Sea Freight: FCL and LCL Container Shipping
Our team organises your FCL and LCL container shipments end to end, from port selection to delivery order, with customs clearance and inland legs when you need them.
Sea freight moves cargo by container from port to port and takes two basic forms: FCL, where the whole container belongs to one shipper, and LCL, where the cargo of several shippers is consolidated in one container. The choice depends on volume, weight, urgency and how well the cargo tolerates handling. CargoMerger organises both.
What is the difference between FCL and LCL?
The difference is whether the container is shared. In FCL the container carries only your cargo; the seal is applied at loading and is not broken until arrival. In LCL your cargo is stowed with other shippers' cargo in one container at a consolidation warehouse and separated again at a warehouse at destination. This changes both price and time: FCL is priced per container and involves less handling, while LCL is priced by volume or weight, takes longer door to door because of consolidation and deconsolidation, and carries a higher risk of damage because the cargo is handled more. LCL suits small, regular shipments; FCL suits bulky, fragile or time-critical cargo. For dangerous goods FCL is often the only option from the start.
- FCL is priced per container; LCL per cubic metre or per tonne.
- LCL adds a few days for consolidation and deconsolidation; the exact time depends on the line and on warehouse congestion.
- Cargo that cannot be stacked, is fragile or is moisture-sensitive is safer in FCL.
- Dangerous goods under the IMDG Code (known in the trade as "IMO cargo") are mostly not accepted on LCL services.
- In FCL the seal stays intact until arrival, so the risk of theft and mix-ups is low.
From how many cubic metres is FCL cheaper than LCL?
In practice the break-even starts at roughly 13–15 m³ for a 20-foot container, above which the LCL rate per cubic metre begins to exceed the price of a whole container. For a 40-foot container it is higher, roughly 25–30 m³. The threshold is not fixed: LCL load factors on the route, the season, the number of transhipments and equipment availability all move it. LCL also carries fixed items beside the per-m³ rate — delivery order, warehouse, deconsolidation and a minimum charge — which raise the total quickly on small cargo and lower the threshold. For heavy but compact cargo the decision is made on weight, not volume. The sound approach is not to rely on one number but to price both scenarios side by side for the same cargo. You can estimate the volume with the CBM calculator.
How is sea freight calculated?
In FCL the freight is a fixed amount per container; in LCL it is calculated on whichever is greater, tonnes or cubic metres. The industry rule is 1 m³ = 1,000 kg, known as the revenue ton or W/M. So a 6-tonne cargo of 4 m³ is charged on 6 units. The variables that set the price are the load and discharge port pair, container type, number of transhipments, season and vessel capacity, equipment availability, refrigeration or dangerous-goods requirements, and the delivery terms. The choice of Incoterms feeds directly into the price, because it decides which costs fall on the shipper and which on the consignee. That is why the difference between two quotes often comes not from the freight itself but from the ancillary items each quote covers.
Which container type should I choose?
Two separate limits drive the choice: internal volume and maximum payload. Whichever your cargo reaches first decides. For light, bulky cargo the cubic metre is the limit, and a 40' HC, which is 30 cm higher than the standard 40', does the job. For dense cargo such as marble, metal or machinery, volume is left unused, weight sets the limit and a 20-foot container is preferred. The figures in the table below are common approximate values; the real internal dimensions and maximum payload are printed on the container's CSC plate and vary by manufacturer and container owner. Road axle-weight limits can also set a ceiling below the weight the container could theoretically hold. The verified gross mass of a loaded container (VGM) must be declared before loading onto the vessel. See also the container capacity calculator.
What costs come on top of the freight?
The freight is only the vessel's transport charge; terminal, documentation, storage and container-use items are invoiced separately. The most common are THC, the delivery order, storage, demurrage and detention, and surcharges such as BAF and CAF. Some are fixed and predictable; storage, demurrage and detention grow with delay and are the items that most often upset an import budget. Each line grants a free time for the container, which varies by line and port. When requesting a quote, ask in writing which items are included, how many days of free time apply and from which date they start. Terms are used differently between agents, so the contract should state whether the period runs inside the port or until the empty container is returned.
- THC: the handling charge for lifting the container off the vessel, moving it to the yard and stacking it at the terminal.
- Delivery order (ordino): the document of the line's agent stating that the cargo can be released once freight and charges are paid; in Türkiye it is not a document found in customs legislation and customs does not ask for it — its function is the physical release of the cargo from the terminal or warehouse.
- Storage: the charge paid to the port operator for the period the container waits in the port yard or a warehouse.
- Demurrage: the container-use charge paid to the line when the container stays in the port or terminal beyond the free time the line grants; separate from the storage the port operator charges for the same waiting.
