Frequently asked questions

We arrange the whole movement instead of you contracting each piece: we book carrier space, arrange pickup, prepare and file export documents, clear customs and hand the cargo to a delivery agent at destination. We are not the carrier — we are the party accountable for the route working end to end.

For a one-off domestic parcel, no. For anything crossing a border — customs filing, an export declaration, a bill of lading — the paperwork is where shipments get stuck, and a single mistake costs more than the service.

Send origin, destination, mode and roughly what is moving. You get routing options, transit times and an itemized price within four business hours; nothing is booked until you approve it.

Both. Personal effects, vehicles and single crates are regular work alongside commercial freight — the process and the paperwork are the same.

Ocean FCL is priced per container on a lane; LCL and air are priced on chargeable weight. On top sits what the shipment actually needs: pickup, export filing, terminal handling, destination charges and insurance. Every line appears on the quote separately.

The calculator returns a market benchmark for a lane. Your quote reflects the real booking: current carrier space, your cargo dimensions, accessorials and destination charges. The benchmark tells you the order of magnitude, not the price.

Carriers charge on whichever is greater, actual weight or volumetric weight. Air uses volume in cm³ divided by 6000; LCL ocean compares tonnes against cubic metres. Light bulky cargo is therefore priced by the space it occupies.

No. Import duty, VAT and destination taxes are set by the destination country and paid by whoever the Incoterm names as importer, usually the consignee. We quote the freight and clearance service, and tell you which side owes what before booking.

New accounts typically prepay the first shipment; credit terms can be arranged after that. Exact terms depend on volume and lane and are set out in your rate agreement.

A commercial invoice and packing list for every shipment, plus an EEI filing in the Automated Export System where the value or commodity requires it. Regulated goods add licences or certificates. We prepare and file these as part of the service.

U.S. export clearance is normally same day when documents are complete. Import clearance at destination runs from a few hours to several days depending on the country, the commodity and whether the entry is selected for inspection.

The Incoterm decides. Under DAP or DDP the seller carries it; under EXW, FOB or CIF the buyer clears and pays. We confirm the term in writing with the quote so the invoice does not arrive as a surprise.

The Harmonized System code is the six- to ten-digit tariff classification that determines duty rate, licensing and restrictions. We classify your goods, and where a classification is arguable we tell you rather than guessing quietly.

You hear from us the same day, with the reason, what is needed to release it, and the storage clock. Most holds are document questions resolved in a day or two; inspections take longer and we quote the cost before authorising anything.

Port to port, ocean runs roughly 5–9 days to Canada, 14–20 to Northern Europe and 20–28 to the Middle East; air is 1–5 days on most lanes. Door to door adds pickup, clearance and delivery — we quote the whole chain, not just the sailing.

Every booking gets a reference and milestone updates: pickup, export filing, departure, arrival, clearance and delivery. Ocean bookings also carry the carrier B/L for tracking on the line’s own system.

You get the new schedule and the options with their costs — wait, re-route, or upgrade to air for a portion. Rolled vessels and port congestion are normal in this business; hearing about them late is what turns a delay into a problem.

Demurrage is the charge for leaving a container inside the terminal beyond its free days; detention is the charge for holding it outside after collection. Both are carrier charges, not ours, and both are avoidable with a clearance plan set before arrival.

Yes, for most IATA and IMDG classes. Send the MSDS with your request; we confirm packaging, declarations, segregation and routing, and we decline classes we are not currently certified for rather than improvising.

Yes — reefer containers and temperature-controlled air, with pre-cooling and monitoring. Short shelf life usually means air; we plan the clearance before departure so nothing sits warm on a dock.

Cars, trucks and machinery move by RoRo or in containers, individually or consolidated. Title and export paperwork must be complete before the unit reaches the terminal, and we check that first.

Yes, both full container and shared consolidations. Household goods need a detailed inventory with values — it is the document destination customs judges the shipment on.

Currency, narcotics, counterfeit goods and unlicensed weapons are prohibited outright. Lithium batteries, aerosols, alcohol, tobacco, food and medicines are restricted rather than banned — allowed under specific packing, licences or destination rules we check per lane.

Carrier liability is limited by convention and is not insurance — it can be a few dollars per kilo. We arrange all-risk door-to-door cover on the declared value with the quote; take it or decline it in writing.

Note the damage on the delivery receipt, photograph it before unpacking further, and tell us the same day. We file the claim against the carrier or insurer and handle the correspondence; claim windows are short, so the date of notice matters.

No formal minimum — a single pallet or crate is fine. Very small consignments are often cheaper by courier, and we will say so instead of quoting freight you do not need.

Yes. Regular lanes get a standing rate agreement, a fixed sailing pattern and a named coordinator who already knows the cargo, so each booking is a confirmation rather than a new brief.

One coordinator owns your file from quote to delivery, reachable directly by phone and email during business hours. No shared inbox, no ticket queue.