FCL and LCL Difference
1.FCL (Full Container-Load): An ocean-shipping and inter-modal industry term; a full container
(Twenty or Forty-Foot) load shipment is when a shipper contracts for the transportation of an entire container. The vast majority of inter-modal and ocean freight is contracted in this manner. Historically, FCL also stands for full carload which is the primary business of all modern rail-roads, and is the rail-road equivalent of TL trucking.
2. 3PL (third-party logistics)
3PL is a provider of outsourced logistics services. Logistic services encompass anything that involves management of the way resources are moved to the areas where they are required. The term comes from the military. In business, 3PL has a broad meaning that can be applied to any service contract that involves storing or shipping things. A 3PL service may be a single service such as transportation or warehouse storage or it can be a system-wide bundle of services capable of managing the entire supply chain.
3. HGV (heavy goods vehocle)
A heavy goods vehicle is a large vehicle intended for the transportation of heavy loads. Drivers of these vehicles must have a special training and license
4. DC (distribution center)
DC (Distribution Center) is a storage area or a warehouse used to receive goods, store the goods for a brief period of time and then ship it to the customers as and when required.
It may be stock the products of a single manufacturer or multiple manufacturers. It is also used to provide value added services.
In business parlance it is called as “DC”. It is an important link in the supply chain management and acts as an interface between the company and the customer.
5. LCL (Less-Than-Container Load)
An ocean-shipping and intermodal industry term; LTL equivalent in container shipping. Container freight stations at ports serve as consolidation and deconsolidation terminals. Historically, LCL also stands for less-than-carload. Before the prominence of interstate trucking, railroads offered less-than-carload (LCL) service but this business has largely disappeared.