What is a Container Freight Station?
A Container Freight Station (CFS) is a facility that handles Less-than-Container Load (LCL) cargo. It manages the交接 (handover) of LCL cargo, arranges stowage and consolidation, then sends the container to the Container Yard (CY). It also receives import containers from the CY for deconsolidation, sorting, storage, and final delivery to each consignee.
At the same time, it may perform tasks such as sealing and issuing dock receipts on behalf of the carrier. The Container Freight Station is a transportation service organization whose main activities include container stuffing, stripping, consolidation, and deconsolidation. It also provides related services such as container trucking, container management, customs declaration and inspection, container washing and repair.
Container Freight Stations can be classified into two types based on their location: inland freight stations and port freight stations. Inland freight stations are usually located in areas with well-developed inland transportation and ample cargo supply. They are equipped with necessary stuffing and stripping machinery, yards, and warehouses for cargo storage, serving as a hub for container trucking. Port freight stations are generally located in port areas, acting as a component of the port's diversified services.
Port freight stations can be further divided into those located inside the port and those outside the port. The ones inside the port, also known as terminal freight stations, have their business scope constrained by the terminal area. For terminals with insufficient apron space, they mainly provide stuffing and stripping services for cargo owners or inland carriers under CY delivery terms. The stuffing and stripping operations introduced in this section are those of terminal freight stations.
