What is the difference between a spot rate and an FAK freight rate?
A spot rate is typically shipment- or short-period-specific and may carry tighter validity, equipment, sailing or cancellation conditions. FAK (“freight all kinds”) is a broader commodity-rate construct used by carriers and NVOCCs for qualifying cargo under stated lane and service conditions. Neither is automatically cheaper; compare validity, space, equipment, surcharges and terms.
Written by Raja Torain. Published 2026-10-05, last reviewed 2026-10-05.
The rate basis matters most when the cargo-ready date is uncertain. Compare what happens to each rate if the cargo slips a week.
What I Check First
- 1.How long is the rate valid?
- 2.Is space and equipment protected, or only subject to availability?
- 3.Which surcharges remain variable?
In practice
A low spot number is not useful if the cargo-ready date misses the rate window or the sailing has no usable space.
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