Freight All Kinds

When shippers are sending their merchandise LCL or consolidated with other companies’ merchandise, they may have their commodity listed as FAK or “Freight All Kinds”. Shipping Freight All Kinds is a tariff term that means that a shipping company has a mixture of goods that they are looking to ship and they would like to base the container on one freight rate. While this rate may not be as low as they could have given some of the cargo, it is a median amount that allows their cargo to ship consolidated without breaking out the cargo shipping costs.

Some people think this is a way to get around the system. They think that they can use FAK in order to pay less for their ocean freight rates. When shipping FAK however, the steamship line will require the shipper to list all of the different commodities that will be shipping under that bill of lading. The carrier will need to know the specifics especially if there is any hazardous materials. As a result they are generally more critical of these containers.

Shipping FAK can have its benefits, but it can also be a way to bring attention to your cargo. If a company is looking to get away with something, FAK is not usually a good commodity to use. It is more likely to get inspected by US Customs if there are any potential problems and a carrier is more likely to check this cargo. FAK seems like it would be a great catch all commodity, but it is only effective when used properly in international shipping.