Freight glossary
Freight forwarder
A company that arranges the movement of goods across borders on your behalf — booking transport, handling customs, insurance and the final mile.
A freight forwarder is the intermediary between you and the carriers. Rather than negotiating separately with a shipping line, an airline, a customs broker and a trucking company, you hand the whole journey to a forwarder who books each leg and keeps it moving.
Forwarders don't usually own ships or planes; they buy space at volume rates and resell it, coordinating the paperwork and the handoffs between carriers. A good one is measured by price transparency, customs expertise and how well it tracks your cargo.
Why it matters
It's the difference between one responsible party for your whole shipment and a dozen phone numbers. When something goes sideways at a port or a border, the forwarder is who fixes it.
Example
You import BBQ smokers from China to Québec. Rumbo books the ocean leg, clears customs, and trucks them to your door — one file, one price.
Related terms
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