If your import operation handles FCL shipping into US ports, you have likely seen the same operational gaps repeat. Vessel rollovers go uncommunicated until a revised ETA puts inventory plans at risk. Demurrage accrues before the container is confirmed on the ground. Late ISF filings produce penalties that should never reach the invoice.
Platton is a US freight forwarder specialized in imports into the US. On every FCL shipment, we book the container with the carrier, check the supplier's export documents before loading, and track the ocean transit. Quotes are instant.
Milestones surface in real time.
AI-powered FCL rate comparison
Our system pulls live FCL ocean freight rates from Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Evergreen, and Hapag-Lloyd for the lane and container type you need. Sailing options appear side by side: carrier, transit time, ETD, ETA, and total cost.
The comparison view eliminates back-and-forth and lets your team book the sailing that matches the inventory plan. Each booking comes with confirmed space on the vessel.
Real-time visibility from port to port
Every container we book is tracked through vessel departure, transshipment events, US port arrival, and customs release. Your team sees the same data we see, in the same dashboard.
When a vessel is rolled or a container is held for examination, the alert reaches you within hours, not when the demurrage invoice arrives
Predictable transit times and stable pricing
The rate quoted is the rate invoiced. Bunker adjustments, peak season surcharges, chassis fees, and document fees are surfaced in the comparison view at the quoting stage.
The process below covers what happens from the moment a quote is accepted to the day the container arrives at the US port of entry.
FCL booking and rate comparison
You provide the basics (origin port, destination, container type, ready date, and commodity) and receive an instant comparison of live FCL freight rates.
Once a sailing is accepted, we issue the booking with the carrier, lock the rate, and send the booking confirmation along with cutoffs for cargo arrival, document submission, and ISF
Supplier coordination and export documents
We collect the packing list, commercial invoice, and bill of lading instructions, then validate the documents before the container is gated in at the origin port. The supplier also declares the loaded container's verified gross mass (VGM); without it, the box is not loaded. The document cutoff comes before the cargo cutoff, so the paperwork is ready first.
Ocean transit and real-time tracking
After vessel departure, live milestones appear in the dashboard: ETD, transshipment events, and updated ETA.
If the vessel is rolled, an alert is issued with the next available sailing and revised ETA, allowing inventory planning and warehouse receiving to be updated before any downstream impact
We book every standard FCL container type and most specialty equipment. The right container depends on cargo volume, weight, and how the goods will be loaded and unloaded
Check the count in the container capacity calculator before requesting the FCL quote.
The payloads below are what each box can carry at sea. On US roads, a truck is capped at 80,000 lbs gross, which leaves about 38,000 lbs of cargo in a 20ft and about 44,000 lbs in a 40ft, so check the weight before you book the box. The container types and sizes guide has the full dimensions.
20ft standard container (20GP)
Approximately 33 cbm of internal capacity, with a payload of about 62,200 lbs (28,200 kg). Real loads fit 25 to 28 cbm or 10 to 11 standard US pallets. Best suited for dense cargo such as tile, machinery, beverages, or paper, where the weight limit is reached before the volume limit
40ft standard container (40GP)
Approximately 67 cbm of internal capacity, with a payload of about 58,900 lbs (26,700 kg). Real loads fit 54 to 58 cbm or 20 to 21 US pallets. The default FCL unit for general cargo from Asia to the US
40ft high cube container (40HQ)
Same footprint as a 40GP but one foot taller, providing approximately 76 cbm of usable volume. The payload is about 58,400 lbs (26,500 kg), and real loads fit 60 to 68 cbm on the same 20 to 21 pallet positions, stacked higher. The most popular FCL container for furniture, apparel, packaged consumer goods, and any cargo that cubes out before it weighs out
Specialty FCL containers (reefer, open top, flat rack)
Reefers for temperature-controlled cargo (food, pharma, cosmetics). Open top and flat rack for over-height or over-dimensional cargo: industrial machinery, building materials, project cargo. Specialty equipment is in shorter supply, so booking lead times run longer
FCL ocean freight from origin port to US port of entry
US customs entry, MPF, HMF
Origin charges: export documentation, terminal handling
Bill of lading issuance and document validation
ISF (10+2) filing at least 24 hours before vessel loading
Real-time milestone tracking until the container is discharged at the US port
Specialty add-ons (cargo insurance, bonded warehousing, FBA prep) are quoted separately and surfaced before booking. You can also add:
FCL freight rates change weekly. The base ocean rate is one line on the quote. It is a flat price per container, the same for a full box or a half-full one. What actually moves the total cost is everything that sits on top of that line: surcharges, accessorials, and inland charges
Factors that influence FCL freight rates
Origin and destination port. Container type and count. Sailing date relative to peak season (June through October out of Asia). Commodity, since hazardous or restricted cargo carries higher rates. Incoterm (EXW, FOB, CIF), since each one shifts which charges fall on the importer. Current carrier capacity.
