FCL, LCL, FTL, LTL: the four shipment types compared
In short
FCL and LCL describe container shipments, meaning a full container or a part load in a shared container. FTL and LTL are the road equivalents and stand for a full truck or a part load. Volume, weight, date and route decide which fits.
Four abbreviations, two logics
The shipment type determines price, handling and transit time. The abbreviations follow a simple logic: F stands for full, L for less than.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Mode | Typical for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCL | Full Container Load | Rail, sea | full containers, series traffic |
| LCL | Less than Container Load | Rail, sea | part volumes in a groupage container |
| FTL | Full Truck Load | Road | full truckloads |
| LTL | Less than Truck Load | Road | part lots by road |
FCL: the full container
You book the whole container, whether it is full or not. Advantage: no handling alongside third-party goods, direct loading, predictable transit. Above a certain volume, FCL is cheaper even if the container is not completely full.
LCL: groupage
Your goods share a container with other shipments. You pay by volume or weight. Consolidation and deconsolidation in a CFS add time. LCL is available by rail and by sea.
FTL and LTL: the road
The same distinction applies on the road. FTL gives you a truck exclusively, LTL consolidates part lots. For China–Europe we plan with an indicative 16–18 days for FTL and 20–23 days for the LTL connection Suzhou CFS → Essen CFS.
What a quotation needs
- Pickup and delivery point with postcode
- Number, dimensions and weight of packages
- Stackability and description of goods, HS code if available
- Dangerous goods, date and required scope
More on part loads: LCL & Part Loads.
Expert-reviewed: 19 August 2026