The difference between FCL direct delivery and sea + truck delivery to FBA warehouse in the USA

1. Definition and characteristics of FCL direct delivery in the United States

FBA FCL direct delivery (FCL Direct Delivery) means that after the goods arrive at the destination port by sea in the form of a full container, the container is directly picked up from the port and transported to the Amazon FBA warehouse by truck, 

without unpacking, sorting or transshipping in the middle.

Its core advantage lies in the simplified process, reducing the intermediate links, and is suitable for large quantities, large volume or heavy goods.

2. The core difference between FCL direct delivery and sea truck delivery to FBA warehouse

• Transportation process

FCL Direct Delivery: 

sea transportation --> customs clearance --> container pickup --> and truck delivery of the whole container to the FBA warehouse. 

The container is not unpacked throughout the process, and the goods remain in the original state from loading to warehousing.

Sea truck (sea transportation + truck delivery): 

sea transportation --> customs clearance --> overseas warehouse unpacking and sorting --> and truck delivery in batches. It is necessary to unpack and palletize in the overseas warehouse, which is more flexible.

• Timeliness

FCL Direct Delivery :

The timeliness of the US West Coast warehouse is usually 15-20 days.

The timeliness of the US East Coast warehouse is extended to 25-35 days due to the long distance.

Sea truck:

The timeliness of the US West Coast warehouse is about 20-30 days (including overseas warehouse operations and truck appointment delivery time).

The timeliness of the US East Coast warehouse is slower, taking 35-40 days, and the last-mile truck delivery is easily affected by appointment delays.

• Price cost

FCL Direct Delivery:

Lower cost: Because it saves operations such as dismantling and sorting, the overall cost is calculated in full containers, which is suitable for large quantities of goods to dilute the cost. 

Sea + truck :

Complex cost structure: including sea transportation, container unpacking, warehousing, truck delivery and other links, charged by volume (CBM) or weight (KG), small batches of goods have higher unit prices

For example, the freight rate of sea trucks in the West Coast of the United States is about **800-800-1200/CBM**, while the total price per cabinet of FCL Direct Delivery is lower.

• Cargo safety and flexibility

FCL Direct Delivery:

High safety: no unpacking of the container during the whole process, reducing the risk of damage or loss of goods

Poor flexibility: the delivery address cannot be changed or intercepted midway after the container is sealed.

Sea + truck:

Strong flexibility: support batch delivery or temporary adjustment of warehouse address, suitable for multiple batches and small goods.

Operational risk: unpacking and sorting may increase the probability of damage to goods

3. Applicable scenarios and selection suggestions

Applicable scenarios for FCL Direct Delivery:

Large quantity of goods (such as full container), oversized or overweight (such as overlong wooden box goods), fixed delivery address.

Bulk traders with high timeliness requirements and need to ensure the safety of goods.

Applicable scenarios for Sea + truck:

Small and medium-sized batches of goods, need to be distributed in warehouses or temporarily adjust the delivery plan.

Small and medium-sized sellers who are cost-sensitive and can accept longer timeliness.

The core difference between FBA FCL Direct Delivery and Sea + truck lies in the simplification of the transportation process and the cost structure.

FCL Direct Delivery is known for its high efficiency, low cost and high security, and is suitable for large and stable cargo flows; Sea trucks win with flexibility and adapt to diverse needs.

Sellers need to make a comprehensive choice based on the characteristics of the goods (volume, weight), timeliness budget and operation strategy. 

In addition to shipping, if you want to know more about transportation solutions, you can contact me at any time;Phone/Wechat/Whatsapp/Skype: +8618926970495

Our company can provide you with transportation solutions for railways, autos, and air transport. 

For example, if the timeliness requirement is high, the FCL Direct Delivery of the Matson Express can be selected, while the dispersed distribution requirement gives priority to Sea + truck.

Shawn.Liao (Mr.) ，E-MAIL：sales04@viputrans.com