Indonesian Vegetables: LCL vs FCL Reefer 2025 Cost Guide

A practical, numbers-first way to decide when a 20’ FCL reefer beats LCL for Indonesian vegetables in 2025. Simple break-even formula, hidden line items you can’t miss, and worked examples on Jakarta–Singapore and Jakarta–Dubai.

If you buy or sell fresh Indonesian vegetables in 2025, you’ve probably asked the same question we hear every week: At what volume does a 20’ FCL reefer beat LCL? The answer is rarely on the quote sheet because the tipping point hides inside line items like plug-in, monitoring, CFS handling, and free-time rules. Here’s the simple method we use with customers so you can run the numbers yourself in five minutes.

The quick formula we actually use

Step 1. Estimate your all-in 20’ FCL cost for the lane. Include ocean freight, Jakarta/Surabaya reefer origin handling, pre-cool, PTI, trucking, and destination THC plus plug-in and monitoring.
Step 2. Estimate your LCL all-in cost per CBM for the same lane. Include LCL ocean per CBM, CFS in/out at origin and destination, cold storage or pre-cool if needed, plug-in and monitoring at CFS, and any minimum charge.
Step 3. Break-even CBM = FCL all-in cost ÷ LCL all-in cost per CBM. If there’s an LCL per-shipment fixed fee, add it to the numerator or spread it across your CBM.

In our experience, the break-even for Indonesian reefer exports usually lands between 11 and 15 CBM in 2025. Short-haul lanes with lower destination fees break closer to 11–13 CBM. Longer routes with higher destination plug-in and monitoring push toward 13–15 CBM. But there’s more to consider.

What fits inside a 20’ reefer for vegetables?

Usable volume for fresh veg: 19–24 CBM. You need airflow space, so don’t count the full internal cube.
Pallet count: 9–10 standard pallets (1.0 x 1.2 m). Or 11–12 Euro pallets (0.8 x 1.2 m) if your buyer accepts that footprint.
Rule of thumb: one loaded standard pallet is about 1.8–2.1 CBM depending on carton height and overhang. Ten pallets often land around 19–21 CBM of cargo.
Carton example: A typical export carton for Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri) might be roughly 0.038–0.040 CBM. With 20–22 CBM usable you’ll load about 500–580 cartons per 20’. That’s plenty for retail trials, sushi chains, or salad processors testing demand.

The LCL vs FCL charges most shippers miss

In Indonesia and at destination, these fees move the needle more than the base ocean rate.

Origin cold chain. Pre-cool, PTI, and terminal plug-in. If your vegetables arrive warm or miss the PTI window, you’ll pay extra and risk quality.
CFS handling for reefer LCL. In/out, palletization, labeling, forklift, and sometimes a reefer surcharge per CBM.
Destination plug-in and monitoring. Ports and CFS facilities bill per day. Jebel Ali and Singapore are meticulous about this.
Free time and storage rules. Reefer free time is tighter than dry. Overflow to cold storage is expensive.
Minimum charges. LCL often has a 1 RT or 2–3 CBM minimum. Small shipments can look cheap until the minimum hits.

Here’s the thing. Three out of five quotes we’re sent as a cross-check omit at least one of those lines. That’s how you get the wrong break-even.

Worked example: Jakarta to Singapore, fresh vegetables

These are indicative Q1–Q2 2025 ranges we see. Rates can swing week to week.

20’ FCL reefer. Ocean and surcharges: 1,400–1,800 USD. Jakarta origin handling, PTI, pre-cool, terminal plug-in, trucking: 500–700 USD. Singapore D/O, THC, 1 day plug-in and monitoring: 300–450 USD. Estimated FCL all-in: 2,300–2,900 USD.
LCL reefer. Ocean per CBM: 110–150 USD. Origin CFS in/out per CBM: 25–40 USD. Destination CFS per CBM: 30–45 USD. Plug-in and monitoring allocation at CFS: 6–10 USD per CBM. Per-shipment fixed docs: 70–120 USD. Estimated LCL per CBM all-in: 170–240 USD.

Sample calculation. Use midpoints to keep it practical.

FCL all-in = 2,550 USD.
LCL per CBM all-in = 205 USD. Per-shipment fixed = 95 USD.
Break-even CBM = (2,550 + 95) ÷ 205 ≈ 12.9 CBM.

Takeaway. For Jakarta–Singapore, if you move more than about 13 CBM or roughly 6–7 pallets of vegetables, a 20’ FCL reefer often wins. Below that, LCL stays cost-efficient and avoids detention risk while you validate demand for lines like Tomatoes or Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce).

Worked example: Jakarta to Dubai (Jebel Ali), fresh vegetables

Dubai is sensitive to plug-in and monitoring at destination.

