Ocean freight, with the inland leg handled.
FCL and LCL arranged through licensed forwarders, with the drayage and inland trucking handled by us.
FCL or LCL?
Which box your shipment needs
| FCL (full container) | LCL (less than container) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | You have the whole box | You share it with other shippers |
| Cost | Better per unit at volume | Cheaper for small shipments |
| Transit | Faster, no consolidation or deconsolidation | Add 1–2 weeks for CFS handling on both ends |
| Handling | Loaded once, sealed | Handled several times |
| Crossover | Usually worth it past ~15 cubic meters | Under that |
Container capacity, roughly: a 20' holds about 28–30 cbm, a 40' about 58–60 cbm, and a 40' high cube about 68 cbm.
What we do and what we don't
We arrange the ocean move through a licensed forwarder, and we handle the inland trucking, drayage, and transload on the US side.
We don't operate vessels, issue our own ocean bills of lading, or file customs entries. Those require an FMC license and a customs broker license respectively.
Why that split is worth having: most container problems aren't ocean problems. They're the drayage, the chassis, the free time, and the empty return. That's our end.
01
Demurrage
The terminal charging you for the box sitting inside the port past free time. Typically three to five free days, accruing daily after that.
02
Per diem
The ocean carrier charging you for their container and chassis after you've pulled it out. It runs until the empty goes back.
03
Chassis availability
A container that is “ready” and still cannot move. It is a land-side problem, and it is the one that surprises people.
04
The empty return
Per diem keeps running until the box is returned. Planning the return is part of planning the move.
05
Transload if the box is going to sit
Unload near the port, reload into a domestic 53' trailer, and return the ocean equipment immediately. Per diem stops, and a 53' trailer holds meaningfully more than a 40' container. More →
06
How much fits in a container
A 20-foot container holds roughly 28 to 30 cubic meters, a 40-foot about 58 to 60, and a 40-foot high cube about 68. Weight limits usually bind before volume on dense freight.
The land side is ours
Drayage, chassis, free time and the empty return are where most container moves go wrong. That is the part we run.
FCL and LCL both
Full container or shared, arranged through licensed forwarders with realistic transit expectations rather than optimistic ones.
Transload available
If the box is going to sit, we unload near the port and put the freight in a domestic trailer so per diem stops.
FAQ
Common questions about ocean freight
The questions shippers ask before a container moves.
What is the difference between FCL and LCL?
FCL means you have the whole container; LCL means your freight shares one with other shippers. FCL costs more per shipment but less per unit at volume, and moves faster because it skips consolidation and deconsolidation. LCL typically adds one to two weeks.
How much fits in a shipping container?
A 20-foot container holds roughly 28 to 30 cubic meters, a 40-foot about 58 to 60, and a 40-foot high cube about 68. Weight limits usually bind before volume on dense freight.
What is demurrage and per diem on ocean containers?
Demurrage is charged by the terminal for a container sitting inside the port past free time. Per diem is charged by the ocean carrier for their container and chassis after you've pulled it out. Both typically allow three to five free days and both accrue daily.
Got a container coming?
Tell us the port, the ETA, and where it's going inland. The land side is where we earn it.