Break bulk transportation involves moving large cargo in smaller units, such as pallets, barrels, drums, boxes, or bags. It was the most common method of ocean freight transportation before the rise of large container ships. While typically more labor intensive than full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL) shipping, it is often still the best shipping choice when products are too large, heavy, or awkwardly shaped to fit in a standard container, or if the products need to be transported to a minimally-developed port that can’t accommodate container ships.