Load consolidator
What is a cargo consolidator?
The National Customs Service of Ecuador (SENAE) defines the Cargo Consolidator as follows:
“The cargo consolidator is an operator other than the carrier, who transports cargo in a grouped manner, under his name and responsibility, other than one or more final consignees, duly authorized by the National Customs Service of Ecuador.”
The cargo consolidator groups into containers, whether 20 or 40 feet, all the merchandise it receives from different shippers interested in sharing the space of a container. Each of these individual loads that will be grouped is called LCL shipment or groupage.
When are the services used?
These services are used when the Importer does not have the capacity to fill a complete container with its own merchandise and it is more economical to share the space with cargo from other importers.
In other words, the cargo consolidator is another intermediary in international maritime transport, since it is he who directly coordinates the reservation of space and the container with the shipping company, the consolidation of the goods, the departure and arrival of the cargo, etc. with its end clients, which can be both companies and forwarders
Negotiations like this have to be coordinated directly with the cargo consolidator since it is only they who enjoy these types of benefits with the shipping companies. That is, a direct importer or exporter cannot make this request directly with the shipping company, not even the forwarders themselves can do so, since shipping companies do not consolidate or offer this service. Only companies dedicated to transporting LCL (Less than a Container Load) merchandise have this type of negotiation and additional consolidation service.