LCL or FCL: how to plan consolidation.
When sharing a container pays off, when it does not, and what weighs beyond freight.
5 min read
The maths is not only freight
LCL usually looks cheaper when you only look at the price per cubic metre. An honest comparison includes deconsolidation fees at destination, storage, extra clearance time and the damage risk from additional handling.
At volumes close to a 20-foot container, FCL often wins even with idle space — because it removes deconsolidation and reduces the number of hands touching the cargo.
Lead time is part of the cost
LCL cargo depends on the consolidator closing the container and on deconsolidation at destination. Those are days that do not show up in the quote, but do show up in your stock.
Consolidating at origin
When there is more than one supplier, consolidating at origin turns several LCLs into one FCL: one pickup, one check, one shipment and one clearance. This is where the DC in China stops being a convenience and becomes a saving.
