For sea freight on tiles from India, a full container load (FCL) is the normal choice, and a less-than-container load (LCL) suits only small or trial quantities. Tiles are dense and fragile, so a container you control is safer than a shared one.
I have not quoted rates. Freight moves with the market, so a real figure comes from a forwarder at the time you ship. What follows explains what drives it.
When does FCL make sense?
Choose FCL when your order is large enough to fill most of a container's weight limit. You get a sealed container, your own loading plan and less handling. Tile containers reach their weight limit long before they fill, which is why the weight limit matters. See the maximum payload for a tile container.
When can LCL work?
LCL puts your cargo in a shared container with other shippers. It can suit a small sample order or a first trial. But it carries more risk for tiles:
- Cargo is handled more often, at a consolidation point and again at deconsolidation.
- Heavy tile cartons may be stacked or shifted by other cargo.
- Charges per cubic metre can be poor value for cargo that is heavy for its volume.
- Transit can be slower because consolidation depends on other shippers.
Sending samples by air or courier is often better. See getting tile samples from Morbi.
What drives the freight rate?
Several factors move the rate for any container:
- The route and the port pair, including whether there is a direct service or a transshipment.
- Demand for space, which changes with season and trade conditions.
- Fuel and surcharges applied by the carrier.
- Container type and weight, since a heavy load can attract extra charges or limits.
- Origin and destination port charges, which depend on the price term.
How should you compare freight quotes?
Ask each forwarder for a quote that lists all charges: ocean freight, surcharges, origin and destination charges, and the validity date. Check the free days at destination and the detention rate afterwards. A low base rate can be offset by high local charges.
Your price term decides who pays for what. Read FOB, CIF or DAP, and see sea freight times from India for the timing side.
What should a first-time importer do?
Start with a single FCL booking through a forwarder you can reach easily, and ask for a written quote that lists every charge. Keep the bill of lading, the packing list and the loading photographs together. A first shipment is the best time to learn which charges are fixed and which depend on events at the port, so that your later bookings are easier to compare.
Next step
We check loading plans against weight limits and supervise loading. For a freight plan on your first order, book a free sourcing review.