Los Angeles & 
Foshan
Glossary · Shipping
What is FCL (Full container load)?
Ocean shipping where one shipper books a whole container and pays a flat rate per box, full or not; it is sealed at origin and opened at destination.
With FCL, you book an entire 20-foot or 40-foot container. It is loaded at the factory or a warehouse, sealed, and normally stays sealed until it reaches your door or a US warehouse, unless customs opens it for an exam.
FCL is priced per container, not per cubic meter, so it becomes cheaper per unit than LCL once a shipment fills a good part of a container. It also means less handling, less risk of damage and usually a faster release at destination, because nothing has to be unpacked at a shared warehouse.
To choose between FCL and LCL, work out your volume in CBM and compare quotes. A container load calculator gives a first estimate of how many units fit.
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