Nowadays, transporting goods in containers is becoming more and more popular and is prioritized in the logistics field due to many outstanding advantages.
In which, FCL and LCL are the two main types of container transportation methods in the field of freight forwarding. So what are FCL and LCL? Today we will learn about them.
기사의 목차
I. What Is The Difference Between FCL And LCL?
| FCL | LCL | |
|---|---|---|
| Define | Full Container Load | Less than Container Load |
| Explain | – Is to transport a full container of goods, commonly a standard 20ft or 40ft container | – Transporting goods smaller than a standard container |
| Delivery Method | – There is only 1 delivery method : sending the whole container, delivering the whole container : FCL/FCL | + Divided into 2 delivery methods : – Send full container, deliver individual container : FCL/LCL – Send individual containers, deliver full containers : LCL/FCL |
| Item | – Items are usually homogeneous | – Variety of different items |
| Outstanding Features | 1. The shipper is responsible for packing the goods and the consignee is responsible for unloading the goods from the container. 2. The shipper can receive the “ Master Bill of Lading ” (Master B/L) from the shipping line or the “ House Bill of Lading ” (House B/L) issued by the freight forwarding company. 3. Do not put into CFS warehouse |
1. The LCL shipper is responsible for loading and unloading the container. 2. The shipper receives the “ House Bill of Lading ” (House B/L) issued by the consolidator. 3. LCL goods are brought into CFS warehouse |
II. Advantages And Disadvantages Of FCL And LCL Shipping
| |
FCL | LCL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantage | Disadvantages | Advantage | Disadvantages | |
| 1. Cost | – Costs are usually fixed, suitable for large quantities of goods | – Wasteful for too small quantity of goods | – Maximum cost savings for businesses with few products | – Freight and fees are usually higher than FCL and fluctuate greatly. |
| 2. Time | – No disadvantages compared to LCL – All processes of loading, unloading, transporting, checking or clearing goods are faster than LCL. |
– All processes from loading, unloading, transporting, checking or clearing goods are all lower than FCL. – Because the consolidator has to count different small lots of goods from different owners. |
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| 3. Risk | – High safety and security | – Prone to damage, odor contamination, and loss of goods – Easy to incur storage and other costs |
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III. How to Choose FCL Or LCL Correctly
Based on the characteristics and advantages and disadvantages of the two forms of container transportation, FCL and LCL, we can easily choose the appropriate type for ourselves.
Always prioritize FCL in transportation, LCL is only for small or medium-sized companies with small quantities of goods and infrequent shipping. In addition, if you want to optimize logistics costs, you can contact us for free consultation.
