A practical, numbers-first way to decide when a full container load (FCL) beats less-than-container load (LCL) for Indonesian green coffee in 2025. We share the formulas, current rate ranges, and real lane examples so you can calculate your exact break-even in 60 kg bags or pallets.
We’ve shipped thousands of bags of Indonesian green coffee to roasters on five continents. The FCL vs LCL choice looks simple. Then the destination charges arrive. Here’s a focused, numbers-first guide you can actually use to find your break-even in 60 kg bags or pallets in 2025.
Quick answer: when does FCL beat LCL in 2025?
From what we’re seeing on active bookings Q4 2024 to early 2025, here is the ballpark break-even where a 20 ft FCL becomes cheaper than LCL for Indonesian green coffee. Your exact numbers will swing with lane, CFS fees, and how you load.
- USA West Coast (Jakarta or Semarang to Los Angeles or Oakland). 90 to 140 bags of 60 kg. About 9 to 14 pallets if you palletize 10–12 bags per pallet.
- USA East Coast or Gulf (to New York, Savannah, Houston). 110 to 170 bags. Longer ocean legs and higher destination handling push LCL costs up, but FCL base freight is also higher.
- Northern Europe (to Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp). 120 to 180 bags. LCL destination charges are more moderate than the US, so break-even is a bit higher.
Loaded close to full, a 20 ft FCL usually lands around 0.22 to 0.32 USD per kg. Typical LCL for 1–3 pallets lands around 0.70 to 1.10 USD per kg. That gap is why the break-even comes so early.
What we’re comparing
- FCL. One 20 ft container you control. Floor-load 300 to 330 bags of 60 kg is common for green coffee. That is roughly 19 to 20 metric tons. A 40 ft can take roughly 430 to 460 bags by weight limit. Price per kg improves as you load more.
- LCL. Pallets through a CFS. Billed by W/M. That means per CBM or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. Coffee is dense. You will pay by CBM. One 60 kg bag is roughly 0.09–0.10 CBM. Ten bags on a pallet take about 1.1–1.3 CBM once you add pallet and wrap.
Practical note. Many LCL providers require pallets or skids. Floor-loading is an FCL advantage.
The math you can reuse
Use these formulas to estimate landed freight cost per kg. Add beans cost, duties or VAT if applicable, and inland trucking to get your full landed cost.
- FCL per kg. (FCL ocean rate + origin THC and docs + destination THC and delivery order + drayage + moisture control + insurance) divided by net kg loaded.
- LCL per kg. [(Origin CFS and docs per CBM + Ocean per CBM + Destination CFS and docs per CBM) multiplied by total CBM] plus last-mile delivery plus insurance, all divided by net kg.
Typical 2025 ranges we’re seeing on coffee lanes:
- FCL 20 ft ocean rate Indonesia to US West Coast. 2,500 to 3,800 USD. Europe. 1,900 to 3,000 USD.
- Origin charges FCL. 450 to 700 USD. LCL origin. 25 to 45 USD per CBM plus 75 to 150 USD docs per shipment.
- Destination charges FCL US. 500 to 800 USD plus drayage 250 to 500 USD local. Europe. 350 to 650 EUR plus 150 to 300 EUR local delivery. LCL destination US. 90 to 160 USD per CBM plus 120 to 250 USD per shipment docs and handling. Europe LCL destination. 60 to 120 EUR per CBM plus 60 to 150 EUR docs.
- Insurance. 0.3 to 0.6 percent of cargo value. LCL claims and deductibles tend to be higher in practice, so some importers add a small risk premium.
- Moisture control FCL. 70 to 180 USD for desiccants. Optional container liner 200 to 350 USD. LCL moisture control is limited to bag-level protection like inner liners.
Assumptions that move the break-even
- Pallet height and count. Ten 60 kg bags per pallet is common. Twelve works if your CFS allows it. More CBM per bag raises LCL cost.
- Local delivery from port or CFS. A short hop near the port can save 150 to 300 USD.
- How full your FCL is. A 20 ft at 280 bags versus 330 bags will swing per kg by 15 to 20 percent.
- Rate swings. Late 2024 and early 2025 saw GRIs and PSS on some Asia–US services. LCL security and congestion adders pop up faster than FCL base rates.
Two real lane examples you can benchmark
These are illustrative estimates using mid-range rates. Swap in your numbers with the formulas above.
Jakarta to Los Angeles. 1 pallet LCL vs near-full 20 ft FCL
- LCL. Ten 60 kg bags on one pallet. 1.2 CBM. Ocean plus origin and destination per CBM. About 260 USD per CBM total. Shipment docs 120 USD. Local delivery 200 USD. Insurance 0.5 percent on 3.50 USD per kg coffee value. Rough landed freight cost. [(1.2 × 260) + 120 + 200] ÷ 600 kg = 0.94 USD per kg. Add insurance about 0.02 per kg. Call it 0.96 per kg.
- FCL 20 ft. Ocean 3,000 USD. Origin 600 USD. Destination 650 USD. Local drayage 350 USD. Desiccants 100 USD. Insurance 0.4 percent on full cargo. Loaded at 320 bags = 19,200 kg. Landed freight cost per kg. (3,000 + 600 + 650 + 350 + 100) ÷ 19,200 = 0.28 USD per kg. Insurance adds roughly 0.02 per kg.
