What is FCL? FCL stands for Full Container Load.

Around 90% of goods imported and exported in the world are shipped in large containers on ocean vessels. And most of those containers are shipped FCL. So what is FCL? FCL stands for Full Container Load. It is a term used for ocean freight shipments in which all goods, any container, are owned by one party. In the FCL mode of shipping, cargo is loaded in a container. And a single rate is paid for that entire container regardless of how much cargo is actually loaded in. In the case where cargo is too small to fill a full container, businesses usually look at alternative shipping modes, like Less than Container Loads, otherwise known as LCL. LCL, as well as freight shipping, will be covered in later courses. In FCL, shipping the most commonly used containers are dry storage containers. And they usually come in the following sizes– 20-foot, 40-foot, 40-foot high cube, 45-foot high cube. Aside from the standard dry container, there are other specialty containers that can be utilized for specific types of cargo, such as refrigerated containers, otherwise known as reefers, which are used for temperature-sensitive cargo, like produce, open-top containers for cargo which is easily loaded to the door of a container, like recycled tires, tanks for liquid cargo, like chemicals or even wine, flat racks, which are used for oversized cargo, like factory equipment. These are some foundational, measurable aspects of FCL shipping that begins with container usage and types. You may imagine how products in your everyday life may have been transported.