determine who arranges the FCL or LCL booking. BOL is issued differently for FCL (master direct) vs LCL (house from consolidator). MOQ sometimes drives FCL by determining minimum cargo volume.