Weight in LCL Freight Doesn't Affect International Shipping Cost

Deliver to CFS and Disregard the Weight of Cargo. Three Ways of Cargo Deliveries.

Here is how weight impacts international shipping costs to ship goods from the U.S. overseas when utilizing Less-than-Container-Load (LCL) and getting price quotes with the online calculator:

• If you deliver cargo directly to a sea carrier's terminal (professionally referred to as a CFS - Container Freight Station), the weight of your load will not affect the price unless it exceeds a density limit. The cost will be calculated based on the overall volume of your load, not its mass. Regular commodities do not exceed the density. Shipping overseas directly from a CFS is the most cost-effective way to ship relatively large loads from the USA abroad.

• However, if you request a pickup or deliver a load to a local U.S. LTL carrier's warehouse for ground transportation within the USA to a CFS, the cost of the U.S. domestic part of the transportation will be determined by the cargo's dimensional weight.

Please note the essential difference between U.S. warehouses WITH or WITHOUT ASTERISK (*), as listed in the drop-down list when calculating international shipping costs with our online price calculator.

A. The HIGHLIGHTED terminals WITHOUT asterisks (e.g., MIAMI, FL) are direct ocean carriers' terminals - CFSs - Container Freight Stations.

Self-delivery directly to CFS is the cheapest way to ship goods from the USA overseas.

With this approach, processing a shipment, loading it on board the vessel, and sailing to the destination country will incur no additional charges while en route.

It is always listed under Option A in the price quote generated by the online calculator.

The charges for loads delivered directly to a CFS are typically based on the cargo's overall size, rather than its mass. Rates are calculated by volume, measured in cubic meters or cubic feet. If a load's density does not exceed a density limit, then heaviness for such loads is not a pricing factor.

The density limit for cargo transportation by sea is very high. Most of the time, it is 1000 kilograms (2205 lbs) per Cubic Meter (CBM). Regular international shipments are unlikely to exceed this limit.

Please note that the density can be lower for smaller vessels that serve shorter trade routes (such as sailing between North America and the Caribbean): 750 kilos per CBM or even 500 kilos per CBM. 
 
B. Warehouses WITH ASTERISKS (Cocoa Beach, FL*, for example) are local U.S. LTL carriers' terminals. Loads delivered at such terminals must be line-hauled to a CFS. Unlike deliveries to CFS, shipments initiated via line-haul terminals (LH) are subject to a line-haul charge in addition to the price of sea freight.

U.S. domestic cargo transportation costs are determined by dim. weight.

It should be under Option B in your price quote obtained in the online calculator.
  
C. Finally, with our online LCL price calculator, you can request a pickup of your packed goods "from your door." The calculator will determine pickup charges by your cargo location's ZIP code (U.S. postal code).

Pickup costs depend on the dim. weight.

When calculating a price quote online, select a pickup type and enter the ZIP code in the last stage of the calculation. For your consideration, the online calculator should return a complete price quote, including the pickup option. Pickup charges will be added to the sea freight cost. 

It should be under Option B or C in your price quote.

***Please remember that even though the heaviness of loads delivered to CFS typically does not impact international shipping costs, local U.S. line haul and pickup charges are calculated by dimensional weight of the load and the freight class.***

Dimensional weight in the U.S. domestic part of the transportation

Dimensional Weight (DW) refers to a volumetric standard rather than the actual mass of the cargo.

When conveying from the USA using LCL, the dim. weight applies to the ground part of the transportation. This is typically used to calculate charges from a U.S. domestic LTL carrier for cargo deliveries to ocean carriers' terminals (CFSs).

When calculating international shipping costs with our online calculator and requesting a pickup or line haul, you enter the dimensions and mass of each unit. You instantly recognize whether your load is subject to actual or DW charges. In other words, when shipping overseas from the USA using LCL, pickup and line haul charges are calculated based on the actual or DW, whichever is greater.

It favors shippers of dense items and does not favor those who ship light items. For example, a box of unpopped corn kernels will likely be charged by the gross mass, but a box of popped popcorn will be charged by its DW. Experienced shippers avoid DW charges by using smaller containers, compressing their goods, and reducing the use of packing materials.

Depending on the carrier, DW for U.S. ground transportation is calculated using different formulas. For example, Dim. weight in lbs = L X W X H (in inches):166.

Cargo Density in Less-than-Container-Load

Typically, a vessel's capacity is not limited by the heaviness of the load but by the ship's hold. Therefore, unless the loads exceed a density limit, sea freight rates for regular international shipments are calculated on the overall cargo volume rather than the weight. Generally, the weight of cargo is not a pricing factor in global sea cargo transportation.

Although most of the time, regular commodities do not exceed the density limit, cargo density can affect international shipping costs under certain circumstances.

It varies depending on the class of vessels, ocean carriers, origins and destinations, country regulations, and other factors. However, all of this is related to the cargo's density.

In international shipping between countries using the metric system, the limit is typically one Cubic Meter, equivalent to 1,000 kilograms, or approximately one metric ton. However, depending on the vessel, ocean carrier, etc., the volume may vary by one CBM = 750 kilos, one CBM = 500 kilos, etc.

U.S. exporters and importers should be aware of the "U.S. 45 lbs rule in ocean freight": 45 lbs equals one cubic foot. This means that if the density of the load exceeds 45 lbs per cubic foot, the chargeable volume will be calculated using the following formula: Total heaviness of the shipment (in pounds) divided by 45 lbs = Chargeable volume in cubic feet.

Always pay attention to the density of international shipping of weighty cargo.

Freight class in the U.S. domestic part of the transportation

Freight Class is the category defined by the U.S. National Motor Freight Traffic Association. (NMFTA). It is also referred to as the NMFC - National Motor Freight Classification.

The Class is determined by its contents, as different types of products have different shipping costs. There are 18 different classes, ranging from class 55 to class 500. Regarding international shipping from the U.S. via LCL, the class determines the rate you will pay for pickup or line-haul to deliver the shipment to an ocean carrier's terminal (CFS). Higher classes are subject to higher costs in U.S. ground transportation.
 
The NMFTA classifies products according to four characteristics:

• Density - mass per cubic foot
• Stowability - including excessive mass and excessive length
• Ease of Handling - includes special care or attention necessary to handle the goods.
• Liability- includes price per pound, susceptibility to theft, liability to damage, and perishability.

When conveying NMFC-rated shipments, ensure that your class is accurate. The class submitted is most likely not to be reclassified if it falls within the following guidelines:

• You ship new or used commercial/industrial goods.
• The density corresponds to the class.

You may also call the NMFTA at (703) 838-1810 to reconfirm the shipment's class by commodity.

Notice: If you declare household goods in your international shipment, the carrier will likely classify it as Class 150.