FCL freight in detail
Before you book.
Full container load (FCL) shipping is the sea freight option that books a whole container for your cargo. It's packed and sealed for your shipment alone and normally stays closed until it reaches its destination, although customs can inspect it on the way. FCL suits loads that fill much of a container, and goods that are better kept together. Below: how it works, which container to choose, what affects the cost and which documents you'll need.
What FCL shipping is, and when it fits
With FCL you pay for the whole container, whether or not your cargo fills it. In return, your goods aren't consolidated with anyone else's: less handling, and no waiting for other shipments to be packed or unpacked.
A common rule of thumb puts the crossover at around 13 to 15 cubic metres, a little under half of a 20 ft container, or sooner for heavy, fragile or high-value cargo.
How an FCL shipment works
Most FCL shipments follow the same five stages. A door-to-door quote covers all of them; a port-to-port quote covers the terminals and the sea leg.
- Enquiry and quoteRoute, cargo, weight, container size and ready date. The quote confirms routing, equipment, what's included and the costs.
- BookingSpace is booked on a sailing, and the carrier releases an empty container for collection.
- Packing and sealingThe container is loaded at your premises or a warehouse, the cargo is secured, the verified gross mass is declared and the doors are sealed.
- Export and voyageThe export declaration is made, and the container reaches the terminal before the cut-off to be loaded on board.
- Arrival and deliveryThe import declaration is made and any duty and import VAT is paid. The container is released, delivered for unloading and returned empty.
Container sizes for FCL
Most FCL cargo travels in one of three dry containers. Inside sizes vary slightly between manufacturers, so these are typical; each container's own ratings are on its doors and its CSC safety approval plate.
- 20 ft
- About 5.9 × 2.35 × 2.39 m inside, roughly 33 m³. The usual choice for heavy, dense cargo, where the weight limit arrives before the space runs out.
- 40 ft
- About 12 × 2.35 × 2.39 m inside, roughly 67 m³. Twice the floor of a 20 ft, but not twice the payload.
- 40 ft high cube
- The 40 ft footprint with about 30 cm more height, 2.69 m inside, roughly 76 m³. For bulky, lighter goods.
- 45 ft high cube
- About 13.5 m long inside, roughly 85 m³, on the routes where carriers offer it.
- Special equipment
- Refrigerated, open-top and flat-rack containers carry chilled, tall or out-of-gauge cargo. Availability varies by route, so mention it at enquiry.
What affects the cost of FCL shipping
An FCL price is built from several parts. A clear quote lists each one and anything excluded.
- Route and season
- The ports or places at each end, the carrier's service and demand at the time of sailing.
- Equipment
- Container size, any special equipment and how many containers you need.
- Haulage
- Collection and delivery by road or rail at each end, the distance, and access at each site.
- Weight
- Heavy containers can need specific vehicles, and road weight limits apply in every country.
- Customs
- Declarations, duty and import VAT, inspections and any licences your goods need.
- Free time
- Carriers allow a set number of free days with their container; after that, demurrage and detention are charged by the day.
- Surcharges and local charges
- Carriers' fuel, currency and peak-season surcharges, and terminal handling at each port.
Documents and UK customs
A UK business moving goods between Great Britain and another country normally needs an EORI number starting with GB, or XI for movements involving Northern Ireland. Exports and imports each need a customs declaration on HMRC's Customs Declaration Service, often made by a customs agent for you, and the commodity code for your goods sets the duty rate and shows whether a licence is needed.
- Commercial invoice
- What's being sold, its value and the terms of sale.
- Packing list
- Each package's contents, dimensions and weight.
- Bill of lading or sea waybill
- The carrier's receipt for the goods and evidence of the contract of carriage. An original bill of lading is also a document of title.
- Verified gross mass
- Under SOLAS, a packed container can't be loaded without the weight declared by the shipper.
- Licences and certificates
- For controlled goods, plus proof of origin if you're claiming a preferential duty rate.
- Dangerous goods declaration
- Hazardous cargo is classified, packed, labelled and declared under the IMDG Code.
What to include in your FCL enquiry
These details let a quote be accurate the first time. If you don't know one yet, say so: gaps are normal at the start.
- Origin and destination
- Town or postcode and country at each end, or the ports if you know them.
- Cargo
- What it is, how it's packed, and whether it's hazardous, fragile or temperature-sensitive.
- Weight and equipment
- Total weight, container size (or say you're not sure) and how many containers.
- Ready date
- When the cargo can be loaded, and any date it must arrive by.
- Terms of sale
- The Incoterms® rule you've agreed, if there is one.
- Site access
- Anything that affects loading or delivery, such as no loading bay or restricted hours.
Questions about FCL shipping
FCL stands for full container load. You book a whole container for one shipment, then pack it, seal it and ship it as a single unit, whether or not the cargo fills every cubic metre.
Often from around 13 to 15 cubic metres, though it depends on the route, the weight and the rates at the time. Close to that line, ask for both options and compare the full cost from door to door.
In a single layer, a 20 ft container takes up to nine standard UK pallets (1,200 × 1,000 mm) or eleven Euro pallets (1,200 × 800 mm). A 40 ft takes around 20 to 22 UK pallets or 23 to 25 Euro pallets, depending on its exact inside length and how tightly they're loaded.
It's the total weight of a packed container, including the container itself. Under SOLAS the shipper declares it before loading, by weighing the packed container or by adding up everything packed plus the container's tare weight by an approved method. Without it, the container isn't loaded.
That's for you and your trading partner to agree before booking: the rule sets who arranges and pays for each leg, and where the risk passes. For goods handed to the carrier at a container terminal, the ICC recommends FCA rather than FOB. The rules don't cover the price, payment or when ownership passes.
They're charges for keeping a carrier's container beyond its free time: demurrage while it waits at the terminal, detention while it's out with you. Planning customs clearance, collection and unloading ahead keeps a container within its free days.
It isn't compulsory, but a carrier's liability for loss or damage is limited by international rules and can be far below what your goods are worth. Insurance also covers your share if general average is declared after an incident at sea.
Usually, if your business moves goods between Great Britain and another country. You apply on GOV.UK; the number normally arrives straight away, though HMRC's checks can take up to five working days.