NIUKU SHIPPING

When cargo shipped by sea is not enough to fill an entire container, buyers often opt to share container space with other shippers. This type of shipment is called “less than container load”, or LCL for short.

Generally speaking, LCL is a good option when sending loads greater than 1 cubic meter and smaller than 15 cubic meters.

When a buyer opts to ship cargo via LCL, a freight forwarder will typically assist them by collecting their cargo and transporting it to a local warehouse. At the warehouse, the cargo is consolidated with the other buyers’ cargo that will be stuffed into the same container.

Once all cargo arrives at the warehouse it is loaded into the container. The logistics company is then responsible to truck the shipment to the port and begin the freighting process.

LCL has the benefits of allowing smaller sized shipments that otherwise would not be able to be shipped via sea to take advantage of the low-cost options of sea freight. The disadvantages however, are that LCL is always going to cost more per cubic meter than FCL.

A “full container load” shipment is one that uses an entire container, and the cargo is not shared with other shippers.

FCL does not require that a container is filled to capacity, but rather, designates that the container space is not shared between multiple buyer’s shipments.

When the volume of a cargo load is around 15 cubic meters, or more, FCL can be considered, and the cost can be compared to the costs of an LCL shipment.

Because FCL shipments only contain a single consignee’s cargo, there is greater flexibility as to how the products are loaded into the container.

In most instances, when buyers are purchasing products from Chinese suppliers, the container will be trucked to the supplier’s warehouse and the cargo will be loaded onsite.

In the event a buyer wishes to consolidate multiple products, they have the option to have all the products shipped to a centralized warehouse and then load the goods into the container, or they could request that a single supplier collect all cargo and load the container at their warehouse.

FCL can also be shipped directly to a buyer’s warehouse, once it arrives in the United States, or shipped to a warehouse first, before it is deconsolidated.

When using FCL, it’s best to work with a China Freight Forwarder who has experience moving freight from Chinese factories to the United States.

Specialized forwarding companies, like Niuku Shipping, can provide the following benefits:

Pass along high-volume rates
Organize the collection of cargo and communicate directly with your supplier
Identify any potentially missing documentation or compliance requirements needed to both import and export the cargo
Customize the shipping process to meet each shipment’s needs. Additional services allow for quality inspections, repackaging, relabeling, consolidation, deconsolidation, and warehousing.
Managing the customs brokerage process
Deliver the cargo anywhere in the United States, regardless of whether it is a warehouse, Amazon fulfillment center, business address, or even residential address.