Specialists in Consolidations to and from Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico, and the World.
Less-Than-Container Load (LCL)
Ocean Freight

Don’t pay for space you don’t need! We offer
less-than-container load (LCL) freight
services between Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico,
U.S. mainland, and international destinations.
Our consolidations will offer you the most
competitive prices available, without
sacrificing your timelines or the security of
your ocean freight cargo.

LCL Solutions for All Types of Freight

For more than two decades, Approved Freight Forwarders has been
providing efficient and dependable LCL ocean freight shipping for cargo that doesn’t require a full 20′, 40′, or 45′ container.

There’s no type of freight that Approved can’t handle.

Whether you’re shipping a single pallet or heavy manufacturing machinery, we have the teams, equipment, experience, and expertise required to ship your cargo most anywhere in the world. When you choose Approved for your ocean freight consolidations/LCL shipments, we’ll help you:

  • Choose the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

  • Manage your inventory closely with right-sized shipments.

  • Track your cargo with real-time reporting.

We specialize in ocean freight consolidations to and from:

Hawaii

Guam

Puerto Rico

Mainland USA

International

Get a Quote

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We Handle Every Type of LCL Ocean Freight

No matter where in the world you’re shipping to—or what type of cargo you need to send—our experts can
connect you with an LCL solution that’s right for your business. No cargo is too challenging, too big, too heavy, or
too unusual for us. We’ve been serving the freight forwarding and supply chain management needs of most every
vertical market for more than 20 years, including customers in:

Retail

 

Food & Beverage

Construction

 

Hospitality

 

Energy

 

Automotive

 

Schedule a free consultation today.

Container ship carrying container box in import export with quay crane

Is an LCL Solution Right for Your Business?

Our experts will help you decide. LCL shipping does offer several advantages, including:

  • Only Pay for the Space You Need: If you’re shipping a full container and only using 70-80% of the space, you
    may be wasting space—and money. Additionally, many commercial enterprises are often surprised to learn
    that LCL costs are typically more predictable than FCL costs. We’ll work closely with you to find the right
    solution for your budget.

  • Enjoy Greater Flexibility: Instead of feeling pressure to fill a full container, an LCL solution offers your
    business more options. Our team will help you put together a freight schedule that will keep your operation
    well-supplied, while reducing your inventory carrying and storage costs.

  • Struggle Less with Space Considerations: If you’ve got a tight footprint, shipping LCL means you won’t need
    to worry about finding the room for a full container. Additionally, choosing smaller, more frequent LCL
    shipments means less inventory to manage and less pressure on your storage areas.

AFF warehouse in LA

Owned Terminals and Fleet Mean Greater Efficiencies

When you choose Approved, you benefit from an LCL freight services partner with 20+ years of experience
specializing in Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. mainland, and international freight.

  • A One-Stop Shop for Your LCL Needs: With terminals, fleets, and warehouses in Hawaii , Guam , and Los Angeles, we can offer you end-to-end freight solutions that create new efficiencies and reduce freight costs. Plus, with close partnerships in Puerto Rico and other locations in the United States, we’ll create seamless solutions from start to finish that eliminate the high costs and communication breakdowns that invariably come with using more than one vendor.

  • Frequent Sailings to Keep Your Cargo Moving: We have access to twice-weekly sails direct to all four major Hawaiian Islands, plus weekly sails to Guam, and multiple sails each week to Puerto Rico. Our LCL shipments move at the speed of your business.

  • Additional Services, Tailored to Your Needs: Need your cargo picked up right from your warehouse? Looking

  • Accountability, Ownership & Dedicated Service: From the moment we pick up your shipment, expect

  • Careful Handling, Every Step of the Way: We’re proud to have one of the industry’s lowest damage and claim

Request your free LCL quote by clicking below. One of our experts will get back to you within one business day.