- Break-even for this lane with these inputs. About 100 to 120 bags. Below that, LCL is cheaper in total dollars. Above that, FCL wins on per kg and risk.
Semarang to Hamburg. 6 pallets LCL vs 20 ft FCL at 300 bags
- LCL. Six pallets of ten bags. 6 × 1.2 = 7.2 CBM. Europe LCL per CBM total 150 EUR mid. Docs 100 EUR. Local delivery 220 EUR. Insurance 0.4 percent. Landed freight per kg. [(7.2 × 150) + 100 + 220] ÷ 3,600 kg ≈ 0.41 EUR per kg. Call it 0.44 USD per kg at a 1.07 FX. Insurance adds about 0.015 per kg.
- FCL 20 ft. Ocean 2,400 USD. Origin 550 USD. Destination 500 EUR. Local drayage 180 EUR. Desiccants 100 USD. Loaded at 300 bags = 18,000 kg. Convert EUR pieces to USD roughly 1.07. Per kg freight approximates 0.24 to 0.27 USD per kg including insurance.
- Break-even. Around 120 to 160 bags. LCL remains practical for pilots and specialty micro-lots, but per kg climbs quickly as volume grows.
Pricing the risk. Moisture, odor and claims
LCL puts your coffee in a shared box or warehouse environment. Doors open more often. CFS dwell time can be days. Odors from unrelated cargo travel. If you’re shipping delicate profiles like our Bali, Java, Gayo & Mandheling - Wine Green Arabica Coffee Beans, that exposure matters.
How we price it in practice:
- Add 0.03 to 0.10 USD per kg as a quality risk adder on LCL unless you use inner liners on each bag. It reflects expected loss from elevated moisture or faint odor that needs blending.
- Always insure to CIF plus 10 percent. LCL damage claims happen more frequently and take longer. We see 0.3 to 0.6 percent premiums as normal.
- For FCL, spend the extra 70 to 180 USD on desiccants. Skip the container liner only if you have very dry season loadouts and tight transit times.
20 ft or 40 ft for coffee?
- 20 ft. Best cost per kg for heavy commodities like green coffee. Typical load 300 to 330 bags. Up to 19 to 20 metric tons by volume. Faster to position. Lower drayage and chassis cost.
- 40 ft. Weight limits cap you near 430 to 460 bags of 60 kg even though there is space. Per kg can be similar to a well-loaded 20 ft. Worth it if you truly need the extra 100 to 130 bags and want one box instead of two.
Our rule. If you are below 380 to 400 bags, one 20 ft usually beats a 40 ft on cost and handling risk.
Common mistakes that push your cost up
- Ignoring destination LCL charges. The per CBM CFS and doc fees are where LCL hurts. Always get a full door quote, not just ocean.
- Under-loading FCL. A 20 ft at 250 bags can land 15 to 20 percent higher per kg than at 320 bags. If you are close, consider sharing.
- Over-palletizing LCL. A tall pallet with 12 bags that forces extra CBM is expensive. Ask your CFS for max height rules before pack day.
- No moisture control. LCL needs inner liners or poly bag-in-burlap. FCL needs desiccants at minimum. Skipping this erases savings if quality drops.
- Wrong insurance basis. Insure at CIF plus 10 percent. LCL deductibles can exceed the value of a single pallet if you underinsure.
Can two roasters share an FCL?
Yes. We facilitate co-loads often. Split by net kg plus any special handling. Keep it simple. Fixed FCL costs divided by total kg, then allocate by each buyer’s kg. Add separate delivery legs after devanning. This setup is how many small roasters get FCL economics without holding 300 bags.
When LCL still makes sense
- Pilot buys or product development. Trying a new profile like Sumatra Super Peaberry Green Coffee Beans or a seasonal lot. One to three pallets is fine.
- High-value micro-lots with strict packaging. We can pack in inner liners or vacuum where appropriate. For ultra-premium microlots such as Kopi Luwak Green Coffee Beans (Authentic Wild Civet Arabica), LCL works if the CFS is careful and transit is short.
Need help calculating your specific lane and volume? We can run a live per kg model using current CFS and carrier quotes. If you want that sanity check, contact us on whatsapp.
If you’re planning a full-box purchase and want to align on volume and profiles, you can also browse current export-ready lots here. View our products.
Takeaways you can use today
- Start your break-even with 100 to 150 bags for US West Coast, 120 to 180 for Europe. Then fine-tune with your CBM per pallet and local delivery.
- Treat LCL risk as a real line item. Add 0.03 to 0.10 USD per kg for potential moisture or odor impact unless you fully mitigate.
- Load your 20 ft as close to 320 to 330 bags as you can. The last 10 to 20 bags often drop your per kg more than you expect.
In our experience, the cheapest dollar choice is usually the safest cup choice once you cross that 100 to 150 bag threshold. That is why most of our partners graduate to FCL quickly, then use LCL for pilots and seasonal experiments.