Logistics
LCL or FCL for Bronze: Shipping Dense Cargo from Vietnam
Bronze fills a container by weight before volume. How to choose LCL or FCL, plan a mixed line list around weight limits, and avoid surprises at the port.
Bronze fills a container by weight long before it fills it by volume. A first mixed order of altar sets and statues usually belongs in LCL (less than container load), shared space in a consolidated container. FCL (full container load) makes sense once your line list is heavy enough that your forwarder's payload limit, not the floor space, is the constraint. Plan the line list around weight, ask your forwarder for the payload limit and how they charge heavy LCL, and book from Hai Phong.
Why does bronze hit weight before volume?
Our pieces are poured solid, with a 5 mm wall and 8 mm at load points. A size-65 five-piece altar set weighs about 36 kg. Packed in foam, cartons and crates, a mixed order of bronze reaches the payload limit of a 20 ft container while there is still visible empty space above the cargo. Lighter goods fill a container to the roof. Bronze doesn't.
That is why we quote unit weight, packed weight, carton or crate dimensions and pieces per carton as standard. Your forwarder needs all four to tell you which option fits.
When does a first order belong in LCL?
- You are testing a few lines and do not yet know what sells.
- The order is well under what your forwarder says a 20 ft container can legally carry.
- You would rather wait a little longer for a consolidation than pay for space you do not use.
The cost of LCL is extra handling. Your cartons are loaded into a shared container at a consolidation warehouse and unloaded at a deconsolidation warehouse at the other end. Every extra handling is a chance for a crate to take a knock, so packing matters more in LCL than in FCL. Our guide to packing bronze for sea freight covers the crating.
How is heavy LCL charged?
LCL is usually charged on the greater of volume or weight, using a conversion the forwarder sets. For light goods the volume decides. For bronze, the weight often does. Ask your forwarder how they convert weight to chargeable volume before you compare quotes, because two quotes with the same headline rate can charge a heavy shipment very differently. We do not quote freight, and rates change, so get this from your forwarder.
How to mix light and heavy lines?
When you move up to a full container, balance dense and bulky lines:
- Censers, cranes and solid statues are dense. They take up the weight allowance.
- Vases, bowls and panels are lighter for their size. Nesting sizes on request help them use space well.
- Incense bowls, water cups and trays are small and light and fill the gaps between crates.
Send the draft line list with target quantities, and we return the packed weight and volume per line. You and your forwarder can then adjust quantities on a spreadsheet rather than at the port.
Which port and Incoterm fit each?
| LCL | FCL | |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | First and trial orders, a few lines, mixed small quantities | Repeat orders near your forwarder's payload limit |
| Risk of knocks | Higher: loaded and unloaded at consolidation warehouses | Lower: loaded once, opened at your door or warehouse |
| Timing | Waits for a consolidation to fill and sail | Sails on the booked vessel |
| Who loads | The consolidator, alongside other shippers' cargo | Loaded for your order only; photographs of loading on request |
| Usual terms with us | FOB Hai Phong, or EXW Nam Dinh if your forwarder collects | FOB Hai Phong; CIF on request |
Under EXW and FOB, the risk passes to you before the sea leg, so arrange cargo insurance yourself. The general terms are on our trade terms page.
What changes at the destination warehouse?
For LCL, your goods arrive at a deconsolidation warehouse, and you or your broker collect them after customs clearance. For FCL, the container can be delivered to your door. Either way, check before you book that the receiving end can handle heavy crates: a forklift or pallet jack, a dock or tail-lift truck, and floor space for crates that don't stack. Photograph crates on arrival, before unpacking. Our guide to damage-on-arrival claims explains why.
Frequently asked questions
Can our bronze be consolidated with goods from other suppliers?
Yes, through your forwarder's consolidation in Vietnam. Tell us their warehouse address and cut-off date. Under EXW or FOB, we deliver to the point agreed on the proforma.
Pallets or wooden crates?
Heavy single pieces travel in wooden crates. Cartons of smaller pieces can be palletised. ISPM-15 heat-treated timber is available for markets that require it.
Which port do you ship from?
Hai Phong for sea freight. Samples and urgent single pieces can go by air from Ha Noi.
Who insures the goods?
Under EXW Nam Dinh and FOB Hai Phong, you do. Under CIF, the seller buys the cover for the voyage. Read the policy's notice period for damage.
Should samples go by sea?
Usually not. A sample is one or a few pieces, and air from Ha Noi is faster. See bronze samples before a wholesale order.
Planning a shipment? Send your line list through the request a quote form or on WhatsApp at +84 926 199 999. We return unit and packed weights, carton sizes and pieces per carton within two working days, so your forwarder can quote.