LCL is a term used in sea freight to describe loads that are “less than a container load,” or a shipment that does not fill an entire container. Depending on the route, destination, and requirement, shipping via LCL may be more costly than FCL, so contact a reputable freight forwarder or 3rd party logistics company to obtain a few quotes.

In an LCL shipment, different shippers share a container. When cargo volume is not enough to fill a full container, an LCL shipment is usually cheaper, since the cost of shipping a full container is shared. When comparing the CBM cost between an LCL shipment and an FCL shipment, LCL will be higher, but the total price is often lower.