- Detention: the charge for the time from when the container leaves the port until it is returned empty; separate from storage and demurrage.
- BAF and CAF: periodically updated surcharges reflecting fuel prices and currency movements respectively; the ISPS security charge and the PSS peak-season surcharge belong to the same group.
What is a bill of lading, and how do telex release and sea waybill differ?
A bill of lading (B/L) is the document showing that the carrier has received the cargo; it evidences the contract of carriage and, in its original form, represents the goods. Transferring it transfers possession of the goods — it does not by itself pass ownership, which is determined by the sales contract. Because the original B/L is a document of title, the cargo is not released at the discharge port without the original set; it can be transferred by endorsement and is standard in letter-of-credit transactions. With a telex release, the shipper surrenders the originals to the loading agent and the line notifies its destination agent that release is allowed, so the cargo can be collected without couriering the original documents. A sea waybill is not a document of title: delivery is made to the named consignee after identity checks and it cannot be endorsed. The shipper does, however, keep the right of control over the cargo until delivery and can change the consignee by written instruction to the carrier. The choice is financial rather than commercial: if payment has been received, a sea waybill speeds things up; if payment carries risk, an original bill of lading keeps control of the goods with the shipper.
How does the process run for export and import?
In export the process starts with the booking and in import it ends with the delivery order and return of the empty container. Many of the steps in between run in parallel; the critical point is the port cut-off times, because document and container cut-offs close days before the vessel sails. The main container ports in Türkiye are İzmir Alsancak, Ambarlı, Mersin, Gemlik and Aliağa. Which port to use often depends less on price than on whether the line calls there: Alsancak and Aliağa stand out for Aegean cargo, Ambarlı and Gemlik for the Marmara region, and Mersin for the Mediterranean and Middle East connections. Transit time depends on the line, on whether the service is direct or with transhipment, and on customs congestion, and can differ from week to week even for the same port pair.
- Export: quote and booking, empty container supply, loading at the factory or warehouse, VGM declaration, customs declaration and movement documents, gate-in and cut-off, loading on the vessel, issue of the bill of lading.
- Import: arrival notice, registration of the import declaration and customs inspection, payment of duties, payment of freight and destination charges, presentation of the original B/L or telex release, collection of the delivery order, pick-up from the port and return of the empty container.
- For LCL, deconsolidation at the destination warehouse and the warehouse declaration are added to these steps.
- For door-to-door service, the road legs at both ends and, if needed, customs clearance and warehousing are included in the organisation.
How are dangerous, heavy and out-of-gauge cargoes moved?
The list of cargo that cannot go by sea at all is short; the real issue is classifying, packing and declaring the cargo correctly. Dangerous goods fall into nine classes under the IMDG Code, and the class determines the packaging, labelling, stowage position on the vessel, which cargoes may not be carried together and the emergency procedure. Before booking, the line's approval is obtained with the product's UN number and safety data sheet (SDS; in Türkiye GBF under KKDİK, formerly MSDS); some lines and ports do not accept certain classes at all, and most classes are not carried on LCL services. Cargo whose dimensions exceed the container gauge goes on flat rack or open top, and cargo that does not fit those goes by conventional loading. For such moves, correct declaration of dimensions and centre of gravity, the lashing plan, port crane capacity and road permits decide whether the job is feasible.
Container types: approximate internal volume and maximum payload as shown on the CSC plate. Because of road axle-weight limits, the weight that can actually be loaded in Türkiye is lower than these values — often 21–22 tonnes in a 20-foot container. Exact values are on the container's CSC plate and vary by manufacturer and line.
| Container type |
Internal volume (approx.) |
Maximum payload (approx.) |
Typical use |
| 20' DV (standard dry) |
33 m³ |
~28 tonnes (~21–22 tonnes in older 24 t gross types) |
Heavy cargo of small volume such as marble, metal, machinery |
| 40' DV (standard dry) |
68 m³ |
26–27 tonnes |
Packed commercial cargo of medium density |
| 40' HC (high cube) |
76 m³ |
26–27 tonnes |
Light, bulky cargo such as textiles, furniture, plastics |
| 20' reefer (refrigerated) |
27–28 m³ |
~27 tonnes (can drop to 21 tonnes depending on type) |
Fresh produce, food, pharmaceuticals; controlled temperature |
| 40' HC reefer |
65–67 m³ |
25–26 tonnes |
Long-distance cold-chain shipments |
| 20' / 40' open top |
32 / 66 m³ |
~28 / ~26 tonnes |
Cargo loaded from above by crane, or too tall to pass through the door |
| 40' flat rack |
No side or top walls |
Varies by type; over 30 tonnes for heavy types |
Out-of-gauge machinery, pipes, marble blocks, generators |
Documents used in this shipment
- Bill of lading (B/L) — the document of title showing the carrier has received the cargo; in its original form it represents the goods and transfers possession when transferred.
