Freight Forwarding
Integrated with Warehousing

Most importers building B2B brands work with a chain of providers: freight forwarder for ocean transport, drayage company for port pickup, 3PL warehouse for storage and fulfillment, distribution carrier for outbound. Each link adds cost. Each handoff is where problems compound.

The integrated model collapses that chain into a single provider. The freight forwarder books your container, monitors transit, coordinates port pickup with internal drayage, receives the container at the same warehouse where your inventory will live, stores it, and ships it onward. One team owns the entire path.

When integration matters most

Integrated freight forwarding pays off most when:

• Cross-dock operations move container contents directly to retailers without sitting in storage — handoffs would create delays
• Time-sensitive inventory must reach Amazon FBA, Walmart DCs, or seasonal launch windows on specific dates
• You're managing 10+ containers per year and the operational overhead of coordinating separate vendors becomes significant
• Regulated products require chain-of-custody documentation that fragmented providers struggle to maintain
• Issues with container delays, damage, or customs holds need coordinated resolution rather than vendor finger-pointing

Ocean freight basics

For brands new to international freight, the key concepts:

• FCL vs LCL: FCL (Full Container Load) means you book an entire container — best when you have enough volume to fill it (typically 12-15 standard pallets for a 40' container). LCL (Less than Container Load) means you share container space with other shippers, paying by cubic meter. LCL costs more per unit volume but works for smaller shipments.
• Transit time: Asia-to-LA ocean transit runs 12-18 days at sea depending on origin port, vessel speed, and routing. Plus 3-7 days for port operations (vessel berthing, container discharge, terminal clearance) before pickup is available.
• Incoterms: Determines who pays for what and where risk transfers. Common incoterms: EXW (you pay everything from factory), FOB (seller delivers to ship), CIF (seller pays insurance + freight to destination port), DDP (seller delivers to your door). Most B2B import arrangements use FOB.
• Documentation: Required for customs clearance — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin (for some countries), and any product-specific certificates (FDA, FCC, FCC, USDA depending on goods).

Drayage from port to warehouse

Drayage is the short-haul truck move from port to warehouse. For Port of Long Beach or Port of Los Angeles to our Paramount facility, drayage typically runs $300-$600 per container with the following components:

• Base drayage rate (covers driver, fuel, terminal time)
• Chassis fee (the wheeled trailer that carries the container — usually rented from the steamship line)
• Fuel surcharge (varies with diesel prices)
• Peak season surcharges (Q3/Q4 surges)
• Detention/demurrage if container sits too long at port or warehouse (typically $100-300/day)

Drayage cost increases significantly for warehouses further from the ports — Inland Empire warehouses often pay $1,000+ per container drayage versus our typical $300-$600 due to proximity.

Customs clearance coordination

Customs clearance for ocean imports involves several documents and steps: ISF (Importer Security Filing) must be filed 24 hours before vessel departure from origin port; entry filing happens when goods arrive at US port; duty and tax payment processes through customs; and any regulated-goods documentation (FDA for food/cosmetics/peptides, USDA for organic products, CPSC for children's goods) must be in order.

We work with licensed customs brokers who handle the actual filings. The integration with our warehousing means inventory is ready for receipt the moment customs releases the container — no waiting for a separate broker-to-warehouse handoff.