In short: LCL is usually cheaper below about 12–15 cbm and FCL above it, but the crossover depends on CFS charges, minimums and the lane. When it's close, quote both and let the customer choose.
"Should this go LCL or FCL?" is one of the most common questions a forwarder gets, and one of the easiest to get wrong by looking only at the ocean rate. The right answer depends on volume, the destination CFS charges, how fragile and time-sensitive the cargo is, and whether the customer can receive a container. Here's how to decide, and how to quote so the customer sees the trade-off.
Because FCL is flat and LCL grows with every cubic metre, there's a volume above which the container is cheaper even half empty. On many Asia to Australia lanes that crossover sits somewhere around 12 to 15 cbm against a 20', but it moves with the lane: higher CFS charges or a high LCL rate pull it down, cheap container rates pull it down too, and a low LCL rate pushes it up. Work it out from your own rate sheet rather than a rule of thumb: price the shipment both ways and compare the all-in totals.
14 cbm, 3,200 kg of general cargo, FOB Ningbo to Melbourne, door delivery in the Melbourne metro, clearance required.
LCL (14 W/M) Ocean freight 14 x 85 .............................. AUD 1,190 Destination CFS & docs .............................. AUD 320 Destination CFS handling 14 x 45 .................... AUD 630 Customs clearance & BICON lodgement ................. AUD 180 Door delivery (metro, LCL) .......................... AUD 180 Total ............................................... AUD 2,500 FCL (1 x 20GP) Ocean freight ....................................... AUD 1,850 Destination terminal & docs ......................... AUD 780 Customs clearance & BICON lodgement ................. AUD 180 Door delivery (metro, 20') .......................... AUD 420 Total ............................................... AUD 3,230
At 14 cbm LCL still wins by about AUD 730 on these sample rates. Re-run it at 20 cbm: LCL rises by 6 x (85 + 45) = AUD 780 to about 3,280, and the container is now cheaper. The crossover on this lane is just under 20 cbm, not 12.
When the volume is near the crossover, quote both options in the same reply, each as a complete all-in total with the same lines, and say in one sentence which you'd recommend and why ("FCL is AUD 300 more but arrives a week sooner and isn't unpacked at the CFS"). Customers trust a forwarder who shows the trade-off. Keep the layout consistent with your quote reply template, and state validity for both.
Laneworks prices each shipment in the customer's email from your rate sheet, and when they ask for both options, both are drafted. Try it on a real request: forward it to try@getlaneworks.com and the draft comes back in about two minutes. Or use the free freight calculator for the CBM and W/M.
Forward a quote request