- Sea waybill / telex release confirmation — non-transferable alternatives used for release without presenting original documents.
- Delivery order (ordino) — the line agent's document stating that the cargo can be collected from the terminal or warehouse in import; it is not found in customs legislation.
- Booking confirmation and shipping instruction — the document stating container type, port pair, cut-off times and free periods.
- Commercial invoice — shows the type, quantity, unit and total value of the cargo and the delivery terms.
- Packing list — the breakdown of packages or pallets, outer dimensions, gross and net weight.
- Customs declaration — the export or import regime declaration; carries HS code, origin, delivery terms and value.
- A.TR movement certificate — proves free-circulation status under the Türkiye–EU Customs Union for industrial and processed agricultural products; it is not a certificate of origin. ECSC (coal and steel) products and agricultural products outside the Customs Union are excluded; for these, EUR.1 is used for preferential tariff treatment towards the EU. See A.TR.
- EUR.1 / EUR-MED movement certificate — proof of origin and reduced tariffs for countries with a preferential trade agreement. See EUR.1.
- Certificate of origin — proof of non-preferential origin; issued as the destination country requires.
- VGM (verified gross mass) declaration — the weighing declaration required by SOLAS before a loaded container can be taken on board.
- Dangerous goods declaration (DGD) and safety data sheet (SDS/GBF) — for IMDG cargo, with class, UN number and packaging details.
- Container packing certificate — declares that stowage, segregation and labelling of dangerous goods comply with the rules.
- Cargo insurance policy — taken out by the shipper or consignee depending on the delivery terms; not included in the freight. In sea carriage the carrier's liability is limited, under Hague-Visby based provisions, to the higher of 666.67 SDR per package and 2 SDR per kilogram; because this ceiling is below the real value of most cargo, a separate policy is standard practice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between demurrage and detention?
Demurrage is the charge for a container staying in the port yard beyond the free time; detention is the charge for the time from when the container leaves the port until it is returned empty. Both are paid to the line. Separately from these, storage is paid to the port operator for the space the container occupies in the port yard. Free times differ by line, port and route, so get written confirmation at the booking stage. See demurrage and detention.
Can I collect my cargo without a delivery order?
For customs purposes the delivery order is not mandatory in Türkiye: it is not a document found in customs legislation, and the Directorate General of Customs stated in a letter of 23.11.2017 that customs offices will not ask for it at any stage of customs procedures; a declaration can be registered without it. In practice, however, the line's agent requires it before the cargo can be physically collected from the terminal or warehouse. To issue it, freight and destination charges must be paid and the release condition on the bill of lading (presentation of the original B/L or telex release) must be met. Any delay at this step goes straight onto the invoice as storage and demurrage, so the documents are prepared before arrival. See delivery order.
How long does sea freight take?
No single figure can be given. The time depends on whether the service is direct or with transhipment, the number of port calls on the vessel's rotation, the season, port congestion and the speed of customs procedures; it differs from week to week even for the same port pair. LCL adds a few days compared with FCL because of consolidation and deconsolidation. With the quote we share the sailing schedule valid that week.
Why is my LCL freight higher than the weight I declared?
Because in LCL the freight is calculated on whichever is greater, weight or volume. The industry rule counts 1 m³ as 1,000 kg — the revenue ton, or W/M. For light but bulky cargo the invoice follows cubic metres, not kilograms. Volume is taken from the outer dimensions including the pallet, so packaging and palletising directly affect the freight.
What happens if the original bill of lading is lost?
The cargo is not released without the original set; if it is lost, the line usually releases against a bank guarantee letter. This takes both time and money, and meanwhile storage and demurrage keep running. If payment has been collected and there is trust with the buyer, using a telex release or sea waybill removes this risk from the start.
Do I choose the loading port myself?
Port selection starts from where the cargo is, but the final decision rests with the line service. For cargo from the Aegean, İzmir Alsancak or Aliağa are the natural choices, but if the line with a direct service to the destination port sails from Ambarlı, lengthening the road leg can give a faster and cheaper result overall. We calculate both options for cost and time and present them side by side.
What information do you need to give me a quote?
The type of cargo and its HS code (GTİP), the outer dimensions together with the number of packages or pallets, the gross weight, the loading address and the destination port or delivery address, the delivery terms (Incoterms) and, if known, the ready date. If the cargo is dangerous goods, the UN number and the safety data sheet (SDS/GBF) are also needed. With this information we price FCL and LCL scenarios side by side and show in detail which items are included.