Sea transport allows for cheap freight forwarding of cargo to and from a large number of European countries. It is the preferred form of transport for big volumes of goods as well as for smaller ones in containers when the delivery terms are not urgent. The customers of freight forwarders Europe have a choice between FCL and LCL transport services.
What are the FCL and LCL shipments
FCL is an abbreviation for “full container load”. If you have large enough volumes of cargo which need to be forwarded, this is the best and the cheapest solution for you. The container will accommodate your cargo only. At arrival, it will be unloaded at the sea port and delivered to the end destination. The advantages of the FCL shipments are that the delivery will be faster due to the fact that the container doesn’t need to be opened along the way.
LCL stands for “less container load”. This type of transport can be used if your cargo can fill up an entire container, and thus will be loaded with the cargo of other customers in the same container. The delivery time is longer for this type of shipment due to the fact that usually the cargo of the different customers is headed for different destinations. This means that the container will be opened and closed along the way, which will slow down the process and does also increase the risk for the safety of your cargo. The customs checks when the container is opened can further slow down the delivery to its end destination.
Another potential problem with the LCL shipments is the risk of combining different types of goods and cargo, some of which may emit smells or be in liquid form and thus have a risk of spilling on top of the other goods in the container.
In regard to pricing, the FCL shipments have the benefit of having a firm price per container. On the other hand, if your cargo is of a small volume, the LCL shipment is much cheaper because the price is formed based on the volume of the container taken up by your goods.
The Freight forwarders will assist you when choosing the best type of container forwarding service you should use based on the volumes of your cargo as well as the level of security you require for it during the sea transport.
The regions where the network of freight forwarders can provide FCL and LCL forwarding services
The Forwarders throughout Europe can offer sea shipment services for all seas surrounding Europe, including: The Baltic, North, Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as the European part of the Atlantic Ocean, including: La Manche and the Irish Sea. 23 of all 28 member countries of the European Union have sea borders. Apart from the sea ports within these countries, the ports of other European countries can be used for container shipments as well.
The main sea ports in Europe of container shipments
Among the 20 main sea ports in Europe where container loads can be handled, some of the biggest and busiest ones are those in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Piraeus and Bremerhaven. The member companies of the international freight forwarders network can provide you will forwarding services to all main European sea ports as well as loading of separate containers for FCL shipments or consolidating your cargo with that of other customers for LCL shipments.
Additional services related to the FCL and LCL shipments
Along with the container sea freight forwarding services, the member companies of the European logistics network can provide the following supplemental services related to them:
- Storage of the cargo and its preparation for getting loaded in containers
- Packing of solid or liquid bulk cargoes
- Preparation of all documents needed for the transport
- Providing information regarding the status of the delivery and the location of the cargo in real time
- Cargo insurance services
As well as other related services required by the customers.