Less than Container Load.
A few pallets, not a whole box.
Ship a few pallets by sea without paying for a whole container. Your cargo is consolidated with other shippers’ freight at origin, sails as part of one box, and is separated again at destination.
Below about 13 cubic metres, buying a whole container is usually paying for air.
LCL is how small ocean shipments move. Your pallets are delivered to a container freight station at origin, loaded into a container alongside cargo from other shippers, and separated again at a CFS near the destination port before being released to you. You are charged on whichever is greater, the volume in cubic metres or the weight in units of 1,000 kg, which is why a heavy, dense shipment can cost more than its size suggests. The trade you are making is money against time and handling: LCL keeps small volumes affordable, but the freight is stuffed and stripped at both ends and typically adds about a week to the door to door transit compared with a full container on the same sailing.
Your pallets share a container with other shippers — and you only pay for your share.
From quote to POD, step by step.
Measure and quote
We take the dimensions and weight, work out the chargeable volume, and quote against both LCL and a 20' so you can see where the crossover sits on your lane.
Delivery to the CFS
Your supplier delivers to the consolidation warehouse by the cut-off. Miss the cut-off and the freight waits for the next container, which is where most LCL delay comes from.
Consolidate and sail
The freight is loaded with other cargo, documented and shipped. We track the master booking and tell you if the box rolls.
Deconsolidate and deliver
At destination the container is stripped at a CFS, your cargo is separated, cleared and released, and we run the final leg to your door.
What drives the rate?
Transparent inputs, not mystery margins. Here’s exactly what goes into a less than container load (lcl) quote.
Get my rateLCL or air freight — what actually changes
| Factor | LCL | Air freight |
|---|---|---|
| Rate basis | Per CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater | Per chargeable kilo, volumetric or actual |
| Transit | Weeks, plus CFS time at both ends | Days, plus airport handling |
| Cost | Far lower per kilo on anything bulky | Justified when the cargo is light, urgent or high value |
| Handling | Stuffed and stripped with other cargo | Palletized or loose, handled through terminals |
| Predictability | Sailing schedules, with roll risk in peak season | Frequent departures, easier to recover a missed flight |
| Best when | Small ocean volumes where a week either way is fine | Deadlines, launches and stockouts |
Less than Container Load (LCL) questions, answered.
What is LCL shipping?
How is LCL priced?
What is the minimum LCL shipment?
How much longer does LCL take than FCL?
When should I switch from LCL to a full container?
Is LCL riskier than FCL?
Can several suppliers ship together as one LCL?
What documents do you need for an LCL booking?
Rates and transit times change by market.
What a lane costs and how long it takes depends on the terminals, ramps and crossings at each end. Pick your market for the local detail.
We run less than container load (lcl) out of every market we cover — Mississauga, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe. Tell us the origin and destination and we will price the lane.
One file. Multiple services. Same team.
A whole container on a fixed sailing, sealed at your supplier.
FCL and LCL worldwide, port to port or full door to door with drayage.
Several LTL shipments into one truckload, at the full-load rate.
Airport to airport or door to door — standard, express and next flight out.
Door to door from China by ocean or air — FCL, LCL and final-mile delivery.
Have a shipment? Get rates in 10 min.
Tell us the origin, destination and mode. A Qeep specialist replies within 10 minutes with live capacity, lane price, and a transit window you can actually plan around.