Sea · FCL
Full container shipping to Hyderabad
Sealed at origin, opened at your godown. Past about 15 CBM a container costs less per cubic metre than LCL, moves through fewer hands, and lands a few days sooner.
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What actually fits, not what the spec says
Container specifications quote internal volume. You will never achieve it. Cartons do not tessellate perfectly, pallets consume height, and nothing loads to the roof at the doors.
Plan on usable volume: about 28 CBM in a 20ft, 58 in a 40ft standard and 68 in a 40ft high cube. If your calculation says your cargo fits exactly, it does not.
Weight limits matter too
A 20ft container takes roughly 28 tonnes of payload and a 40ft about 26.5: a 40ft is longer but not proportionally stronger. Dense cargo like tiles, hardware or machinery hits the weight limit long before the volume limit, which is why two 20ft containers sometimes beat one 40ft.
Choosing the box
- 20ft: 15 to 28 CBM, or any dense cargo
- 40ft standard: 30 to 58 CBM of mixed goods
- 40ft high cube: light bulky cargo; roughly 10 CBM more for a small premium
- Two 20ft: very heavy cargo that would exceed a 40ft payload
These are usable figures, not the nominal capacity on a spec sheet, cartons do not tessellate perfectly and nothing loads to the roof at the doors. Note the payloads: a 40ft is twice the length of a 20ft but carries slightly less weight, which is why dense cargo like tiles or hardware sometimes ships as two 20ft boxes rather than one 40ft.
What you get beyond the price per CBM
Fewer hands on your cargo
Sealed at the loading point and opened at your godown. No CFS deconsolidation, no sorting alongside other importers’ consignments, far less damage exposure.
Days quicker
Skipping deconsolidation typically saves two to four days against an equivalent LCL consignment on the same vessel.
Predictable cost
Flat rate for the box. Your freight does not move because a carton measured slightly larger than the supplier said it would.
About FCL containers
How much fits in a container?
Usable volume is roughly 28 CBM in a 20ft, 58 CBM in a 40ft standard and 68 CBM in a 40ft high cube. Nominal capacity is higher, but packing, pallets and irregular carton sizes cost you the difference. Plan on the usable figure.
When does FCL beat LCL?
Generally above 12 to 15 CBM. At that point a 20ft container costs less per cubic metre than buying the space by the metre, and it also lands a few days sooner because it skips CFS deconsolidation.
Do I have to fill the container?
No. FCL is a flat rate for the box whether it is half full or packed to the doors. That is exactly why the crossover exists, past a certain volume, paying for the whole container is cheaper than paying per CBM.
What is the difference between 40ft standard and high cube?
A high cube is about a foot taller, giving roughly 10 CBM more usable volume for a small premium. For light bulky cargo it is almost always the better buy; for dense cargo you will hit the weight limit long before the height.
Can I fill a container from several suppliers?
Yes. Suppliers deliver to our warehouse, we consolidate and load the container there. It takes more planning than an LCL consolidation because everything has to arrive before loading, so tell us the timeline early.
What is detention, and how do I avoid it?
Free days are allowed to return the empty container after delivery. Beyond them the shipping line charges detention, daily. It is avoided by having labour and space ready on the delivery date. Tell us at booking if unloading will be slow.
Get a container quote
Tell us your total CBM and gross weight, the loading port and your delivery address. We will tell you which box, and what it lands at.