Full Container Load

Securely Transport Full Container Loads of Freight with AIT's FCL Shipping Experts

Enjoy cost-effective, reliable FCL shipping from industry leaders

When one party owns all the goods in a single ocean container, logistics experts call that shipment a full container load (or FCL).

Every day, AIT professionals, often in partnership with our in-house customs clearance brokerage, deliver seamless, hassle-free FCL shipping services to customers all over the world, across all types of industries.



Choose AIT's sea freight experts for your FCL shipping

AIT's long-standing relationships with core and niche ocean carriers deliver predictably priced capacity every month of the year. And when you partner with us, you'll also enjoy access to:

  • End-to-end sea shipping visibility
  • 24/7 customer support
  • More than 1,500 weekly direct services serving 100+ countries via the world's largest consolidation network
  • Oversized, overweight, project and breakbulk cargo expertise
  • And much more!


Go inside AIT's FCL shipping process

As part of a licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier and Ocean Transportation Intermediary, AIT's FCL shipping experts deliver highly competitive rates and the flexibility to offer customized options that meet your requirements, with solutions including:

AIT's growing, global network offers a comprehensive range of services across nearly every mode, including ground, rail, and air.

And our global logistics experts are ready to develop a sea shipping program with you that includes:
  • Permit management
  • Landed costing
  • Packaging solutions
  • Purchase order management
  • And more!
Ocean freight shipping is a reliable means of large-volume transportation, with options designed to accommodate varying cargo sizes, including shipments that are a full container load or less than a container load.

In FCL shipments, one party owns all the goods in a container. LCL shipments, on the other hand, involve packing multiple shippers' goods together.

AIT's experts will help you make an informed decision based on your organization's specific needs and inventory requirements, including factors like cost and commodity type. For instance, while LCL is well-suited to smaller, more adaptable freight, FCL is a better fit for bulk items and large-volume products.
Standard ocean freight containers are either 20 or 40 feet in length, 8 feet wide and 8.5 feet in height. Larger versions, known as “high-cube containers” are also common, and are 40 feet in length and 9.5 feet tall.

While ocean freight container sizes are uniform, vessel sizes vary. Corresponding to the typical container size, vessels are measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (or TEUs). Container ships' size and capacity can range from as few as 20 TEUs to more than 18,000.

Download our ocean freight shipping guide as a quick reference for conversions, dimensions, and helpful links.

Get our ocean shipping reference guide.

Download the PDF

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