FCL vs. LCL Shipping: What's the Difference?

FCL (Full Container Load) means a single shipper's cargo occupies an entire container, whether or not it physically fills the space. This is the more common choice for machinery, larger vehicle shipments, or general cargo with enough volume to justify a dedicated container — it also means the cargo isn't handled alongside other shippers' goods.

LCL (Less than Container Load) means the cargo shares a container with shipments from other shippers, consolidated at origin and deconsolidated at destination. This lowers cost for smaller shipments that don't need a full container, but adds handling steps and typically extends transit time compared to FCL on the same route.

For most machinery and vehicle shipments, FCL is the default. LCL becomes worth considering for smaller general cargo shipments where a full container would go mostly empty.