What is a Less than Container Load (LCL) in green coffee shipping?

LCL means your green coffee shipment shares container space with other buyers' orders. A freight forwarder or consolidator groups multiple smaller shipments together to fill a container, and each buyer pays for the space and weight their cargo occupies rather than the whole box.

For most roasters buying in the 5 to 50 bag range, LCL is the standard arrangement. It's how the majority of specialty green coffee moves from importer warehouse to roastery - consolidated with other orders, loaded onto a truck, and delivered. The downside compared to FCL is cost per bag (the consolidation handling adds up) and a slightly higher risk of damage from cargo shifting in a partially-filled container during transit.

Understanding the difference matters when you're comparing freight quotes. An LCL quote will include consolidation fees; an FCL quote assumes you're filling the box. The break-even point where FCL becomes more economical than LCL varies by route and freight rates, but is often in the range of 8-10 tonnes.