The Mr. Cooper - Your Trusted Freight Partner

Our primary business is shipping from the U.S. (Less Than Container Load). With LCL, multiple shippers share space in 40-foot sea freight containers, which are efficiently loaded and unloaded by professionals at Container Freight Stations (CFS). With FCL freight (Full Container Load), shippers typically rent full containers from steamship lines and are responsible for picking up, loading, unloading, and returning the containers.

Unlike with FCL, with LCL, shippers are not at risk of heavy penalties from steamship lines for negligence. We only offer FCL service to our experienced B2B customers who have worked with us repeatedly. To request that we serve FCL freight, customers must have completed at least three LCL shipments with us.

If you can pack all your goods for shipping in boxes or crates, our economical should meet your international transportation needs.

FCL means shipping from the U.S. in entire containers

FCL is the abbreviation "Full Container Load" used in international cargo transportation.

Regarding cargo transportation from the USA by sea, FCL means an ocean freight service granting rights for shipping cargo from the USA in all multimodal sea freight containers: 20', 40', 40HC, etc.

Typically, with FCL, containers are delivered, loaded, and sealed for international transportation from the United States at shippers' facilities. Loaded containers are trucked within the U.S. by land to steamship lines' container yards (CY), where they are waiting to be loaded onto cargo vessels for further transportation from the U.S. to their destinations overseas.

Please note that ocean freight carriers' container yards are not necessarily seaports. Container yards can be within landlocked city areas in the U.S. and destination countries. Such container yards are connected with seaports by rail or truck lines. For example, FCL ocean freight may be included in ground transportation. 

Do not confuse the containers' trucking between CYs and seaports, which is included in FCL ocean freight, with local containers' trucking from/to CY. Such trucking is called Pre-carriage and On-carriage or local trucking. That assumes containers' ground transportation from/to container yards to/from cargo locations. Local trucking is NOT included in ocean freight rates. If an ocean freight carrier offers local trucking, local trucking costs are separated from ocean freight.

Also, note that departure and arrival ports are not necessarily in the countries of origin and destinations. Containers can be transported from/to seaports of departure/arrival to container yards in other countries by rail, trucks, or smaller local vessels (finders).

Finally, there could be direct shipping from the USA to the destination country OR shipping from the USA with trans-shipping via a hub seaport somewhere on the way to the port of entry to the final destination. For example, containers can be shipped from the USA via ports such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Hamburg, etc.

Please note that even though you are shipping from the U.S., a cargo that is sufficient to fill a 20-foot container (i.e., your total shipping volume is about 15 – 25 cubic meters), we'd still recommend you consider options to ship it with us. In certain circumstances, you may find that shipping from the USA LCL is more convenient and cost-effective than FCL shipping.

Unlike with FCL, shippers are not obligated to load and secure cargo in LCL containers. Unless you are experienced in container stuffing, think twice before ordering a full container.

Also, if you are shipping from the USA boxes, crates, or pallets and self-deliver cargo to an LCL freight terminal (CFS - Container Freight Station), do not confuse it with Container Yard, then:

• You eliminate the costs of container deliveries, waiting time, and the container's return. You avoid risks of penalties associated with missing cutoffs for the container's return and shipping documentation submission. Such penalties come directly from steamship lines and can be enormous.
• You may deliver light, easy-to-handle, loose cardboard shipping boxes and have them palletized at CFS. Then, in addition to convenience, you transfer ISPM15 compliance in international shipping to CFS.
• When your container arrives at the destination, you are not obligated to pick it up, unload it, and return it to the container yard.
• Find more about our economy LCL shipping from the USA.

However, if you need to deliver larger cargo from the USA that fills an entire 40-foot container, then shipping FCL can be the only cost-effective option.

Also, shipping cargo from the U.S. in multimodal sea freight containers should be safer, easier organized, and more cost-effective than other services, such as Ro-Ro or Break-Bulk. The only limitation is that the sizes and weight of shipping goods must fit in a 40-foot sea freight container.

Other sizes of multimodal sea freight containers are available. They are designed to ship specific kinds of cargo from the USA. However, sea freight containers other than 20 or 40 feet are always subject to equipment availability at container yards.

Shipping Household Goods from the U.S. FCL Vs. Shipping goods with International Moving Companies

If you are a first-time international shipper moving from the USA overseas, do not confuse FCL cargo transportation with moving goods overseas with global shipping companies.

International moving companies should deliver a container to your door. Then, they should professionally load and fasten your goods inside the container. They should process all formalities and shipping documentation with U.S. Customs and ocean freight carriers on your behalf. If there is an agreement, the international moving company can load a car or other motor vehicles into the container. However, services from international moving companies are costly.

If you ship household goods from the USA FCL, you are responsible for meeting a container at a safe place, loading and securing all your belongings, and ensuring the container is secure.

After delivering an empty container, the driver will wait for one or two hours for free until you finish loading and sealing your container. If you are not ready and delay the load, the additional cost of waiting time of $50- $75+ per hour will accumulate for each additional hour. Always be prepared to meet and load your container. After you finish, your sealed container should be delivered to the container yard. The international transportation of your goods from the USA to the destination overseas will begin.

If you ship an entire container independently, the shipper is responsible for submitting all necessary documentation related to international shipping.

Once your container enters the commerce zone of your destination country, you (or your cargo recipient/consignee) are held responsible for meeting the container, customs clearance, and paying all charges associated with the container release. Your consignee should arrange the container's local delivery, unload it, and return the empty container to the yard immediately.

The procedures for shipping entire containers from the U.S. are pretty complex. However, if you are well organized and keep control of your international delivery, all this should cost you the money you would pay an international moving company.

Once again, if you can pack all your goods in shipping boxes or crates, always consider the Mr. Cooper Cargo as an alternative. If you ship less than 10-15 cubic meters from the USA, shipping LCL should be less complicated, more convenient, and cheaper than shipping an entire container.