Fully Licensed and Bonded by the Federal Maritime Commission - FMC License Number 027013N
LIGHTHOUSE SHIPPING LLC is a leading international logistics company specializing in the shipping of all commoditIes to over 150 countries worldwide
Lighthouse Shipping specializes in shipping by ocean to over 150 countries worldwide and has secured preferential contract rates with most of the major shipping lines to ensure that we can present our customers with competitive ocean shipping quotes while still providing our customers with the utmost customer service. When shipping by ocean you can either ship your goods by Full Container Load (FCL) or by Less than Container Load (LCL). Please see below for full explanation of all of your ocean freight shipping options.
FCL is the term used to describe a shipment of goods that is specifically transported in an ocean container without any other shipments in that same container. FCL containers typically come in three standard sizes:
20 and 40 Foot Containers
40 Foot high cube container
Also in very few cases, depending on the destination, there is also a 45 Foot high container
For FCL shipments we will arrange to pick up the container from either the port or inland carrier yard and truck it to the location where the cargo is being loaded at. The container will then be either loaded by professional packers or can also be self-loaded by the shipper.
Once the container is loaded we will place a seal on the door of the container and deliver it to the port of departure were it will be loaded onto the ship.
Upon arrival at destination, we can either provide you with a door-to-door service where we would clear customs and deliver the container to your final destination overseas, or we can offer a door-to-port service where you will be responsible for arranging customs clearance and for the pickup of the container and delivery of your goods from the port.
An LCL shipment refers to a shipment that will be transported inside an ocean container with other cargo in that same container. LCL shipments are ideal for customers that are only sending a few items or for shippers that don't have enough to fill an entire container.
For the most part, LCL shipments are typically either crated or palletized to ensure that your goods are protected throughout the entire shipping process. Depending on what the customer is shipping, we can either pick up the goods from the customers location, professionally pack the goods and deliver them to shipping lines receiving warehouse, or in some cases if the goods are already packed, the shipper can self-deliver the goods to the receiving terminal themselves.
LCL shipments can either be shipped door-to-door or we can ship the freight to over 400 major cities worldwide where the customer will be able to pick it up.
LCL shipments are quoted based on how much space your goods will occupy the container. The unit of volume used to measure an LCL shipment is "cubic feet".
Upon arrival at the shipping terminal the shipping line will measure your goods and issue a dock receipt with your final volume in cubic feet. Please note that the palletizing and packing process will always increase the volume that you are shipping. Most of the time, the volume can increase by anywhere from 10-25% after packing and palletizing.
Please note that the shipping line will measure the length of the freight on the pallet or crate at its longest point, the width of the freight at its widest point, and the height of the freight from the ground to its tallest point.
Let your shipping representative know a precise list of the items that you are shipping so they can provide you with an accurate good-faith estimate which will take into account the increase in volume after the packing and palletizing process.
