LCL shipments grow as economy declines

In a depressed economy,
African importers tend to
be more cautious about
how much inventory
they ship – and many
are finding that smaller
shipments can be the most
cost-effective choice for
certain combinations of
goods, order size, and
market needs.
This is according to
Allen Clifford, president of
the global Containerisation
+ Intermodal Institute
(CII), a non-profit
organisation that
educates shippers about
containerisation. Clifford
says that when a customer
wants smaller orders more
frequently, airfreight and
LCL are the only global
transportation options.
“Yes LCL consolidation
containers move at
higher rates than general
commodity full container
loads (FCL) but there are
many ways shippers can
save time and money if
they are straightforward
with the information
they provide to freight
forwarders, and work with
experienced
freight
consolidation
companies,”
says Clifford.
“If they leave
details out,
they may
get a few
nasty cost
surprises.”
He
points out
that high-quality
consolidators take pains
to select like shipments for
consolidation and avoid
mixing commercial goods
with shipments made by
individuals, hazardous with
non-hazardous materials,
and non-compatible
hazardous shipments.
A competent
consolidator also knows
what items Customs tends
to check more thoroughly
and keeps those separate
from other goods to
ensure faster
clearance
Some other
benefits
of LCL
shipments
include
faster transit
times as
consolidators
can select
vessels with
direct routes
or fewer stops as opposed
to long routes with
multiple stops.
“LCL consolidation
containers move at higher
freight rates than general
commodity FCL, so
carriers tend to give them
preferential loading,”
comments Clifford.
INSERT & CAPTION
There are many ways
shippers can save
time and money.
– Allen Clifford