LCL freight in detail
Before you book.
Less than container load (LCL) shipping, known in the UK as groupage or part-load shipping, puts your cargo in a shared container with other shipments heading the same way. You pay for the space and weight your goods take up rather than a whole container, which suits a few pallets, crates or cartons. Below: how LCL works, how it's measured and charged, how to pack for it and what to include in your enquiry.
What LCL shipping is, and when it fits
Your goods go to a consolidation warehouse, where they're packed into a shared container with other cargo for the same destination port. The container sails as a full load, and at the other end it's unpacked at a warehouse so that each shipment can be cleared and collected.
LCL suits anything from a single crate up to around 13 to 15 cubic metres, and regular smaller consignments where waiting to fill a container would hold stock back. Above that range, it's worth comparing a container of your own.
We handle full and shared container freight, and container sales and hire. We don't handle parcels or courier deliveries.
How an LCL shipment works
An LCL shipment passes through more hands than a sealed container, so its timings include time at a warehouse at each end.
- Enquiry and quotePackages, dimensions, weights, the route and the ready date. The quote confirms the service, the cut-off dates and what's included.
- To the warehouseYour cargo is collected or delivered to the origin warehouse before the cut-off, where it's checked, measured and weighed.
- ConsolidationIt's loaded into a shared container with other shipments for the same port, on the consolidator's sailing schedule.
- The voyageThe container travels port to port as a full load, and your goods move under a house bill of lading.
- Unpacking and releaseAt destination the container is unpacked, customs clearance is completed and your cargo is released for collection or delivery.
How LCL is measured and charged
LCL is charged per revenue ton, written W/M: weight or measurement. One cubic metre counts as one unit, and so does each 1,000 kg, and you're charged on whichever figure is higher. Consolidators usually set a minimum, commonly one cubic metre.
- Volume
- Length × width × height in metres for each package, times the number of packages. A pallet of 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.5 m is 1.8 m³.
- Weight
- Gross weight in kilograms, including pallets and packaging.
- Chargeable units
- The higher of the two. For example, 2 m³ weighing 600 kg counts as 2 units; 1 m³ weighing 1,800 kg counts as 1.8.
- Stacking
- Cargo that can't take anything on top of it can be charged for the space above it too.
What affects the cost of LCL shipping
Beyond the chargeable units, an LCL quote includes costs at each end of the voyage. A clear quote separates them, so you can compare like with like.
- Route and service
- Which consolidation services run to your destination, and how often they sail.
- CFS charges
- The container freight station's charges for receiving, loading and unpacking your cargo at each end.
- Collection and delivery
- Door to door, or delivered to and collected from the warehouses.
- Customs
- Export and import declarations, duty and import VAT, and any inspections.
- Cargo type
- Hazardous, oversized, heavy or non-stackable items, which not every service accepts.
- Insurance
- Cover for the value of your goods, arranged separately from the carrier's limited liability.
Packing and documents for LCL
Shared cargo is handled more often than a sealed container, so packing matters. Palletise where you can, use outer packaging that can take stacking, and wrap and strap each load.
The paperwork follows the same pattern as a full container: a commercial invoice, a packing list, export and import declarations with the right commodity codes, and an EORI number for UK businesses moving goods in or out of Great Britain.
- Marks and labels
- Consignee, destination and a package number, such as 1 of 4, on at least two sides.
- Packing list
- Every package's dimensions and weight, matching what's on the labels.
- Wooden packaging
- Solid-wood pallets and crates crossing borders need ISPM 15 treatment and the IPPC mark.
- Hazardous goods
- Declared at enquiry, with the UN number and class under the IMDG Code.
What to include in your LCL enquiry
The more precise the measurements, the more precise the quote. Measure the packed goods, not the products inside them.
- Origin and destination
- Town or postcode and country at each end.
- Packages
- How many, what type (pallet, crate or carton) and whether they can be stacked.
- Dimensions and weight
- Length, width and height in centimetres, and weight in kilograms, for each package.
- Cargo
- What it is, and whether it's hazardous, fragile or temperature-sensitive.
- Ready date
- When the cargo can be collected or delivered to the warehouse.
Questions about LCL shipping
In practice, none. Groupage is the name more often used in the UK and Europe; LCL, less than container load, is common elsewhere. Both mean shipping your cargo in a container shared with other shipments.
Per revenue ton, or W/M: each cubic metre or each 1,000 kg, whichever is higher, usually with a one cubic metre minimum. Warehouse handling, customs and delivery are charged on top at each end, so compare full quotes rather than the sea freight alone.
Measure each package in metres and multiply the length by the width by the height, then multiply by the number of identical packages. Three pallets of 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.2 m come to 4.32 m³.
Usually. Consolidation at origin and unpacking at destination add time, and services sail on the consolidator's schedule rather than yours. If a delivery date matters, include it in your enquiry.
Once a shipment reaches around 13 to 15 cubic metres, or when it's heavy, fragile or valuable enough to keep together. A 20 ft container holds about 33 m³, so a container of your own can cost less than the same space shared.
Sometimes. Dangerous goods must be classified, packed, labelled and declared under the IMDG Code and kept apart from incompatible cargo, and not every consolidation service accepts every class. Include the UN number and class in your enquiry.
It's your choice, but a carrier's liability is limited by international rules and may not match your goods' value. Because LCL cargo is handled at several points on its way, insuring it for its full value is worth considering.
It's the transport document issued for your shipment by the forwarder or consolidator, while the shipping line issues a master bill of lading for the whole container. The house bill is the one that follows your goods to release at destination.