Frequently asked questions from our support
How do I get a quote?
Send us the collection and delivery addresses, what the goods are, the gross weight, and the dimensions or pallet count. If you know your Incoterms and HS code, include those too. We’ll come back with all-in pricing and a transit estimate within one working day.
Quotes hold for 14 days. Carrier rates and fuel surcharges move, so if you’re planning further ahead than that, come back to us nearer the date.
What information do you need to make a booking?
Shipper and consignee details, a commercial invoice and packing list, the HS code for the goods, and the agreed incoterms. For sea freight we’ll also need to know the container type and whether you want door collection or you’re delivering to the port yourself.
If anything is missing we’ll tell you before the booking goes in, not after.
When will my shipment arrive?
It depends on the lane and the mode. As a guide for our main routes:
- Air freight — 2–4 days door to door.
- Sea freight (FCL) — 25–35 days port to port, but maybe more
- Sea freight (LCL) — add 7–10 days for consolidation and deconsolidation
- Road- freight — 2–5 days within states and may be more between countries
We confirm an ETA when you book. If it moves, we tell you; we’d rather give you bad news early than let you find out from your customer.
What's included in the price you quote?
Freight, applicable surcharges, customs clearance and delivery, quoted together as one figure. The invoice should match the quote.
Two things sit outside it and can’t be fixed in advance:
- Duty and import VAT — set by the destination authority based on the goods’ classification and value. We calculate and tell you the figure before arrival, but it isn’t ours to set.
- Charges caused after arrival — demurrage, detention or storage if the container isn’t collected in time, or if customs holds the shipment for inspection. We’ll warn you when the free time is running out.
Do you handle customs clearance?
Yes, in-house — we don’t subcontract it. That covers import and export declarations, tariff classification, and calculating duty and VAT.
Who pays the duty — me or my customer?
Whoever the incoterms say. On DDP the seller covers duty and import VAT. On DAP the buyer does. On EXW the buyer takes on everything from the seller’s door onward.
Get this agreed in writing before the goods move. Most of the disputes we see come from a seller quoting “delivered” and a buyer receiving a duty bill they weren’t expecting. If you’re unsure which term to trade on, ask us before you sign the contract, not after.
Is my cargo insured?
Not automatically, and this is the one most people get wrong.
Carriers are liable under international convention, but that liability is capped by weight, not by value. On a sea shipment, it works out at roughly 2 SDR per kilo, which on a pallet of electronics is a small fraction of what the goods are worth. If the container goes over the side, that cap is what you’d recover.
We can arrange all-risk marine cargo insurance covering the full commercial value plus freight. Ask for it at the quote stage; it can’t be added once the goods have moved.
How do I track my shipment?
Enter your booking reference on our Track Shipment page. We update the status at each milestone: collected, departed, arrived, cleared, delivered.
Can I get payment terms?
New accounts pay in advance for the first two shipments. After that, we can review credit terms of 30 days, subject to trade references and a credit check. Established accounts are invoiced monthly.
What happens if I cancel?
Before the booking goes to the carrier, there’s no charge. Once it’s booked, cancellation charges depend on how far along the shipment is; a container released to the port or a consignment already collected will attract costs we’ve already committed to. We’ll tell you the figure before you decide.
