Ecommerce Shipping & Carrier Terms

A freight forwarder is a company that arranges the transportation of goods on behalf of shippers, acting as an intermediary between the shipper and the carriers — ocean lines, airlines, road hauliers — that physically move the cargo. The freight forwarder books space with carriers, manages documentation (bill of lading, airway bill, export declarations), coordinates customs clearance, handles insurance, and delivers the cargo to the final destination. Freight forwarders do not typically own the ships, planes or trucks they use; they are logistics orchestrators who add value through carrier relationships, consolidation capabilities and documentation expertise. For Amazon FBA inbound from outside the EU, the freight forwarder typically also coordinates customs clearance and deconsolidation at the EU port of entry. FBA freight forwarding in Europe covers FLEX.'s end-to-end freight forwarding service for FBA inbound shipments.

LCL (Less than Container Load) is an ocean freight mode in which a shipper's goods do not fill an entire container, so the container is shared with cargo from multiple shippers. The freight forwarder consolidates multiple LCL shipments into one container at origin, and deconsolidates them at the destination port. LCL is cost-effective for shipments too large for air freight but not large enough to fill a full container (typically under 15 to 20 cubic metres). The trade-off versus FCL is longer transit times — consolidation and deconsolidation add days at each end — and higher handling risk, as cargo is handled more times. LCL charges are typically quoted per cubic metre (CBM) or per weight tonne, whichever is greater. FBA freight forwarding in Europe covers LCL options for FBA inbound shipments from Asia, the US and the UK.

FCL (Full Container Load) is an ocean freight mode in which a single shipper books and fills an entire container — typically a 20-foot (1 TEU) or 40-foot (2 TEU) standard container, or a 40-foot high-cube for volume-light but space-heavy cargo. The container is loaded at origin, sealed, and not opened until it reaches the destination — reducing handling risk and transit time versus LCL. FCL is more cost-efficient per unit than LCL once a shipment exceeds approximately 15 to 20 cubic metres, and the transit time advantage becomes significant for high-velocity SKUs. For non-EU sellers sending large FBA inbound shipments, FCL from China to Hamburg or Rotterdam is the standard high-volume freight mode. FBA freight forwarding in Europe covers FCL routing and port options for large FBA inbound shipments.

Groupage (also called consolidation or LTL — Less than Truckload — in road freight) is a road freight mode in which cargo from multiple shippers is consolidated onto a single truck for transport. The freight forwarder or carrier collects individual consignments from multiple senders, consolidates them at a depot, and delivers them to their respective destinations after deconsolidation. Groupage is the road freight equivalent of LCL ocean: it is cost-effective for consignments that are too large for parcel carriers but do not fill a full truck. Transit times are typically two to five days within Europe for groupage movements. Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe covers groupage and line haul options for intra-European FBA routing.

Line haul is the main trunk movement of freight between two major hubs or depots — as distinct from the first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery legs. In road freight, line haul typically refers to the overnight trunking of consolidated loads between major sorting centres. In parcel networks, line haul is the movement of sorted parcels from the origin depot to the destination depot. Understanding line haul is relevant when comparing carrier service types: a parcel carrier's line haul network determines which destinations it can reach overnight, and therefore which delivery promises it can support. Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe covers intra-European line haul routing for Amazon FBA inventory movements.

Consolidation is the process of combining multiple smaller shipments into a single larger shipment for transport — typically to fill a container (ocean FCL consolidation), a truck (road groupage) or an air pallet. Consolidation reduces the per-unit freight cost by spreading fixed costs (container hire, truck hire) across more cargo, and is the core value-add of a freight forwarder's consolidation service. For non-EU Amazon sellers, consolidation at a freight forwarder's origin warehouse allows multiple suppliers' stock to be combined into a single FCL container before shipping to the EU. FBA freight forwarding in Europe covers FLEX.'s consolidation service for multi-supplier FBA inbound shipments.

Transit time is the number of days between a shipment departing its origin and arriving at its destination — not counting the time for customs clearance, deconsolidation or last-mile delivery unless these are explicitly included in the quoted transit time. Typical ocean transit times: China to Hamburg or Rotterdam, 25 to 35 days; China to Felixstowe (UK), 28 to 32 days. Air freight: China to any major EU hub, 3 to 7 days. Road freight within Europe: 1 to 5 days depending on origin and destination country. Transit time directly affects how far in advance non-EU sellers must order inventory to avoid FBA stockouts. For peak season, sellers typically add two to four weeks buffer on top of quoted transit times to account for port congestion and vessel delays. Customs clearance for online sellers in Europe covers customs clearance timelines that add to transit time at the EU border.

The three primary freight modes for international and European logistics are: ocean freight — the highest volume, lowest cost per unit mode for intercontinental cargo; typically 20 to 35 days Asia to Europe; suited to large, non-urgent shipments. Air freight — fast (3 to 7 days intercontinental), high cost per kg; suited to small, high-value or time-critical shipments; the only viable mode for rush stock or new product launches. Road freight — the dominant mode for intra-European movements; 1 to 5 days across most EU routes; available as FTL (full truckload), LTL/groupage, or dedicated express services. Most non-EU Amazon sellers use ocean FCL or LCL for regular inventory replenishment and air freight for emergency restocks. FBA freight forwarding in Europe covers mode selection and routing for FBA inbound shipments by origin and urgency.