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Logistics & Supply Chain vocabulary · Transport Modes

LCL

Meaning in logistics & supply chain, with examples

abbreviationCommon term

In logistics & supply chain, LCL means: Short for less than container load: a small sea shipment that shares a container with goods from other shippers and pays only for the space it uses.

In Turkish: parsiyel konteyner, LCL, grupaj

How it is used

Priced per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is higher (often written W/M). The forwarder consolidates LCL cargo at a warehouse called a CFS and separates it again at destination, which adds handling time.

Example sentences

  1. Three pallets is too little for a full container, so let's send it LCL.

  2. LCL rates look cheap, but check the destination charges before you decide.

Common collocations

  • LCL shipment
  • ship LCL
  • LCL rate per cubic metre
  • LCL consolidation
  • FCLShort for full container load: a sea shipment in which one shipper's goods fill or use a whole container on their own.
  • consolidationCombining several small shipments, often from different shippers, into one larger load, such as a full container or truck, to lower the cost per unit.
  • containerA large steel box of standard size used to carry goods by ship, train and truck without unloading them when they move from one vehicle to another.
  • freight forwarderA company that organizes shipments for its customers: it books space with carriers, prepares documents and arranges customs, insurance and delivery.
  • ocean freightThe transport of goods by ship, mostly in containers; the cheapest way to move large volumes over long international distances.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Transport Modes

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