Approved Freight Forwarders
Helpful Articles - Freight

The Importance of Freight Class When Shipping Goods

Updated 8/25/2025 Summary: Understanding the freight class of your shipment will help you get an accurate quote and avoid reclassing charges. The NMFC made some key changes on July 19, 2025 that all shippers need to be aware of. Key Takeaways in This Article: What Are Freight Classes? Why Are Freight Classes Important? How Do Freight Classes Work? How Do You Determine Freight Class? What Are the Most Common Freight Classes? What’s an NMFC Code? Can You Calculate Freight Class on Your Own?   What Are Freight Classes? Its freight class can tell you a lot about a commodity. Most importantly, an item’s freight class...

Read More

Protect Your Bottom Line by Understanding These 5 Common Incoterms [with Printable PDF]

Last Updated: August 25, 2025 When you’re new to the world of shipping, the terminology can feel overwhelming. One set of terms that causes considerable confusion are Incoterms®. The Incoterms rules, created by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), define the responsibilities of buyers and sellers around the delivery of goods. The ICC updates this set of rules every ten years, with the most recent update—the aptly named Incoterms 2020 rules—released in 2020. How Incoterms Impact Buyers’ and Sellers’ Bottom Lines The Incoterms rules form a crucial part of any agreement between buyers and sellers by dictating who will pay for loading and unloading costs,...

Read More

How to Calculate Cubic Feet and Other Easy Freight Math

Last updated: 5/15/2024 When it comes down to it, freight is all about numbers. What are the dimensions of your shipment? What’s the volume? The weight? How do I calculate cubic feet? How much will fuel cost? How can I determine my shipment’s freight class? Will my pallets fit in a 40-foot container? Find the answers to these questions and you’ll know how to estimate your freight costs—and optimize your budgets. We worked with our pricing team to put together some quick explanations of the most common freight math you’ll need. We'll Show You How To:Your Content Goes Here Calculate the volume of your shipment...

Read More

Who Moves the World’s Freight? Meet the Top Shipping Companies

In 2020, the size of the ocean freight market was estimated at 64 million TEUs.i It's hard to imagine the sheer magnitude of that volume of freight. However, consider the fact that AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, has an interior volume of about 76,740 standard TEUs.ii  To understand 64 million TEUs, imagine filling 834 professional football stadiums.  In other words, the global ocean freight market is massive! In this article, we'll talk about the biggest players in the market so you can get a sense of who's operating in this field.   Since we have a particular interest (and expertise) in Pacific lanes, we'll start by discussing the...

Read More

By the Numbers: Comparing Freight by Mode of Transportation

As you’re optimizing your supply chain, you may compare  freight modes and wonder if you’re using the right mix for your business.   Below, we’ve rounded-up statistics and data on air, rail, ocean, and over-the-road freight. By perusing these numbers, you’ll get a sense of how other companies are leveraging modes within the United States and across the globe. You may also gain some new insights around mixing up your freight modes to support your organization’s goals and your budget. First, we’ll start with some stats on U.S. domestic freight.  How Far Does Freight Move in The U.S.?  As you may know, some modes of transportation are better suited for longer distances, while others shine at short distances. As...

Read More

Facing Ocean Freight Delays? Understanding Air Freight as an Alternative

Port BackupsA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. read more Stranded ContainersA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.  Big retailers chartering dedicated vessels to bring stranded containers of goods over from Asia. read more Price IncreasesA record-breaking number of ships waiting to dock at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Cargo prices anywhere from five to eight times higher than a year ago. read more That’s the current state of the global ocean freight industry....

Read More