x Are you a shipper, shipper, business, etc., have a small shipment and need to learn about Consol shipping products to save costs?
x Are you wondering whether Consol's shipping method is recommended or not? What are the advantages and disadvantages of sending Consol goods?
x You can't distinguish between LCL goods and Consol goods? What is the role and benefits of Co-Loading in freight forwarding?
In sea freight transport, Consol (Consolidation Cargo) is a quite popular and effective method of transport. So specifically, what are Consol products? at Proship.vn will help you find the answer and through this you can also distinguish it from LCL goods. Along with that, there are advantages and disadvantages when transporting Consol goods that relevant parties need to clearly understand.
What is consol goods? What is a master consolidator?
Join Proship to find out what Consol and Master consolidator products are:
What are Consol products?
What is consol goods? Consol cargo (loose cargo, LCL) stands for "Less than container load", meaning the shipper does not have enough goods to close a container and has to combine it with a number of shipments from other shippers.
After the shipper has finished preparing the shipment, LCL will arrange, classify and pack the goods into a common container with other shippers. Then arrange transportation from the loading port to the destination port. Packing the goods together is called consolidator.
What is a master consolidator?
Master consolidator is the person who buys space on ships and containers to collect retail goods from export businesses and small forwarder companies. After that, the Master consolidator will arrange the goods and pack them into a full container and transport them to the transshipment port.
Everything you need to know about Consol products
The definition of what a consol row is has been answered above. Next is all the other knowledge you need to know about console products:
Distinguish between LCL goods and Consol goods
LCL goods
Shipping lines and shipping companies will collect these retail shipments from many Shippers and pack them into a full container (FCL). In these cases, although the goods will be packed into an entire container, because there are many shippers, the shipping company will issue separate bills of lading to different shippers.
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Shipping costs for these retail shipments are charged directly by the shipping company to the consignee corresponding to the quantity of goods they have received from the shipper. But in some countries, shipping lines do not provide LCL shipping services but are handled by Groupage Operators.
Closing Consol products
Collecting LCL goods from different shippers and packing them into one container is done by Consolidators (Groupage Operators).
In case of consol goods, the consolidator issues a secondary bill of lading (House BL) to the shippers and keeps the Master BL from the shipping line (Lines) for the FCL container they book with the shipping line and show them (Consolidator) as the shipper (Shipper) on the bill of lading. Shipping costs are calculated by the shipping company to the Consolidator, and those costs are calculated separately by the Consolidator from the consignor.
Advantages and disadvantages of Consol freight transport
Advantages of Consol freight transport
Advantages of Consol shipping include:
- Cost optimization:
When transporting multiple LCL shipments along the same route, shipping costs will be significantly reduced compared to shipping each individual shipment. Customers also enjoy low costs because they only have to pay for the space in the used container, not the entire container.
- Shorten delivery time:
More and more Consol cargo routes are opening directly from the departure port to the destination port, helping to shorten shipping time and meet customers' needs for quick delivery.
- Increase container filling rate:
Combining multiple LCL shipments in the same container at the same time helps increase the rate of filling space in the container, improving freight efficiency.
- Simplify the process:
Transporting Consol goods reduces many procedures for customers compared to transporting full containers (FCL) such as: Taking empty containers from the shipping line's depot, ensuring the container is intact, packing goods into containers at a separate warehouse, arranging workers to pack them. goods, customs clearance, shipping records, etc. This helps simplify the shipping process, saving time for customers.
Disadvantages of Consol freight transport
One of the main disadvantages of Consol shipping is its limited flexibility. When shipping Consol goods, shipments are often consolidated and shipped together, so it is impossible to meet the special requirements of each customer.
Consol's product route will not be diverse and will not have many options. In many cases, when Consol goods are transshipped, the shipping time will be longer than the schedule for full container goods.
Co-load and the role of Co-Loading in delivery and receipt
Co-Loading role in freight forwarding:
- The Forwarder does not have enough goods to open the Consol Container himself. But the goods must be delivered on time according to the scheduled train booked with the customer;
- Forwarders want better rates and service. Or get higher Refund from Master Consolidator;
- Forwarders avoid waste or losses if they open Consol Containers themselves, when the quantity of goods is small and needs to maintain reputation with customers;
- Forwarders can accept freight to destinations that they do not service.
Consol cargo transportation process
To transport consol goods, shippers need to send goods to collection points called Container Freight Stations (CFS), which are operated by shipping lines or consolidators. At CFS, goods will be classified according to general characteristics such as nature of goods, destination port, and then packed into one container.
Master consolidator is the person responsible for purchasing space on ships and containers to collect LCL cargo from export businesses and small forwarder companies, then arrange and transport them to the transshipment port.
Note when sending Consol and Co-load goods
When sending goods in the form of Consol or Co-load, shippers need to note the following to make the shipping process smooth and effective:
- Ensure the reputation of the shipping unit: You should choose reputable shipping units to avoid the situation where the goods are not handled well, causing stress for the shipper;
- Freight costs: Consol goods have large differences in freight costs, so shippers need to clearly understand the prices and choose the appropriate service to avoid surprises in costs;
- Fees incurred: Retail goods may incur many costs at the warehouse, including storage fees and packing fees. Shippers should understand these fees to have a reasonable financial plan;
- Waiting time: Co-loaders have to wait for goods from many different sources, which can easily lead to delays and storage fees. Need to estimate time for goods consolidation.
With the knowledge provided above, Proship has helped you understand what consol goods are , what are the advantages and disadvantages of transporting these goods, and how are consol goods different from LCL goods. From here, businesses and shippers can consider choosing the appropriate shipping method to optimize costs, effort and time. If you have any questions, contact 0909 344 247 for answers.
