Ocean Freight Quote: FCL and LCL

Send the origin and destination, the cargo (the container type for FCL, the weight and volume for LCL) and the cargo-ready date through the quote form on this page. The rate desk replies with availability, validity and what the price includes, normally within one business day. For FCL on lanes where carriers publish online rates, the search at the top of the page can show a carrier’s FAK (freight all kinds) rate for your port pair first; many lanes, including most Indian origins, have none.

The base port-to-port ocean freight plus the carrier surcharges in effect (fuel, GRI, peak season). Origin and destination charges such as trucking, terminal handling and documentation are itemized by the service scope you book. U.S. customs duties, tariffs, MPF and HMF are charged on the goods by HTS code and origin, never on the freight — the free tariff simulator estimates those, and customs clearance can be added to the booking through the licensed broker network.

Compare like with like: the same container type, the same scope (port-to-port or door-to-door), rates that are valid on your cargo-ready date, and the same treatment of surcharges and origin and destination charges. Then look at routing and transit — a direct sailing may justify a higher rate. The search shows validity, routing and transit on every line so those comparisons can be made before you look at price.

Name the container type in the quote request: 20′ dry, 40′ dry or 40′ high-cube. An FCL quote is priced per container, so each size is its own line. A 40′ carries roughly twice the volume of a 20′ for well under twice the ocean freight, so compare the equipment before the price. For part loads under roughly 13 cubic meters, an LCL quote is usually the better comparison.

Under roughly 13 cubic meters, LCL usually costs less, because you pay per revenue ton — the greater of the metric tons and the cubic meters. Above that, a dedicated 20′ container is often cheaper per unit and moves with less handling. That is a rule of thumb only: LCL quotes carry consolidation and deconsolidation charges that FCL does not, so compare both, since the answer shifts with the lane and the season.

Published FAK rates typically hold for two to four weeks, tied to the validity window shown on the quote; booking inside that window keeps the quoted level for your shipment. Rates track vessel capacity and demand on each lane: carriers file General Rate Increases, add peak-season surcharges before high-volume months and adjust fuel charges with bunker prices, which is why a search at booking time beats last month’s quote.