Definition
An ocean shipment that fills (or is booked to fill) an entire container, used by a single consignee.
FCL means the shipper books a whole container — 20ft, 40ft or 40ft High Cube — rather than sharing space. The cargo does not have to physically fill the box; the buyer simply pays for exclusive use of the container.
FCL is typically cheaper per CBM than LCL once volume is high enough, avoids the consolidation/deconsolidation steps of shared shipments, and reduces handling risk because the container is sealed at origin and opened at destination.
Related terms
LCL (Less than Container Load)
An ocean shipment too small to justify a full container, consolidated with other cargo into one box.
TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
The standard capacity unit equal to one 20ft container, used to measure vessel and terminal volumes.
CBM (Cubic Metre)
The volume of cargo in cubic metres — length × width × height in metres — used to price freight.
High Cube Container (HC)
A container that is one foot taller than a standard box (9ft 6in), giving extra internal volume.
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