What is LCL (less than container load)?
The shipper delivers the cargo to a consolidator's container freight station (CFS) near the origin port. There it is loaded into a container with other shipments, which sails under a master bill of lading while each shipper receives a house bill of lading. At destination the box is unpacked at a CFS and each consignment is released once cleared. Freight is charged per W/M, with 1 m³ counting as 1,000 kg.
LCL is the service the shipper buys; consolidation is the forwarder's work that makes it possible. In Europe the same service is often called groupage. Compared with FCL, LCL is cheaper for small volumes but slower, because cargo waits for the container to close and then for unpacking. A customs hold on one shipment can also delay everything else in the same container.
LCL cargo is handled several times, so it should be palletized where possible, strongly packed and labeled on every piece. Look beyond the ocean rate: CFS handling, documentation and destination charges, billed per W/M or per shipment, can exceed the freight itself on small consignments. As a rough guide, once a shipment passes 13–15 m³, compare the price of a full 20-foot container.