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Transporting goods from one location to another, such as moving merchandise from a warehouse to a customer, is known as shipping. An independent shipping or logistics company will control the shipping process after the manufacturing and packing of goods.

What does FCL mean in shipping?

Cargo shipping is known to have FCL and LCL shipping options. The FCL (Full Container Load) refers to shipments in which all of the goods inside the container belong to one party. In global shipping, an FCL refers to a container that is reserved by a shipper specifically for carrying only his cargo. Shippers are not required to share containers with other shippers. Additionally, it also simplifies the management of the ocean freight logistics. A container is loaded onto a cargo ship at the port after it has been loaded.

Every major port in the world has fixed departures and arrivals from shipping companies. Shipping lines guarantee shipper control and oversight of the entire cargo, which helps to reduce the risks of damage or loss when shipping FCL cargo.

What does LCL mean in shipping?

LCL (Less than Container Load), however, involves the shipment of goods by multiple shipping companies. A small ocean freight shipment does not require a full container. The term is used to describe these kinds of shipments. LCL is an effective and flexible option when transporting smaller shipments between world ports. The method can be used to ship everything from small parcels to huge shipments.

As soon as your goods are ready, they can be transported immediately, rather than having to wait until the container is filled. It is important to remember that with LCL you cannot decide what other types of cargo you’ll be sharing the container with. Furthermore, delays may occur outside your control, since the container is being used by multiple parties.

How to choose between FCL and LCL?

There are four main factors to consider when deciding between LCL and FCL: volume, cost, safety, and necessity. When you are shipping products larger than 10 CBM, you may want to consider FCL. If you are shipping low volumes, however, LCL is more likely to be your best option. Whenever the volume seems close enough to cause confusion, you should consider the cost next.

In view of the fact that LCL costs can escalate very quickly when your goods take up significantly more space, FCL may be a more cost-effective option. You should choose FCL if you are concerned about security and protection against mismanagement. Also, you should consider doing this if you have no flexible delivery dates, and you want the goods delivered by the most convenient time.

When shipping cargo weighing more than the allowed weight limit, a special equipment is required. For example Flat Racks. These are basically containers without either sides or roofs. While they have the same base as 20′ Containers or 40′ Containers, they fit into container bays in container vessels. Using Flat Racks is advantageous for cargo with overwidth and overheight, for example. The use of specialized equipment and vessels have become useful when moving oversize goods. There is an established schedule for container vessels that are based on quite fixed routes and schedules. Its high sailing frequency means that non-standard cargo can be shipped comparatively easily.

What Kind of Cargo is Considered Oversized?

According to the mode of transportation, oversized cargo has a different definition. Oversized goods in trucking are defined as any loads that exceed 8.5 feet wide and 13.5-14 feet long; however, in ocean freight, the term refers to any load that cannot be packed into a 40’ or 45’ container.

Acceptable Cargo Dimensions

On the other hand, the weight of the cargo does not have any technical definition to determine whether or not it is “heavy.” Nevertheless, there are limits to the amount of weight that a piece of equipment can handle when transporting cargo by land or sea. Weight limits can also be set by countries and states. A large shipment of goods requires detailed planning, proper execution, and the method of transport will be determined by the size of the freight, machinery, or heavy equipment being moved. So what is oversize freight? So it’s any cargo that doesn’t fit inside a 40 foot container. Some machinery and equipment simply do not fit within the standard container specifications because they are too wide, too tall or too long.

The dimensions of your cargo must be known as well as those of the standard shipping containers. Standard shipping container dimensions. The 20 ft standard shipping container and the 40 ft standard shipping container are two of the most widely used containers in the world to transport ocean freight goods.

Features of Transportation of Oversized Cargo

In order to transport oversized cargo via ocean freight, different shipping methods are available: for instance, shipping the cargo units on Flat Racks or break bulk in a container vessel, using Ro/Ro shipping and shipping via break bulk vessel. Choosing an appropriate ocean freight shipping method involves considering the nature of goods to be shipped, the possibilities to pack them securely, and the methods to handle the goods. Shipping rates and transit times are also affected by these factors.