Logistics management is a rather exhausting process. It plays an important role in the supply chain. If you want to make your business flourish and develop, it’s necessary to establish new marketing channels and set up their stable functioning. You have to be aware of the main concepts in the freight forwarding industry. If you do not know what the difference between LTL and FTL freight is and what services are provided at warehouses, you can hardly distribute your products effectively. The following information will be rather useful and helpful for those who want to know what LCL stands for and whether it’s a good solution for their business or not.
LCL is an abbreviation for less than container load. The first thing to be mentioned about this type of transportation is that it implies only ocean shipping. The service is rather favorable for business owners who need to transport small amounts of products. Not all the cargoes fill the whole container. In this case, LCL is an awesome opportunity to transport your cargo without paying for extra free space. It’s appropriate for freights which are less than 33 cubic meters. You should pay only for the space your items take.
There are some eminent advantages of this shipping model. They are the following:
- It allows transporting goods and products worldwide.
Although truck freight transportation is still one of the most popular shipping models, it’s not able to cover all the areas. It’s not the reason to give up the idea of distributing your products to new locations. Less than container load is an effective way to transport cargoes of any size;
- It’s convenient.
You don’t need to wait until the container is filled with your goods. Other cargoes are added rather quickly. You may count on fast departure;
- It’s safe and secure.
The risks of damages are low. Moreover, it’s almost impossible to lose your items while the goods are always in the container.
If you decide to use the LCL option, keep in mind your cargo should not include perishable articles. It’s a cool solution if you deal with less time-critical elements. Moreover, you never guess which articles will be placed together with your items.
It’s worth mentioning that LCL is a perfect alternative to expensive air shipping. The prices are more affordable. Moreover, it’s possible to consolidate several cargoes to minimize the expenditures. The only thing you have to do is to find local freight companies to deliver your items from the port to the final destination.
At the same time, there is a significant disadvantage of this mode of transportation. You can’t count on a lightning-fast delivery. Then, it’s advisable to pick expedite shipping when searching for local forwarders. It allows you to shorten the total delivery time.
So, nowadays there are so many freight forwarding firms. They offer a wide spectrum of versatile services. It’s possible to choose those ones which meet the needs of your business. If you are an owner of small and middle-sized enterprises, LCL seems the perfect solution. You get your cargo on time and it doesn’t cost a whole fortune.