FCL Shipping in the US — Full Container Load Freight Forwarding for Importers
If your import operation handles FCL shipping into US ports, you have likely seen the same operational gaps repeat across carriers and forwarders. 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. "All-in" quotes routinely expand by 15 to 20 percent between booking and final billing.
Platton handles FCL shipping as one managed pipeline rather than five disconnected handoffs. Ocean booking, document validation, customs entry, drayage, and inland delivery are owned by one freight specialist from start to finish, with every milestone visible in a shared dashboard
Why importers choose Platton for FCL shipping
Most of the importers we onboard are transitioning from a traditional forwarder where rate turnaround takes a day or longer, status updates require email chains, and accessorial charges surface at invoicing.
Platton is built on the opposite premise. Rate comparison runs in minutes. Milestones surface in real time. A named freight specialist owns the file from booking through final delivery
AI-powered FCL rate comparison
Our system pulls live FCL ocean freight rates from multiple carriers and NVOCC partners across every major lane into the US. Sailing options appear side by side: carrier, transit time, ETD, ETA, and total landed cost.
The comparison view eliminates back-and-forth and lets your team book the sailing that matches the inventory plan
Real-time visibility from factory to warehouse
Every container we book is tracked through vessel departure, transshipment events, US port arrival, customs release, and inland delivery. 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 rather than embedded in fine print.
If the carrier issues a GRI between booking and sailing, you are notified before the container loads
Customs clearance and inland delivery included
Platton is a US-based freight forwarder with licensed customs brokerage built into the same workflow. ISF is filed at least 24 hours before vessel loading.
Customs entry, HTS classification, duty calculation, Section 301 tariff review, and continuous bond management are all handled on the same file as the ocean leg. Drayage and inland trucking close the loop
How FCL shipping with Platton works
The process below covers what happens from the moment a quote is accepted to the day the container is unloaded at your warehouse. Each step has clear ownership and clear handoff criteria
FCL booking and rate comparison
You provide the basics — origin port, destination, container type, ready date, and commodity — and receive a comparison of live FCL freight rates within hours.
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
Origin pickup and container loading
We coordinate empty container pickup at the supplier or warehouse, supervise loading, and seal the container.
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
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
US customs clearance and ISF filing
ISF (Importer Security Filing, also known as 10+2) is filed at least 24 hours before the container is loaded onto the vessel at origin. The customs entry is filed before vessel arrival in the US so the container clears as soon as it is discharged.
Duties, MPF, HMF, and any Section 301 tariffs are calculated against the HTS codes on file and paid through the customs broker
Drayage and inland delivery
Once customs releases the container, our drayage partners pick it up at the terminal inside the free time window, keeping demurrage off the invoice. The container is delivered to your warehouse, FBA prep facility, or 3PL on the appointment booked.
Detention is monitored so the empty return is completed before carrier free time runs out
FCL container types we ship
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
20ft standard
container (20GP)
Approximately 33 cbm of internal capacity, with a payload of about 53,000 lbs (24,000 kg). 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 55,000 lbs (25,000 kg). 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. with a payload of about 44,0000 lbs (20,000kg). 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
What is included in Platton's FCL shipping service
Every quote covers the full move, not only the ocean leg. Specialty add-ons
(cargo insurance, bonded warehousing, FBA prep) are quoted separately and surfaced before booking
FCL ocean freight from origin port
to US port of entry
US customs entry, HTS classification,
duty calculation, MPF, HMF
Origin charges: export documentation,
terminal handling, container sealing
Section 301 tariff review and continuous
bond management
Bill of lading issuance and
document validation
Container drayage from US port to
your warehouse, 3PL, or FBA facility
ISF (10+2) filing at least 24
hours before vessel loading
Real-time milestone tracking and one named
freight specialist on your file
FCL shipping rates and what affects them
FCL freight rates change weekly. The base ocean rate is one line on the quote. 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 — each one shifts which charges fall on the importer. Current carrier capacity.
On top of these, bunker adjustments, peak season surcharges, chassis fees at the US terminal, and per-diem detention if pickup runs late are the line items that turn a $2,400 quote into a $3,800 invoice when accessorials are not tracked at the line level
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, drayage, and customs fees broken out as line items.
The total on the quote is the total on the invoice
FCL vs LCL — when full
container load is the right choice
Break-Even
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. Below that volume, LCL is generally cheaper because only the consumed space is billed. Above it, FCL almost always wins on per-cbm cost, and the operational benefits compound at higher volumes.
When FCL Wins
FCL also wins when cargo is fragile, high-value, or sensitive to humidity and contamination, because the container is sealed at origin and remains sealed until it reaches the destination facility. LCL cargo is deconsolidated at a CFS (container freight station) at destination, which adds 5 to 7 days to the timeline. For Amazon FBA shipments, FCL is generally the right choice once volume exceeds 10 cbm. For importers sourcing from multiple suppliers, buyers consolidation combines orders into a single container.
Industries we serve with FCL shipping
Platton ships full containers for US importers across a broad set of categories
FCL shipping trade lanes into the US
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. 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, Houston). Section 301 tariff exposure is reviewed on every entry
FCL shipping from India to the US
Origin ports include Mundra, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), and Chennai. Transit time runs 28 to 38 days into East Coast ports via Suez, or 30 to 40 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 18 to 24 days into the West Coast and 32 to 40 days into the East Coast. Vietnam volumes have grown sharply as importers diversify away from China-only sourcing
Get an FCL shipping quote
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 landed cost is visible. Typical response time is under four business hours
Frequently asked questions about FCL shipping
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 door-to-door from China is generally 25 to 45 days.
FCL shipping cost depends on origin and destination port, container type, sailing date, surcharges, and inland delivery distance. As a rough benchmark in 2026, a 40HQ from China to Los Angeles runs $2,200 to $3,800 all-in. The same container into the East Coast runs $3,500 to $5,500.
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, customs entry, MPF, HMF), drayage, and any duties or Section 301 tariffs. Platton issues a single all-in quote with every line item broken out.
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.
Partner with Platton
for reliable FCL shipping
Talk to a Platton freight specialist about your regular shipping lanes, container volumes, and delivery requirements. We'll map out an FCL plan — with confirmed rates, carrier options, and a customs workflow your operations team can rely on