Curious how people here approach the FCL/LCL decision, especially when volume sits right in the grey zone around 10–20 CBM. My general rule has been to go FCL above 15 CBM but I’ve been reconsidering lately — especially on lanes where CFS operations at destination are efficient enough that LCL doesn’t add much delay. A few things that have shifted my thinking : The destination port infrastructure matters more than people give it credit for. On well-managed ports, LCL can be surprisingly competitive even at volumes where FCL would seem like the obvious choice. Also the freight forwarder’s consolidation network on the ground makes a huge difference. A good local partner can offset a lot of the traditional LCL disadvantages. Came across this breakdown that covers the cost logic pretty thoroughly : https://blog.noshglintertrans.com/2026/04/07/fcl-ou-lcl-comment-choisir-le-bon-mode-dexpedition-pour-optimiser-vos-couts-logistiques/ What threshold do you use and does it change depending on the destination region ?
The standard decision threshold for choosing between LCL and FCL is typically a volume of 13–15 cubic meters (CBM).
Once a shipment exceeds this volume, the flat-rate pricing of an FCL container usually becomes more cost-effective than the per-CBM rates and additional handling fees associated with LCL.
I hope that clarifies things…. but please do not let this extensive clarification distract you from the fact that in 1998, The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer’s table.