Service Details

Unique Line Cargo Services expertly manages Loose Cargo (LCL) Solutions, which stands for Less than Container Load. This service is a fundamental offering within their sea freight portfolio, specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses or individuals whose shipments are not large enough to fill an entire 20ft or 40ft container.

LCL is the most cost-efficient method for transporting smaller volumes of goods internationally by sea.

What is LCL / Loose Cargo?

The LCL service involves consolidation, which is the process of combining multiple smaller shipments from different shippers into one full container.

• Cost Efficiency: You only pay for the volume (measured in cubic meters or CBM) and weight that your cargo occupies within the shared container, splitting the overall container cost with other shippers. This is significantly cheaper than paying for an entire Full Container Load (FCL) that you don’t need, and typically less expensive than air freight for heavier goods.
• Flexibility: LCL allows clients to ship smaller batches of inventory more frequently, enabling better inventory control and faster reaction to market demand without having to wait until they have enough volume for an FCL.

Unique Line Cargo’s LCL Process and Features:

1. Cargo Acceptance: Unique Line Cargo accepts loose cargo that is typically packaged in boxes, pallets, or crates. They also offer a “Loose Cargo Solution” for items whose dimensions do not permit standard containerization but can be stowed on deck or in the ship’s hold according to their unique characteristics.
2. Consolidation at Origin: Shipments from multiple clients are received at their international warehouses (e.g., in the UK, China, and Dubai). Their logistics team then meticulously inspects, groups, and loads these separate shipments into a single container destined for the same port in East Africa.
3. Regular Sailing Schedules: They maintain fixed and frequent (often weekly or fortnightly) sailing schedules for consolidated LCL shipments, which provides predictability for the client’s supply chain planning.
4. Customs & Deconsolidation: Upon arrival at the destination port (like Mombasa or a branch in Somalia), they manage the Customs Clearance for the entire consolidated container. The container is then transported to their bonded warehouse where the cargo is deconsolidated (unpacked and separated) into the individual LCL shipments.
5. Final Mile Delivery: The individual loose cargo shipments are then loaded onto their Road Transport vehicles for final Door-to-Door delivery to the customer’s specified business or office address.

This end-to-end management of LCL cargo ensures that small shipments receive the same attention, security, and full-service logistics as a large container shipment.