Freight Forwarder
A company that arranges international cargo transportation on behalf of shippers — booking carriers, managing documentation, and coordinating the logistics chain.
In detail
A freight forwarder (transport agent) does not physically transport cargo but organizes the entire logistics chain: booking container space or air cargo capacity with carriers, preparing and managing transport documents (B/L, AWB), arranging origin customs clearance in the exporting country, coordinating storage and inland transport, and tracking shipment status. A full-service forwarder like Avalog combines forwarding with destination customs brokerage — providing a single point of contact from calculation to warehouse delivery. Forwarders are regulated under national licensing frameworks; in Russia they operate under ФГУП or private licenses. Difference from a customs broker: a broker is specifically accredited to file customs declarations; a forwarder is the logistics organizer. Many companies perform both roles. When selecting a forwarder, check: accreditation, experience with your HS code category, transparency of quote (all-inclusive vs. surprise surcharges), and real-time tracking capability.
Examples
- →Avalog acts as forwarder: receives cargo in Shanghai, arranges FCL to SPb, files Russian customs, delivers to Moscow warehouse
Related terms
NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier)
A freight intermediary that acts as a carrier to shippers (issuing House B/Ls) but books space wholesale from actual vessel operators.
Bill of Lading (B/L)
The primary ocean freight document serving as a receipt of shipment, contract of carriage, and document of title.
Customs Broker
A licensed professional authorized to file customs declarations and manage customs clearance on behalf of importers and exporters.
FCL (Full Container Load)
A shipment occupying an entire ocean container — 20DC, 40DC, or 40HC — booked and sealed by one shipper.
LCL (Less than Container Load)
Consolidated ocean shipping where multiple shippers share one container, each paying per CBM or freight ton of space used.