Answers to common shipping questions

Use our Request a Quote form to tell us your shipping mode, origin and destination, commodity, and shipment details. Our team reviews the details and follows up with options for your shipment.

At minimum: origin and destination, commodity and weight, dimensions or piece count, your ready date, and whether the cargo is hazardous or temperature-controlled. The Request a Quote page lists everything that helps us respond faster.

This depends on the mode, the route, and current carrier space, all of which vary shipment to shipment. Reach out as early as you can so we have the widest range of options to offer.

Both. We quote single shipments as well as recurring or contracted freight.

Call 219-243-6885, email [email protected], or use the form on our Contact page.

We arrange ocean freight, air freight, road and trucking, customs brokerage, and warehousing and distribution, along with specialized services for project and heavy-lift cargo, temperature-controlled shipments, hazardous goods, e-commerce fulfillment, last-mile delivery, parcel and courier, supply chain consulting, 4PL coordination, and track and trace technology. See our full Services page.

It depends on your cargo’s size, value, and how time-sensitive it is. As general guidance, air is usually the fastest mode for time-critical or high-value cargo, while ocean typically suits larger volumes where budget matters more than speed. Road and rail often fit domestic and regional moves. Tell us your priorities and we will recommend a mode.

Yes. We arrange domestic shipments within the United States as well as international shipments by ocean and air.

Yes. Many shipments move by more than one mode — for example, ocean freight to a US port followed by road transport to a final destination. We coordinate the handoffs between modes as part of the booking.

Yes. We prepare and manage the documentation required to clear import and export shipments through customs. See Customs Brokerage for more detail.

Typical documents include a commercial invoice, packing list, and the transport document for your mode (a bill of lading for ocean, an air waybill for air), plus any permits or certificates specific to your commodity. We will confirm exactly what your shipment needs.

Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) are a standardized set of rules — such as FOB, CIF, DAP, and EXW — that define where the seller’s responsibility for cost, risk, and transport ends and the buyer’s begins. Which one fits your shipment depends on your contract with your supplier or customer. Our Request a Quote form has an optional field for it, and we can talk through the options if you are unsure.

We do not currently offer a live, self-service tracking portal. Submit your reference number through our Track Shipment page, and a member of our team will look up the current status with the relevant carrier and reply with an update.

This depends on the mode: a bill of lading or booking number for ocean freight, an air waybill (AWB) number for air freight, a PRO number for domestic LTL trucking, or a container number for ocean shipments. If you’re not sure which you have, send us what’s on your shipping documents and we will match it.

Because tracking here is handled by our team rather than an automated portal, we provide updates when you request one and proactively at key points in the shipment’s journey.

Dangerous goods shipments are governed by the IMDG Code, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, and 49 CFR, depending on the mode, and require accurate hazard classification and documentation before they can move. See Hazardous Goods (DG) for what these shipments involve, or contact our team to discuss yours.

Yes. We coordinate the specialized transport, permitting, and planning that oversized or overweight freight requires. See Project & Heavy-Lift Cargo.

Yes, for perishable or temperature-sensitive cargo. See Reefer & Temperature-Controlled.

Payment terms are arranged directly with our team based on your shipment and account needs. Contact us to discuss what works for you.

It’s worth understanding the difference between carrier liability and cargo insurance. A carrier’s liability for lost or damaged goods is generally limited by law or tariff — for example, domestic motor carriers under the Carmack Amendment, ocean carriers under COGSA, and international air carriers under the Montreal Convention — and those limits are often well below a shipment’s actual value. Cargo insurance is separate coverage that can protect the full declared value of your goods. Contact our team to talk through insurance options for your shipment.