Buyer’s consolidation
If a shipper does not have enough goods to accommodate in a fully loaded container, they can arrange with a consolidator to book their cargo. This type of shipment is called LCL shipment. The said consolidator arranges a full container (FCL) with a main shipping carrier, and consoles the shipments of other shippers.
This means the freight forwarder who books a full container accepts goods from different shippers and consolidates all such goods in to one container as a Fully Loaded Container – FCL. The freight forwarder sorts out these goods at destination or at transshipment points, meant for different consignees at different ports.
Once after arrival of goods at destination the freight forwarder releases the goods meant for each consignee separately by collecting necessary charges, if any.