On this page · 8 sections
Most of India’s trade by value moves by sea. For an exporter, the choices come down to four things: how much space you need, which container suits the cargo, who handles each leg between your door and the buyer’s, and which documents must be ready before the vessel cut-off.
This guide covers each in turn. It is general guidance. Always check the current rules with your customs broker and the official portals listed under sources.
FCL and LCL in one paragraph each
Full container load (FCL). You book a whole container. It is stuffed at your factory or at a container freight station (CFS), sealed, and stays sealed until the destination unless customs opens it. You pay per container, whether it is full or not.
Less than container load (LCL). You send a few cubic metres to a CFS. A consolidator packs your cargo into a shared container with other shippers’ goods, and it is unpacked at a destination CFS. You pay per cubic metre, usually with a minimum.
How to choose
| Situation | Lean towards | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo fills most of a 20 ft container | FCL | Lower cost per cubic metre, one seal |
| A few pallets or cartons | LCL | Pay only for the space used |
| Fragile or high-value goods | FCL | Fewer handlings, no shared box |
| Tight delivery date | FCL | No wait for a consolidated box to fill |
| Regular small orders to one buyer | LCL, then FCL as volume grows | Flexibility first |
| Tall, heavy or out-of-gauge pieces | Special equipment | Open top or flat rack |
LCL adds two CFS handlings and a consolidation wait at each end. On a busy trade lane this is small. On a thin lane it can add days. Ask for the consolidation schedule on your exact route.
Container types
The common boxes are:
- 20 ft dry. Suits dense cargo that reaches the weight limit before it fills the space.
- 40 ft dry. Roughly twice the space of a 20 ft, for lighter cargo.
- 40 ft high-cube. About a foot taller than a standard 40 ft, for bulky, light goods.
- Reefer. Temperature controlled, for food, pharma and other chilled cargo.
- Open top and flat rack. For machinery and pieces too tall or wide for a closed box.
Inside dimensions and payloads vary by shipping line. Use our container size guide to check fit, and confirm with the carrier before booking.
Port to door: the legs of a shipment
A sea shipment is a chain of separate legs. Each one has an owner.
- Brief. You share cargo, volume, container type, ports, Incoterm and ready date.
- Booking. Space is booked with a shipping line or consolidator, and the vessel and gate cut-offs are confirmed.
- Stuffing. FCL is stuffed at your factory where the line allows it, or at a CFS. LCL goes to the CFS.
- Road leg to port. The container moves by truck or rail to the terminal before the gate cut-off.
- Export customs. A licensed customs broker files the shipping bill on ICEGATE and the goods get let export order.
- Ocean leg. The vessel sails and the carrier, or a registered NVOCC or MTO, issues the bill of lading.
- Destination. An overseas agent handles import clearance and delivery to the buyer, as the Incoterm decides.
Your Incoterm sets where your cost and risk end. Under FOB you stop at the Indian port. Under CIF or DAP you carry it further. The Incoterms guide explains each term.
What SSL does, and what partners do
Safe & Secure Logistics books your ocean freight, FCL or LCL, and runs the port haulage by road. One SSL desk is your single point of contact for the whole movement.
The ocean carriage itself is by partner shipping lines. The bill of lading is issued by the carrier or a registered NVOCC or MTO. Customs is filed by a licensed broker. Destination handling is by our overseas agent. SSL does not own vessels or ocean containers.
On the road side, SSL made over 1,100 port-linked truck moves via Nhava Sheva, Mumbai Port, Mundra and Haldia in the year to August 2026. The wider network has run since 1951, with 76,000+ truck hires a year, 110+ branches and offices, and 2,000+ destinations. Read more on our sea freight service and port haulage service pages.
Documents for an export shipment
Most sea exports from India need:
- Commercial invoice and packing list. Values, HS codes, weights and package counts must match each other.
- Shipping bill. Filed on ICEGATE by the customs broker, under the procedures set by CBIC.
- Bill of lading. Issued by the carrier or NVOCC once the cargo is on board.
- Certificate of origin. Where the buyer needs one, often to claim a trade agreement benefit. See DGFT.
- E-way bill. For the road leg to the port, where the value crosses the GST threshold.
Some goods need extra permits, test reports or licences. Check your HS code with the HS code finder and the full document checklist.
Common mistakes
- Booking LCL for cargo that would fill most of a 20 ft box
- Measuring volume from the order rather than the packed cartons
- Missing the gate cut-off because the truck was booked too late
- Invoice and packing list figures that do not match
- Choosing an Incoterm without checking who pays destination charges
- Ignoring detention and demurrage on the container. See our demurrage and detention guide.
Checklist
- Packed volume and weight measured
- FCL or LCL decided against the volume
- Container type confirmed for the cargo
- Incoterm agreed with the buyer
- Booking and cut-offs confirmed in writing
- Road leg to port booked with time to spare
- Invoice, packing list and HS codes checked against each other
- Customs broker briefed
- Certificate of origin arranged if the buyer needs it
For more on the wider export process, read exporting from India step by step and our port haulage guide.
Ready to ship? For a regular lane or a tender, send an RFQ. For a single shipment, request a quote with your cargo, volume, ports and ready date.
Figures for Safe & Secure Logistics are for FY2025-26 from our booking register. How each one is counted is on the Facts and sources page.