 

Get your free lcl quote

Common Questions About LCL Shipping

LCL stands for less-than-container load. It refers to shipments sent via ocean freight that don’t require their own dedicated container. These types of shipments are also called consolidations. Consolidations are usually put together by freight forwarders, who collect several LCL shipments and consolidate them into a single container for transit via ocean freight.

In FCL shipping, you get an entire dedicated container for your cargo. No other party’s cargo is loaded into that container. In LCL shipping, your cargo shares a container with other shippers’ cargo.

  • FCL Advantage: You pay a flat rate for the whole container rather than paying by the square footage you use.
  • FCL Disadvantage: You have to pay for a full container even if you don’t need all the space
  • LCL Advantage: You are sharing the cost of the square footage so only pay for the space you need.
  • LCL Disadvantage: Less control of the schedule, especially if your forwarder doesn’t send a lot of freight to the destination.

LCL stands for less-than-container load. It refers to shipments sent via ocean freight that don’t require their own dedicated container.

 

These types of shipments are also called consolidations. Consolidations are usually put together by freight forwarders, who collect several LCL shipments and consolidate them into a single container for transit via ocean freight.

In FCL shipping, you get an entire dedicated container for your cargo. No other party’s cargo is loaded into that container. In LCL shipping, your cargo shares a container with other shippers’ cargo.

If your shipment isn’t large enough to take up a full 20′, 40′, or 45′ container, you’ll want to consider an LCL shipment. Even shipments that take up 75-80% of a container might not be worth a dedicated container.

 

The best way to know is to reach out to one of our ocean freight experts. We’ll examine the size, weight, and density of your cargo and help you determine the best path for shipping it.

If you have a load of cargo that’s not large enough to fill a container, shipping LCL will cost you less out of pocket. After all, you’ll only be paying for the space your cargo takes up, rather than an entire container. That said, there is a tipping point at which it might make more sense to send an FCL load. Our ocean freight experts can help you run the numbers so you can make the right decision for our budget.

Although LCL shipments can be cheaper, they don’t always move as quickly as FCL shipments. Freight forwarders gather cargo from several shippers until they have a full load to send. If your forwarder doesn’t have a lot of demand for shipping to your destination, your cargo may sit in their warehouse while waiting for other shipments to arrive.

 

That’s why it pays to choose a forwarder who specializes in LCL freight to your destination. They’ll complete their loads more quickly and get them on their way.

LTL stands for less-than-truckload. Like LCL shipments, LTL shipments are smaller loads that share space with other shipments. While LCL shipments share ocean freight containers and travel primarily over the ocean, LTL shipments share truck trailers and travel over the road.

When forwarders offer a rate for LCL freight, they look at the size, weight, and density of your cargo. From there, they calculate a rate based on your origin, destination, and any other services that you may have requested (such as pick-up and delivery).

With Approved, it all starts with a free quote. We’ll ask you about the origin and destination of your freight, as well as what you’re shipping. From there, we’ll lay out your freight options. Once you accept one of our quotes, we’ll work closely with you to get your cargo to its final destination.

From our West Coast location, cargo ships take 5-9 days to reach Hawaii once they leave California. We consolidate and coordinate our LCL and FCL shipments from throughout the United States to our warehouse in City of Industry, CA. For island-specific transit times, check out our Hawaii freight schedules.

We offer weekly sails to Guam, and transit time from the Port of Long Beach to the port in Guam is approximately two weeks. From there, freight will need to be unloaded from the ship and moved to our terminal, where it will be deconsolidated and scheduled for delivery. Read more about our Guam freight services.

  • Ocean freight from Los Angeles to Puerto Rico takes ~18 days
  • Ocean freight from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico takes ~3 days
  • Ocean freight from Miami to Puerto Rico takes ~4 days
  • Ocean freight from New York to Puerto Rico takes ~7 days
  • Ocean freight from Chicago to Puerto Rico takes ~10 daysRead more about our Puerto Rico freight services.

Ready to Get Started?

Talk to an LCL Ocean Freight Expert