FCL and LCL
- FCL (full container load). Your goods fill a container on their own. The whole container is picked up at the marine terminal on a chassis and delivered to you. That’s port drayage.
- LCL (less than container load). Your goods share a container with other shippers’ cargo. A consolidator or forwarder books the container, and after the vessel arrives the container is taken to a container freight station (CFS), where it is unloaded (“devanned”) and the cargo is sorted by shipment.
What a CFS pickup is
A CFS pickup is a truck collecting your share of that container from the CFS warehouse: a few pallets, crates or cartons. Because it’s loose freight, it’s usually moved in a straight truck (box truck) rather than on a container chassis. No container number or chassis is involved in the pickup itself.
What has to happen first
- The container is unloaded at the CFS and your cargo is counted and staged.
- The cargo is released. Customs clearance, the forwarder’s or carrier’s release, and any charges owed at the CFS are taken care of. Your forwarder or customs broker usually handles this.
- The pickup is arranged with the CFS’s references (often a lot, warehouse or pickup number) and within its pickup hours and rules.
DK Express coordinates the truck for step 3. We don’t operate the CFS, clear customs or release the freight.
Example
Four pallets of apparel arrive as part of an LCL consolidation. The CFS finishes unloading on Wednesday and your forwarder confirms the release on Thursday. With the pickup reference, pallet dimensions, total weight and your receiving hours, we arrange a Friday pickup and delivery to your warehouse, using a liftgate if your site has no dock, when one is confirmed.
On a quote request
Choose CFS / LCL pickup and give the CFS name and address, the release status, any lot or warehouse reference, and the freight details. Our team prices these requests individually.