The choice between LCL (Less than Container Load) and FCL (Full Container Load) will normally depend on the size and weight of your shipment, although current freight rates and other charges can also affect which option offers the best value.

For smaller consignments, LCL will generally be the more economical option because you are only paying for part of the container rather than hiring the complete container.

As the size of the shipment increases, however, there can come a point where FCL becomes more cost-effective, even though your goods may not completely fill the container.

If you are unsure which option is most suitable for you and your goods, contact a member of our Imports Team, who will be happy to offer some advice and give you an idea of the costs involved.

LCL sea freight charges are generally based on the size and/or weight of your shipment, together with the costs involved in collecting, handling and transporting the goods.

For this reason, we will normally need the number and type of packages, their dimensions and the gross weight before we can provide an accurate quotation. Your overseas supplier should be able to provide this information to you.

It is also important to consider the overall cost of the shipment rather than simply comparing the headline sea freight rate. Depending on the shipping arrangements, there may also be collection, consolidation, handling, documentation and destination charges.

In our experience, particularly when buying goods from overseas suppliers, a very low freight price quoted at origin does not always represent the total amount that will eventually be payable.

Where possible, UK Import Services aims to identify the expected charges when preparing our quotation, giving you a clearer indication of the likely overall shipping cost before the goods are shipped.

To provide an LCL sea freight quotation, we will normally need:

• Country and location of the supplier
• Port of departure, if known
• UK delivery postcode
• Number and type of packages
• Dimensions of each package
• Gross weight
• Description of the goods
• When the goods will be ready for collection or shipment
• Agreed Incoterm, if known

If you do not have all of this information yet, don’t worry. We can usually work with estimated dimensions and weights to give you an idea of the likely costs involved. Once your supplier provides the final details, we can revise the quotation to make it more accurate.

LCL sea freight transit times will depend on where the goods are being shipped from, the shipping line, route and service being used.

Unlike FCL shipments, additional time also needs to be allowed for the goods to be consolidated with other consignments before departure and for the container to be unloaded, or “devanned”, after arrival in the UK.

The quoted port-to-port transit time should therefore not be treated as the total door-to-door shipping time.

If timing is important, contact UK Import Services before placing your order and we can check the available shipping options and expected transit times for your particular consignment.

When an LCL container arrives in the UK, it normally needs to be moved to a warehouse where the container is unloaded and the individual consignments are separated.

Once your goods have been made available, the necessary UK Customs clearance can be completed and the goods released for collection or delivery.

Because an LCL container contains goods belonging to several different importers, there can occasionally be delays if another consignment within the same container requires additional checks or clearance by the relevant authorities.

UK Import Services can coordinate the Customs clearance and final delivery of your goods, helping to provide a single UK point of contact through the arrival and delivery process.