LCL Shipping Calculator: Calculate Air and Sea Shipping Costs

Calculate your LCL costs and determine your freight rates, instantly.

Our free international LCL quote calculator delivers accurate LCL rate estimates. Just tell us about your LCL shipment to get an estimate from the world’s largest LCL rate database. Then join Freightos to compare, book, and manage your upcoming LCL shipments using our LCL rate calculator.

What is LCL Shipping?

LCL stands for less than a container load and describes sea shipping for cargo loads not large enough to fill a full 20ft or 40ft shipping container.

Since LCL shipments fill less than a full 20ft or 40ft shipping container, these are grouped with other cargo. This is why LCL shipments are sometimes called groupage shipments.

What is a Loose Cargo Load?

A loose cargo load, while sometimes confused with LCL, is a load that is not palletized. This term can apply to shipments that do not require palletization and/or cannot be containerized due to their dimensions. 

Sometimes loose cargo is used to describe goods that simply have not been palletized yet. Almost all carriers require palletization of goods to avoid damage and allow for smoother loading and unloading.

LCL Shipping Costs

LCL cost is calculated primarily by volume, usually in cubic meters (CBM). The more space you need, the more you pay.

Weight is also taken into account when determining LCL shipping costs, but because container ships can handle huge amounts of weight, volume usually matters more to overall costs.

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