Should you select self-delivery or pickup when shipping goods from the USA overseas?

The online freight calculator allows you to calculate international shipping costs for cargo deliveries from the United States to other countries.

When calculating the shipping cost to deliver your goods from the USA overseas, you can self-deliver your cargo to a carrier's terminal or request to pick up (collect) your packed goods at their location. The transportation procedures differ significantly depending on the option selected.

The online calculator provides three options when quoting and booking a shipment.

Select the option that best fits your international transportation needs and the expected cost of international shipping.

Here are the options:

1. Self-deliver cargo directly to an ocean freight carrier's terminal (called CFS - Container Freight Station). This is the most cost-effective way to ship goods from the USA overseas.
    
2. Self-deliver cargo to the nearest U.S. domestic transportation terminal to line haul the shipment to a CFS in the United States. Typically, that will be a U.S. domestic LTL carrier's terminal.
    
3. Request a pickup of packed goods at their location for further international shipping out of the U.S.

The First Option. Delivery at CFS.

You deliver your packed goods to the nearest ocean freight carrier terminal. Such terminals are called Container Freight Stations or CFS.

Our calculator lists CFSs in uppercase and highlights them. CHICAGO, IL, for example.

By delivering cargo to CFS, you submit your goods directly to a sea freight carrier. A single carrier will handle the entire international transaction process. Price rates should be calculated by cubic meters or cubic feet, and the rest of your shipment, until it arrives at the place of delivery designated in your bill of lading, will be supervised by a single carrier.

The CFS can properly palletize goods delivered at CFS in boxes or other smaller items on certified pallets.

Self-delivery cargo to a CFS is the most cost-effective way to ship goods from the U.S. overseas.

The Second Option. Delivery at Line Haul.

Suppose CFS is too far away. In that case, you can deliver your goods packed adequately for transportation from the USA abroad to the nearest U.S. domestic LTL carrier's terminal for transportation from the terminal to a CFS.

We call such terminals Linhe Haul terminals. Our online calculator shows line haul terminals in lowercase with asterisks (*)—Denver, CO*, for example.

If you deliver cargo to a line haul terminal, a line haul charge will be added to the ocean freight. U.S. domestic ground cargo transportation prices are calculated per kilo or pound. The LTL rates depend on Freight Class and the U.S. National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC). Rates for moving goods from a line haul terminal to CFS are calculated based on the dimensional weight of the load.

Typically, line haul terminals temporarily palletize everything for easy transportation at no charge. However, they never followed ISPM15 rules since these rules do not regulate U.S. domestic cargo transportation. Line haul terminals may occasionally ask to pay a small fee to palletize boxes. You should pay the fee directly at the terminals.

The third option. Pickup (Collection). 

You can also select a pickup. You should specify the type of cargo location, such as a warehouse, small business premises, or residential address.

With this option, depending on how far your cargo is from the nearest terminal, your goods will be transported to a CFS or a line haul terminal for further transfer to a CFS.

Pickup rates are the same as those for line haul, based on the dimensional weight of the load.

In our business, we typically schedule pickups with LTL cargo transportation companies. LTL is mainly designed for cargo transportation between warehouses with loading docks. If there is no loading dock, you should read about some limitations in pickups at small business premises and residential addresses.

What is LCL Freight Shipping?

LCL means "Less than Container Load."

It is a shipping method for cargo that does not fill an entire container. Instead, different shippers share a container, allowing them to split the costs. This is an excellent option for smaller shipments that cannot fill a full container.

How It Works: When you choose LCL, your cargo goes to a consolidation warehouse. There, it is combined with other shipments going to the same place. Once the container is full, it is shipped by sea. The container is opened when it arrives at the destination, and each shipment is separated for delivery to the right recipient.

Benefits of LCL Freight

1. Cost-Effective: With LCL, you share a container with other shipments. This means you only pay for the space your cargo takes up, making it cheaper for smaller loads than a Full Container Load (FCL).

2. Flexibility: LCL allows smaller businesses to ship goods internationally without waiting until they have enough cargo to fill a whole container. This helps make logistics more efficient.

3. Accessibility: LCL allows smaller companies and e-commerce sellers to ship goods internationally without constantly having large shipments.

When to Choose LCL Freight

Choose LCL (Less than Container Load) if you don’t have strict timing and want to save on shipping costs. This option works best for shipments less than 15-18 cubic meters (CBM). If your shipment is larger than this, consider using FCL (Full Container Load), which might cost less.

LCL lets you share a container with other shipments. This can help your business save money and increase flexibility.