Freight services from the USA
Choosing a service is a question of deadline, volume and what the cargo tolerates. Below is the comparison that answers it, then a short guide, then each service in detail.
Choosing a service is a question of deadline, volume and what the cargo tolerates. Below is the comparison that answers it, then a short guide, then each service in detail.
Four options, side by side. Read down the column that matches your deadline and volume.
| Criterion | Ocean FCL | Ocean LCL | Air | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit (typical) | 20–35 days | 25–40 days | 2–5 days | 1–7 days |
| Cost per kg | Lowest | Low | Highest | Medium |
| Best for | Full loads, 15 m³+ | 2–15 m³ | Urgent, high-value | Domestic, cross-border |
| Minimum volume | 1 container | 1 pallet | 1 kg | 1 pallet |
| Cargo types | Almost all | General, palletised | Light, dense, perishable | Almost all |
Estimates for planning. Your actual transit depends on lane, season and customs. Get exact figures →
A hint, not a quote — it never names a price.
RecommendedOcean LCL, or FCL if you can consolidate · plus customs clearance
See detailsNot sure? Talk to an expert →Each one is a page of its own — this is the summary.
Not add-ons quoted later — part of the service.
Invoice, packing list and export filing produced by us, not returned to you as a to-do list.
Export clearance filed in-house and destination clearance coordinated with our agent.
Milestones from collection to delivery, plus the carrier B/L for line-side tracking.
All-risk cover on declared value quoted alongside the freight — accept or decline in writing.
Sector-specific handling, paperwork and lanes.
Transit times and customs notes per country.
A forwarder arranges the whole movement instead of you contracting the carrier, the trucker and the customs broker separately. For a domestic parcel you do not need one; for anything crossing a border, the paperwork and the liability chain are where shipments get stuck.
How we work →Deadline first, then density. Under a week means air; two weeks or more and ocean costs a fraction of it. Light bulky cargo is punished by air pricing because it is charged on volume, while dense compact cargo is where air is most competitive.
Compare all four modes →FCL is a container used only by your cargo; LCL shares one with other shippers, so it adds consolidation and deconsolidation time at both ends. Above roughly 15 m³ a full container is usually both faster and cheaper per unit.
Ocean freight →Yes, in-house rather than through a third-party broker: classification, export filing and coordination with the destination agent are part of the same file, with one party accountable if a document is wrong.
Customs clearance →Ocean FCL: two to three weeks before the sailing you want, more in peak season and before Chinese New Year. Air: two to four days. Hazardous, oversized and reefer cargo need longer because space and approvals are booked separately.
Start a request →Regularly. A common pattern is air for the urgent part of an order and ocean FCL for the balance, or ocean to a hub with trucking inland. One quote, one file, one coordinator.
More questions →More answers on the FAQ page.
Send origin, destination and roughly what is moving. Routing options and an itemized price come back within four business hours.