What is LCL Shipping?

LCL (Less Than Container Load) shipping is when you ship goods via sea freight and they’re loaded into a shared container with other people’s goods for transit.

LCL (Less Than Container Load) shipping can be an easy cheaper alternative option to FCL (Full Container Load) shipping. The essential difference is that instead of filling an entire container with your goods, you’re sharing a container with other importers. This mode of transport means that you don’t have to buy enough stock to fill an entire container load – and that, instead of paying for an entire container, you only pay for the space inside of one that you use. 

It`s Cost-effective delivery for less time-sensitive international shipments

ATTENTION: it is necessary to understand that, both in the country of dispatch and in the country of receipt, there will be additional warehouse expenses of the agent of the line.

Below, we’ve explained how the entire process of LCL shipping works.

  • Our local overseas agent will contact your supplier
  • They will decide, based on the readiness of the goods, which container ship they will catch
  • The goods will be collected or delivered to a warehouse near/at the port of origin
  • The warehouse will load them into a shared container with the cargo from other customers
  • The container will be sealed and taken to the port
  • It’s loaded onto the container ship which brings it to the Finland
  • In the Finland the container is taken off the ship and moved to a local warehouse
  • At the warehouse your goods will be unpacked from the container
  • We’ll declare them to Finish customs (using the invoice for the goods, your EORI number (we can help if you don’t have one) and the commodity code(s) for your goods.
  • We’ll contact you to arrange delivery the goods once cleared and released
  • Delivery arrives outside your premises
  • You unload your goods from the truck and then use/sell/enjoy them!

Calculation of cargo weight
For container transportation (LCL):
1 m³ = 1000 kg
Shipping costs by sea are calculated by the largest of the parameters (volumetric weight or gross weight)

We would love to help you minimise your costs with LCL shipping, so just get in contact us by email wcargo@wcargo.eu