Shared container
Not enough for a container of your own? Your pallets ride in one with other shippers' cargo, and you pay for the cubic meters you use.
What an LCL booking covers
- 01Space in a consolidated container, booked through an FMC-licensed forwarderorigin CFS to destination CFS
- 02Booking details and delivery instructions for your supplierincluded
- 03Document check before cut-offincluded
- 04ISF and customs entry through a licensed broker partneroptional, priced separately
- 05Pickup from the destination CFS and delivery to you or a partner warehousequoted per address
How you're charged: W/M
LCL is priced per "revenue ton". That's whichever is bigger: your volume in cubic meters, or your weight in metric tons. Light, bulky cargo pays on volume. Heavy, compact cargo pays on weight.
Example scenario
Three pallets of cushions, Asia → US West Coast
3 pallets × 120 × 100 × 150 cm = 5.4 CBM
Weight 450 kg = 0.45 tons
Billed on volume: 5.4 W/M × $95 = $513
Example scenario
Two pallets of floor tiles, same lane
2 pallets × 120 × 100 × 80 cm = 1.92 CBM
Weight 2,400 kg = 2.4 tons
Billed on weight: 2.4 W/M × $95 = $228, which is under the minimum, so $260
Minimums: 1 CBM, and $260 per shipment. Destination CFS charges are quoted separately.
The charge people forget
When an LCL container reaches the US, it goes to a container freight station (CFS) where it's unpacked and your pallets are separated out. The CFS charges for that, plus documentation and sometimes storage if you don't collect quickly.
Those destination charges aren't in our per-CBM rate, and on a small shipment they can be a real share of the bill. We quote them separately and name them, so they're on the quote as their own line instead of turning up on the invoice later.
When LCL stops making sense
- 0–10 CBMLCL, almost always
- 10–13 CBMLCL usually, check destination fees
- 13–15 CBMprice both
- 15+ CBMa 20' usually wins
A rule of thumb, not a law. Heavy cargo, tight deadlines and fragile goods all move the line.
Pack for more handling
LCL cargo gets loaded, unloaded and moved around a CFS at both ends. Loose cartons are the ones that go missing or get crushed. Palletize and wrap if you can ($45 per pallet if we do it), put your shipping marks on at least two sides, and don't build pallets taller than about 1.5 m unless we've talked about it.
LCL rates
- Asia → US West Coastfrom $95/CBM
- Asia → US East Coastfrom $125/CBM
- Europe → USfrom $110/CBM
- Minimum1 CBM, $260 per shipment
- Destination CFS chargesquoted separately
Indicative prices. Your written quote is what counts. Rates updated October 2026. Written quotes hold for 7 days, because ocean and air rates move.
For an LCL quote
- Number of pallets or cartons, with sizes and weights (or total CBM and kg)
- Supplier's city or port, and where it ends up in the US
- What the goods are and their value
- Your Incoterm, or "not sure"
Things that can add cost
- Destination CFS handling and documentation
- Storage at the CFS if not collected within free time
- Liftgate or residential delivery
- CBP exam fees, if selected
- Duties, MPF and HMF (passed through at cost)
Your cargo travels with licensed ocean carriers, consolidated and booked through FMC-licensed forwarders. ISF and entry go through licensed customs broker partners.
| Task | Done by |
|---|---|
| Quote, booking, coordination, paperwork chasing | We✓Us |
| Packing, crating, palletizing | PackersOur packers or a partner crating shop near the cargo (named in your quote) |
| Ocean carriage | CarrierLicensed ocean carriers and FMC-licensed forwarders |
| Air carriage | AirlineAirlines, booked through air freight forwarder partners |
| ISF, customs entries, bonds | Broker partnerLicensed customs broker partners |
| Storage, devanning, pick & pack, FBA prep | Partner warehousePartner warehouses |
| Cargo insurance | Third-party insurerThird-party insurers |
| Pickup and final delivery in the US | Carrier partnerCarrier partners |
LCL questions
Q01Does LCL take longer than FCL?
Often, yes. The container has to be filled at origin and unpacked at the CFS here, which adds days at both ends. Your quote gives an estimated transit time. It's an estimate, not a promise.
Q02Do I need ISF for LCL?
Yes. ISF applies to ocean shipments into the US whether the container is yours or shared.
Q03Can you deliver LCL straight to Amazon?
Usually it's better to land it at a partner warehouse first, check it, label it and forward cases. See FBA prep.
Know your pallet count? That's a quote.
A few details about the cargo and where it's going. We reply within one business day, Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 ET, with a written quote or the questions we need answered first.
No online payment · Written quote first