LCL Container Shipping For Small International Moves

What Is LCL Shipping?

Do you not have enough belongings to fit in a full container, and you don’t want to pay the full price? LCL shipping can be the solution for you. LCL stands for “less than container load”, and it means you can opt for shared container shipping instead.

What does this entail?

• The costs are much cheaper compared to a full 20ft or 40ft container.
• You only pay for the space you occupy.
• The transit time can be longer than usual.

FCL vs LCL Shipments

If this is the first time you’ve read about FCL and LCL shipping, it can get a bit confusing.

See the table below for the main differences between FCL and LCL shipping: 

Check out our article about container shipping prices in Canada to check how much it would cost you to ship a container overseas.

Opting for LCL Shipping is ideal for small international moves, especially if you are on a strict budget.

How Do You Know If You Should Choose LCL Over FCL?

Your Household Volume

If you want to know whether you need to opt for LCL or FCL Shipping, you must estimate the total size of your belongings. Without the proper tools, it can take too much time to do it by yourself. Fortunately, Sirelo has created a very useful Furniture Volume Calculator that you can use for free to estimate your volume.

Sometimes you may be required to get rid of some unnecessary items to take advantage of what LCL shipping has to offer. Because the space is limited, downsizing your volume can save you a lot of money.

Here are the three most common standard container sizes:

• 20ft container (32m3, perfect for a one-bedroom property)
• 40ft container (67m3, you can fit up to a three-bedroom property)
• 40ft high container (for very tall items)

Destination

When optimizing for LCL Shipping overseas, you should be aware that the person/s you are sharing the container with must be heading to the same destination as you. Therefore, LCL shipping takes much longer than FCL shipping.

We recommend you take this aspect into account if you decide to move forward with LCL container shipping.

How to Prepare For Your Shipment?

If LCL Shipping is your choice of relocation, you now need to prepare yourself for the moving process.

Don’t waste more time and request up to 5 free moving quotes from Sirelo. This saves you much more time and effort.

What Are Your Next Steps?

Pre-relocation

If you have decided to opt for a full-service moving company, you only need to take care of the following aspects:

• Declutter parts of your belongings. The smaller the size, the cheaper it’s going to get for you. You don’t need to get rid of everything, only the stuff you don’t necessarily need to bring along.
• Take notes of all your items and make a list. This is important, as some of your belongings might get lost.

Loading Process

Usually, the moving companies are expecting you to load your belongings when it comes to less than container load shipping, therefore:

• Organize your items and get them ready for loading.
• Make sure your belongings are separated from the other person’s items, so you do not confuse them when you unload.

Arrival at Destination

If you choose door-to-door relocation, the moving companies will come straight to your new home. If you choose door-to-port, you will need to collect your items yourself. Here is what you need to keep in mind:

• Make sure you are at the destination before the shipment arrives.
• Check for missing, broken, or stolen items
• If necessary, report any problems you may have to your moving company.

LCL vs FCL Pros And Cons

LCL (Less Than Container Load)

FCL (Full Container Load)

Are You Ready For Moving?

Thank you for reaching the end of our article. Read more on Moving Abroad, this will help you prepare for all the aspects of your move. Have a nice journey!