On top of these come bunker adjustments, peak season surcharges, and chassis fees at the US terminal. Each container also gets a set number of free days at the US terminal, counted from discharge. Past that, demurrage (often $150 to $500 a day) runs while the box sits at the terminal, and detention runs until the empty is returned; both fall on the importer.
How to get an accurate FCL shipping quote
Submit the basics: origin port, destination zip, container type and count, ready date, commodity description, HTS code if available, and incoterm. We return a comparison of FCL rates from the carriers running that lane, with all surcharges broken out as line items.
The break-even between LCL (less than container load) and FCL is typically around 13 to 15 cbm for standard cargo from Asia to the US. For importers sourcing from multiple suppliers, buyers consolidation combines orders into a single container.
The FCL vs LCL guide works out the cbm break-even step by step.
Platton ships full containers for US importers across a broad set of categories
China to the US is the core lane for most of our clients, but we book FCL ocean freight on every major Asia-US trade route, plus the main lanes from Europe. Containers arrive at Los Angeles and Long Beach, Seattle and Tacoma, Oakland, New York and New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, and Houston. Transit times below are realistic ranges that account for normal port congestion
FCL shipping from China to the US
Our highest-volume lane. Origin ports include Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen (Yantian, Shekou), Qingdao, Xiamen, and Tianjin. Transit time runs 14 to 18 days into Los Angeles/Long Beach, and 28 to 35 days into East Coast ports (New York/New Jersey, Savannah).
FCL shipping from India to the US
Origin ports include Mundra, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), and Chennai. Transit time runs 22 to 34 days into East Coast ports via Suez, or 22 to 32 days into the West Coast via transshipment in Singapore or Colombo. A strong lane for textiles, home goods, and pharmaceutical inputs
FCL shipping from Vietnam to the US
Origin ports include Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Haiphong, and Cai Mep. Transit time runs 12 to 24 days into the West Coast, fastest on direct calls from Cai Mep, and 28 to 40 days into the East Coast. Vietnam volumes have grown sharply as importers diversify away from China-only sourcing
FCL shipping from Europe to the US
Origin ports include Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Felixstowe, and Le Havre. Transit time runs 8 to 14 days into New York/New Jersey, 12 to 18 days into Charleston and Houston, and 25 to 30 days into Los Angeles via the Panama Canal.
Send us the lane, container type, and ready date. You will receive a comparison of live FCL freight rates from the carriers servicing the route, with every surcharge and accessorial broken out so the actual cost is visible. Your FCL quote is instant.
FCL (full container load) is an ocean freight service in which an entire shipping container (20ft, 40ft, or 40ft high cube) is booked for a single shipper's cargo. The container is sealed at origin and remains sealed until it arrives at the destination facility. FCL is the standard ocean shipping mode once a shipment exceeds roughly 13 to 15 cbm.
Transit time depends on the lane. FCL from China to Los Angeles/Long Beach typically runs 14 to 18 days at sea; China to East Coast US runs 28 to 35 days. Add 3 to 7 days on the origin side and 3 to 5 days on the destination side. Total transit from China, including origin and destination handling, is generally 20 to 30 days to the West Coast and 34 to 47 days to the East Coast.
FCL shipping cost depends on origin and destination port, container type, sailing date, surcharges, and inland delivery distance. As a rough benchmark in mid 2026, a 40ft container from China to the US West Coast ran about $5,900 to $7,800 port to port. The same container into the East Coast ran about $7,600 to $9,700. The ocean freight rates guide explains why these prices move from month to month.
FCL means a full container is booked exclusively for one shipper's cargo. LCL means cargo is consolidated with other shippers' cargo into a shared container. FCL is faster, lower per-cbm cost above 13 to 15 cbm, and lower-risk for fragile or high-value goods.
Per cubic meter, yes. Once a shipment is above roughly 13 to 15 cbm, FCL is almost always cheaper. Below that volume, LCL is generally the better economic choice.
Total cost is the base ocean freight rate, plus surcharges (BAF, peak season, chassis), origin charges, destination charges (US terminal handling), and drayage.
There is no formal minimum. A 20ft FCL container can be booked with any volume of cargo. The practical minimum is the volume at which FCL becomes more cost-effective than LCL, around 13 to 15 cbm for standard cargo.
The core documents are the bill of lading, the commercial invoice, and the packing list. For a US import, the Importer Security Filing (ISF) is also due before the container is loaded at origin, and a late or missing ISF can draw a $5,000 penalty. Some goods also need a certificate of origin.
Talk to a Platton freight specialist about your shipping lanes, containers, and delivery requirements. We'll map out an FCL plan with the right container size, confirmed rates, and the carrier sailings for each lane.