20’ FCL reefer. Ocean and surcharges: 2,900–3,700 USD. Jakarta origin handling, PTI, pre-cool, trucking: 550–750 USD. Jebel Ali D/O, THC, 1–2 days plug-in and monitoring: 550–800 USD. Estimated FCL all-in: 4,000–5,100 USD.
LCL reefer. Ocean per CBM: 200–260 USD. Origin CFS per CBM: 30–45 USD. Destination CFS per CBM: 45–65 USD. Plug-in and monitoring allocation: 10–16 USD per CBM. Per-shipment fixed docs: 90–140 USD. Estimated LCL per CBM all-in: 285–375 USD.

Sample calculation. Midpoints again.

FCL all-in = 4,550 USD.
LCL per CBM all-in = 330 USD. Per-shipment fixed = 120 USD.
Break-even CBM = (4,550 + 120) ÷ 330 ≈ 14.2 CBM.

Takeaway. On Jakarta–Dubai, expect the tipping point around 14 CBM. Destination plug-in and monitoring in Jebel Ali push the break-even higher than Singapore.

How destination plug-in and monitoring fees shift the decision

Every extra plug-in day at destination nudges FCL closer to parity sooner because LCL spreads those charges across more shippers. We see shifts of 1–2 CBM in the break-even for each additional paid day of plug-in and monitoring in ports like Singapore, Port Klang, and Jebel Ali. Pre-clear customs and book cold storage before arrival to protect the math.

What about detention and demurrage risk for FCL?

Reefer detention is painful. Typical per-diem ranges in 2025:

Indonesia or transshipment hubs. 100–160 USD per day for 20’ reefer.
Gulf and Singapore. 150–250 USD per day. Plus plug-in and monitoring.

Plan for 3–5 days free time at destination for reefers. Some terminals offer less. If your buyer is new or approvals are slow, LCL can be cheap “insurance” because you’re not exposed to per-diem on a full box.

In our experience, new programs for delicate items like Japanese Cucumber (Kyuri) or salad leaves often start with reefer LCL until weekly volumes and customs cycles are predictable. Once you’re consistently at 12–15 CBM, switch to FCL and lock a service contract.

Schedules, cut-offs and transit time: LCL vs FCL in practice

Jakarta or Surabaya to Singapore. FCL transit 2–4 days port to port with weekly or more frequent sailings. LCL reefer door-to-availability is usually 6–10 days because of CFS consolidation and devanning.
Jakarta to Dubai. FCL transit 10–14 days depending on transshipment. LCL reefer availability 18–25 days including CFS steps.
Cut-offs. FCL cut-off is usually 24–48 hours pre-ETD. LCL reefer cut-off is often 2–4 days earlier. Surabaya reefer consolidations to the Middle East can be weekly. Some lanes are fortnightly. Missing the CFS cut-off adds a full week.

Practical takeaway. If shelf life is tight or the product bruises easily, the extra LCL dwell time can cost more than the rate difference. For sturdier veg like Carrots (Fresh Export Grade) or Onion, LCL dwell is usually manageable when volumes are small.

Quick answers to what buyers ask us most

What CBM or pallets is the tipping point in 2025?

Most lanes break around 11–15 CBM. That’s 6–8 standard pallets for typical vegetable packs.

Which LCL charges are most often missed?

CFS in/out, cold storage at origin, and destination plug-in and monitoring. Also the per-shipment minimum that makes a 1–3 CBM move more expensive than it looks.

Does the break-even change by lane?

Yes. Jakarta–Singapore often breaks near 13 CBM. Jakarta–Dubai is closer to 14 CBM because of higher destination handling and plug-in.

How many pallets or cartons fit in a 20’ reefer?

Plan on 9–10 standard pallets or 11–12 Euro pallets. That is about 19–22 CBM usable for most veg packs. For small-carton products like Red Radish, that’s roughly 500–600 cartons depending on dimensions.

How should I factor detention and demurrage?

Give your buyer a realistic customs and delivery timeline. If you can’t guarantee release within free time, LCL is safer until the process is ironed out.

Two uncommon but useful tactics

Blend a small LCL top-up. If you’re reliably at 10–11 CBM, book one 20’ reefer FCL and push the remainder via LCL. Your landed cost drops and you avoid a bigger box too early.
Segment by temperature and season. Move delicate lines like Baby Romaine (Baby Romaine Lettuce) on FCL when ambient temps spike at destination. Keep firmer items like Purple Eggplant on LCL while you scale.

If you want a lane-specific worksheet with the latest Jakarta reefer charges, destination plug-in norms, and your carton specs, reach out. We’re happy to sanity-check your math on WhatsApp before you book. Contact us on whatsapp. You can also browse the crops we currently export and sample with LCL while you test demand. View our products.

Final thought. The rate per CBM is not the decision. Your real cost is the sum of cold-chain dwell, plug-in, monitoring, and free-time risk. Run the formula with the full list and the answer becomes obvious in minutes.