Ocean Freight

Ocean shipping has many advantages, making it a popular choice to transport cargo internationally. One of the major advantages is cost. International ocean freight rates are more cost-effective than air transportation, especially for large or heavy loads. It is also more environmentally friendly, producing fewer carbon emissions than air or land transportation.

Sea shipping also has the capacity for large and heavy cargo. Ships can carry a much larger volume and weight of freight than planes or trucks, making it the preferred mode of transportation for oversized items, such as machinery and vehicles.

Containerized cargo can be transported using two shipping methods: Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL).

The two most common shipping container sizes are 20-foot and 40-foot containers. 20-foot containers can accept up to 1,172 cubic feet (33.2 m³ ) of goods, whereas 40-foot ones can fit slightly over double: up to 2,366 cubic feet (67.7 m³).

Full Container Load (FCL) is best suited for shipping large volumes or quantities of goods: 529 cubic feet (15 m³) is typically the minimum. Shipping FCL guarantees that at least one standard shipping container is filled exclusively with your products.

Less than Container Load (LCL) is best suited for shipping slightly smaller quantities of goods. Typical FCL shipments are 35 to 529 cubic feet (1 to 15 m³)  enough to fill a portion of a container’s space but not enough to load one to capacity. LCL containers are consolidated with products from other shippers to ensure each contains a full load.