LCL (Less than Container Load)

LCL lets a shipper move cargo too small to justify a whole container by sharing space with other consignments. A consolidator groups shipments at a container freight station at origin, stuffs them into one container, then deconsolidates at destination. The trade-off is time and handling: consolidation and deconsolidation typically add several days at each end, and the cargo is handled alongside other shippers' goods, which raises the risk of damage, delay, or being held because of an unrelated consignment in the same container. LCL is priced per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is greater, and destination charges are frequently where the real cost sits.