Skip to content

Back to the glossary Search the glossary

International transport

Consolidated load: what a consolidation is and how it travels

A consolidated load is an international shipment made up of many parcels from different sellers that travel together under one AWB and one manifest, and are separated only in the destination country.

It is the result of consolidation at the origin hub. For the airline and departure customs, the consolidated load is one shipment; for destination customs, it is a manifest with hundreds or thousands of individual parcels.

At destination, the load is broken down (deconsolidated) at the arrival hub and each parcel continues through clearance and last mile.

Shipping with MailAmericas

How Consolidated shipment works in our operation

MailAmericas' departures from each origin hub are organised as consolidated loads by destination, on a regular schedule. Deconsolidation happens at MailAmericas' destination hubs, which also run customs clearance.

Request a quote

Frequently asked question

What happens if one parcel in the load has a customs problem?

It depends on the country's regime. Under simplified courier regimes each parcel clears individually and a problem with one does not stop the rest.

Related terms

More from International transport

Air freightAir freight is the transport of cargo by plane, the usual mode for international e-commerce parcels because of its speed compared with sea freight.Freight forwardingFreight forwarding is the service of organising the international transport of a load: booking the freight, preparing the documentation and coordinating the route between origin and destination.AWB (air waybill)The AWB (air waybill) is the transport document an airline issues for a load: it identifies the load, its route, its weight and the parties involved, and serves as the contract of carriage.Volumetric weightVolumetric weight is the theoretical weight of a parcel calculated from its size (length by width by height, divided by a factor), used to charge for the space it takes in transport.Chargeable weightChargeable weight is the weight used to calculate a shipment's rate: the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, rounded up to the rate's weight band.Transit timeTransit time is the time a shipment takes between an agreed reference point (usually manifest closure at origin) and delivery to the buyer, measured in business or calendar days depending on the agreement.

See all 9 terms in International transport →

Selling to Latin America?

We explain how a cross-border shipment with MailAmericas works for your origin and your destinations.

Request a quote