What is LCL?
In sea freight transportation, LCL (Less than Container Load) means “cargo for transportation in prefabricated lots, which are completed at the expense of artificial units and container volumes” or “consolidated cargoes”. The unified sea container became the main method of international delivery of goods.
When choosing LCL containerized cargo transportation, the client’s import or export cargo is combined with the goods of other shippers to fill the container.
LCL cargo transportation is carried out by an NVOCC carrier.
NVOCC (NON-VESSEL OPERATING COMMON CARRIER) is a sea carrier that issues a bill of lading for the transportation of goods by vessels that it does not own or manage, and at the same time maintains relations with the operator. NVOCCs reserve containers from shipping companies based on traffic volume forecasts to various destinations and can offer container space for small LCL shipments at a lower cost compared to FCL (Full Container Load).
Shipment of LCL containerized bulk cargo to major ports is weekly or biweekly. Shipments to minor ports are less frequent and may occur every two to three weeks, depending on the destination. This sometimes results in having to wait for the container to fill.
When shipping to ports of secondary importance, the cargo may be unloaded at a transshipment point, where it will wait for the container to be reloaded before continuing to its final destination.
In the case of LCL containerized cargo transportation, the main place of formation of the transport lot is the consolidation warehouse of the port.
Preparation of LCL cargo
The most common cause of damage to LCL cargo is insufficient and/or incorrect packaging. In an LCL container, all goods (cargo in artificial packaging, boxes or bulk cargo) must be placed on pallets.
Delivery of bulk or bulk goods
Bulk or bulk cargo must be packed in cardboard boxes and/or packing material and placed on pallets. Non-standard cargo, for example, furniture and items that do not fit in boxes, are also considered bulk or bulk cargo and must be wrapped in plastic (or air-bubble) film, packing tape, if necessary, provided with grating and also placed on pallets.
Transportation of goods in box packaging
Boxed cargo is goods packed in wooden or plywood boxes, which are then placed on pallets. Any wood used in packaging or pallets must be treated to the standards set by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
Pallets for LCL groupage transportation
There are two types of pallets:
Standard execution: 47 ¼” X 39 ⅜” or 1.2 m X 1 m
Euro: 47 ¼” X 31 ½” or 1.2 m X 0.8 m
Standard container door dimensions are 7′ 8” X 7′ 6” X 19′ 4” (2.34m x 2.28m x 5.898m x 5.898m). This applies to both 20ft and 40ft containers.
To calculate the cost of transportation, it is important to know the type and number of pallets and the possibility of stacking the cargo.
The cost of container freight transportation of groupage
The cost of LCL transportation is determined by volume and weight, and the customer pays only for the space occupied by the cargo in the container.
The cost of LCL transportation is calculated taking into account the destination, volume and weight of the cargo. If the volume exceeds 353 cubic feet, it is recommended to compare prices by nbsp; between FCL and LCL. Usually, FCL (full container load) shipping is more economical if the cargo volume is more than 530 cubic feet.
When ordering LCL transportation, the customer must calculate the volume of the cargo and provide this data to the carrier in order to receive LCL transportation quotes.
In addition to reducing the cost of freight transportation provided by low-cost sea transportation, container freight transportation of LCL groupage cargoes is profitable due to the optimal use of cargo space, fixed terms of cargo delivery, monitoring of the location of cargoes, as well as security of cargoes in transit.