---
title: "Should I Ship via Freight or Parcel?"
description: "Explains the freight-vs-parcel decision: Flexport defines freight as shipments over 200 kg (ship via FCL, LCL, or air); lighter shipments use express carriers like UPS or FedEx."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flexport.com/help/freight-or-parcel/
lifecycle: live
author:
  - "Flexport Editorial"
publishedAt: 2018-10-04T15:50:53.127Z
dateModified: 2026-07-31T03:22:14Z
readingTimeMinutes: 1
topics:
  - "Optimize Supply Chain"
  - "Ocean Freight"
  - "Air Freight"
  - "Parcel"
---

# Should I Ship via Freight or Parcel?

Flexport defines freight as any shipment greater than 200 kg in total weight. Anything less than that is better served shipping via a common express carrier like UPS or FedEx.

If your shipment is greater than 200 kg, then you’ll need to consider whether to ship your freight via [FCL](https://www.flexport.com/help/lcl-vs-fcl/) (full container load), [LCL](https://www.flexport.com/help/ship-air-or-lcl/) (less than container load), or [air](https://www.flexport.com/help/air-service-express-deferred/).

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flexport.com/help/freight-or-parcel/](https://www.flexport.com/help/freight-or-parcel/) for AI/LLM consumption.*