LCL (Less than Container load):

LCL (Less-than-container Load) is a shipping term used to describe container loads which are filled by multiple orders or goods. When shipping a small volume of stock by container ship, it’s more economical to combine your delivery with other orders. This is termed ‘Less-than-container Load’.

LCL is an international ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) term; the container load contains numerous consignees or importers.

LCL Benefits

Good for shipping small loads – early on, a business might want to ship lower volumes of goods initially before ramping up volumes, LCL is a good option to start off when trading

Lower sourcing risk – if you’re sourcing goods from numerous suppliers to test stock, using LCL can prevent ordering a bulk volume of goods as your first test run

Shorter delivery time – because you won’t need to wait until you need sufficient volume to send a whole container of goods, the goods ordered would arrive to your destination faster

Less inventory management – as the volume of goods are lower than that for a full container, inventory management in the warehouse will be minimal