US-China Sea Freight: LCL, FCL & Groupage Compared

For ocean shipping to the United States, Seapoe's experienced consultant team will recommend different shipping solutions based on each client's situation and provide butler-style service throughout the entire process, so clients need not worry about anything.

However, it is still advisable to gain a basic understanding of the three main forms of US ocean shipping services—FCL, LCL, and Groupage—and how to choose among them.

Full Container Load (FCL) Ocean Shipping

If you are shipping many items, such as an entire household of furniture and a large amount of bulky luggage to the US or back to China, and the volume reaches approximately 15-20 cubic meters, you can book a 20-foot container for ocean shipping (a 20-foot container, considering factors such as the irregular shapes of furniture, can hold at most 25-26 cubic meters of furniture-type items). Of course, FCL does not mean the entire container is completely filled—it means the container belongs to you alone. Containers generally come in three common types: 20-foot, 40-foot, and 40-foot high cube. The specific choice depends on the volume of goods to be shipped.

Less than Container Load (LCL) Ocean Shipping

If your cargo volume is not enough to fill a container, you can use this LCL shipping method. The goods in the container are jointly owned by different shippers.

Groupage (Consolidated Shipping)

Groupage service is very similar to LCL, or rather, it is a type of LCL. The biggest difference from conventional LCL is that all goods in a groupage container are owned by Seapoe's clients. Thanks to Seapoe's large customer base on US routes, at least 3-4 containers depart weekly between China and the US. The advantages of Seapoe groupage are, on one hand, reduced costs that save clients on shipping fees, and on the other hand, all goods in the container are coordinated by Seapoe, maximizing the safety of clients' belongings.

It is generally recommended to choose groupage service when you have items equivalent to 15 or more 28-inch suitcases, or a relatively large amount of furniture or handicrafts, but less than 15 cubic meters—it is simpler and more cost-effective. All items will be packed and picked up by our professional staff who will bring packaging materials to your door, wrap items in soft packaging, assign numbers to each item, and create a customized item list. Since the items are consolidated with those of other Seapoe clients, you will need to wait for customer service staff to arrange the schedule and consolidate the shipment.

The above is a brief introduction to FCL, LCL, and Groupage in Seapoe Relo's US ocean shipping moving services and how to choose among them. In actual practice, FCL and Groupage are the two most commonly used forms.