FCL stands for “full container load”. This term is commonly used in the sea freight forwarding process.
FCL shipments use the entire container, unlike LCL – less than a container load – where shipments
share container space with other goods.
Benefits of FCL Shipment
If you are looking for a sea freight importer in India or a sea freight exporter in India to ship bulk items and large-volume products – ensure you pick the FCL shipment option. FCL ocean freight services offer several advantages. Some of them are listed below:- Saves Time: In FCL shipments ocean freight forwarders do not combine your goods with other shipments. As a result, the shipment doesn’t need to be loaded and unloaded several times. Instead, the whole container is transported directly to the final destination. This saves transit time.
- Fewer Opportunities for Damage: In FCL ocean freight services, the entire container is loaded and sealed at the factory itself. Unless a container examination is required, the cargo is unloaded only when it reaches the destination warehouse. As a result, FCL has the advantage of significantly less handling compared to LCL shipments – since there’s no need to consolidate and de-consolidate other shipper’s cargo. It not only reduces the risk of damage but also maintains the integrity of your product throughout the shipment journey.
- Cheaper: When you transfer your goods via FCL containers, you need to pay a flat fee and gain access to the whole container space. FCL is a better choice for businesses that prefer to ship a large amount of stock that can fill the whole. It’s worth charging a flat rate as the cost per unit on LCL shipment is much higher.
How Does FCL Shipping Work?
The process for FCL transport is more straightforward than LCL shipment. Here is a step by step guide on how full container load shipment works: – Stage 1: Book Your Shipment – Contact your logistics service company in India and book the FCL shipment. Here you need to provide all the relevant shipment specifications to the project cargo forwarder. The service provider will arrange the entire shipment, as per your needs. Stage 2: Prepare Goods for Shipping – At this stage, the freight forwarder will start preparing your shipment. Stage 3: ‘Drayage’ – As soon as the goods are packed into the container, they will be ‘drayed’ or transported towards the port – where all the goods will be exported. Stage 4: Transit – Once at the port, the FCL shipment will transit to its desired destination. Stage 5: Pickup/ delivery – Once the shipment arrives at the destination port, the goods are offloaded from the vessel. Here special transport arrangements are made to deliver the goods to the final destination point.What Types of Goods Can Be Shipped in FCL Freight?
Just like the Less container load (LCL) shipment, you can ship almost all types of goods in FCL shipment. However, just make sure you inform your project freight forwarder if your cargo requires special handling or specific temperature requirements – especially if it’s perishable and dangerous goods like meat and meat by-products, fish and seafood, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, flowers, pharmaceutical products, chemicals, etc. Your service provider will customize the service for you, so that your cargo remains in proper condition until it reaches the final destination.Can You Choose an FCL Shipping Service, For a Relatively Small Shipment?
Yes, you can choose an FCL shipping service, even for a relatively small shipment. If you are concerned about the risk of damage or contamination of your freight and you want your container to remain sealed from the point of origin to the point of destination, FCL will be your best option, even if you are shipping a low volume of goods.Factors that Influence FCL Rates
If you choose FCL, you pay a flat rate for the whole box, irrespective of how much it holds. However, there are certain factors that influence FCL rates.- Availability:FCL ocean freight rates rise and fall with the availability of containers and space on carriers.
- Peak Season:During these times the logistics demand is high and the container capacity becomes scarce. As a result, there is a spike in freight prices.
- GRI:GRI or General Rate Increase is the amount by which ocean carriers increase their base rates across specific lines, generally as a result of increased demand. A GRI is usually announced once a year in a stable market, however, there have been instances of multiple GRIs in a year or none at all.