Trade calculators
LCL Sea Freight Calculator: Cost per CBM and Shipment
Cost an LCL (less-than-container-load) shipment end to end: ocean freight per W/M, the minimum charge, origin and destination CFS fees, THC, delivery order and customs brokerage. Every rate is an editable indicative default.
→ Calculate directly: CBM & Volumetric Weight CalculatorAll amounts in EUR.
Indicative range: 18–55 EUR per W/M
LCL add-on charges
Set each line per W/M or as a flat fee per shipment. Under FOB the seller usually pays the origin charges — enter 0 there.
Indicative rates as of 2026-Q3 — confirm with your forwarder. Storage, duty and import VAT/GST are not included.
- Volume
- 2.4 CBM
- Weight
- 0.45 t
- Actual freight tons
- 2.4 W/Mby volume
- Chargeable W/M
- 2.4 W/M
- Ocean freight
- €72.00
- Origin CFS / THC
- €33.60
- Documentation (B/L, export docs)
- €35.00
- Destination CFS / deconsolidation
- €76.80
- Destination THC
- €38.40
- Delivery order (D/O)
- €45.00
- Customs brokerage
- €80.00
Minimum charge: LCL is almost always billed at a minimum of 1 W/M. Together with the flat fees this makes very small shipments expensive per CBM — under 1 CBM, compare air freight or courier too.
EUR · 2026-Q3
How the LCL calculator works
W/M (weight or measurement, freight ton): LCL is billed per freight ton, not per container. The forwarder compares volume in cubic meters (CBM) with gross weight in metric tons, where 1 tonne counts as 1 CBM, and charges the higher of the two. 2.4 CBM at 900 kg is 2.4 W/M; 1.2 CBM at 1,800 kg is 1.8 W/M.
Minimum charge: Carriers and consolidators nearly always bill at least 1 W/M, so a 0.3 CBM shipment pays ocean freight and per-W/M fees for a full cubic meter. Flat fees such as documentation, delivery order and customs brokerage are charged regardless of size. That is why cost per CBM on tiny shipments is a multiple of the headline rate.
CFS (container freight station): At origin your cargo is loaded into a shared container at the CFS together with other shippers' goods; at destination it is unloaded there and released (deconsolidation). Both steps are charged per W/M on top of terminal handling charges (THC), and on small shipments these add-ons often exceed the ocean freight itself.
Who pays what? Under FOB the seller covers costs up to loading at origin, so set origin CFS/THC to 0. Under EXW you pay every line. Duty and import VAT are calculated on the customs value of the goods and are deliberately left out here.
How to calculate LCL sea freight cost per CBM
- Enter the volume. Type carton length, width and height in centimeters plus the number of cartons, or enter total volume directly in CBM.
- Enter gross weight. Gross weight per carton or for the whole shipment in kilograms. The calculator converts to tonnes, where 1 t counts as 1 CBM.
- Pick the lane. Choose a route such as Shanghai → Hamburg. The ocean rate and add-on charges are prefilled with indicative defaults.
- Adjust rates and add-ons. Overwrite the ocean rate per W/M, CFS, THC, documentation, delivery order and customs brokerage with your forwarder's quote, and set each line per W/M or flat.
- Read the result. See chargeable W/M (minimum 1), ocean freight, every add-on, the total, cost per CBM and cost per carton, then copy the summary.
FAQ
How is LCL sea freight calculated?
On freight tons (W/M): the forwarder compares volume in CBM with gross weight in tonnes and charges the higher figure, with a minimum of 1 W/M. Ocean freight = chargeable W/M × rate per W/M. On top come per-W/M charges such as CFS and THC, and flat fees for documentation, delivery order and customs brokerage.
What does W/M (freight ton) mean?
W/M stands for 'weight or measurement'. One freight ton equals 1 CBM or 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. 3 CBM at 1,200 kg is billed as 3 W/M; 1 CBM at 2,500 kg is billed as 2.5 W/M. Dense cargo pays by weight, light bulky cargo by volume.
What does LCL cost per CBM from China to Europe or the US?
The ocean rate alone on Asia–North Europe moves with the market, roughly USD 20–60 per W/M; trans-Pacific to the US West Coast is often somewhat higher. Once CFS, THC and flat fees at both ends are added, total cost per CBM is a multiple of that, and the smaller the shipment the higher it gets. The defaults here are indicative (2026-Q3); only your forwarder's quote is binding.
Why is LCL so expensive per CBM for small shipments?
Two effects. First the 1 W/M minimum: 0.4 CBM is billed as a full cubic meter. Second, flat fees such as documentation, delivery order and brokerage apply whatever the size. With this calculator's indicative defaults, a 0.4 CBM shipment Shanghai → Hamburg costs about EUR 250, which is over EUR 600 per CBM.
What is a CFS and what does it charge?
A container freight station (CFS) is the port warehouse where LCL cargo is received and loaded into shared containers, or unloaded and released at destination. You pay for receiving and loading at origin and for unloading, deconsolidation and release at destination, usually per W/M. Storage after the free period can be added on top and is not included here.
When is a full container (FCL) cheaper than LCL?
As a rule of thumb, from about 13–15 CBM it is worth getting a 20-foot FCL quote as well. There is no fixed break-even: it depends on the current container rate, LCL add-ons and weight. Cost the LCL option here and compare it with the FCL quote including THC and delivery.