A CFS fee, or Container Freight Station fee, is a charge for handling cargo at a container freight station. It is most common with LCL shipments, where freight from multiple shippers is received, sorted, consolidated into containers for export, or deconsolidated after import. The fee may cover warehouse handling, loading, unloading, documentation, cargo sorting, pallet movement, storage, and coordination. CFS fees are separate from ocean freight and can affect the total landed cost of smaller international shipments.
The CFS fee is charged by the Container Freight Station operator for receiving, handling, storing, and releasing cargo. It applies at both origin consolidation and destination deconsolidation.
- Origin CFS fee: covers receiving cargo, stuffing into container, and terminal delivery
- Destination CFS fee: covers container stripping and staging shipments for pickup
- Assessed per CBM, per revenue ton, or per container with a minimum charge
For related logistics context, see Dedola’s ocean freight shipping services and glossary entries on CFS, LCL, Origin Charge, and Consolidation Fee.
