A sea freight forwarder is not a carrier. It owns no ships: it organises the transport, negotiates the space, prepares the documents and answers for the coordination between the loading port, the vessel, the arrival port and customs. The distinction sounds formal, but it decides who is responsible for what when something stops — and it is why two apparently similar quotations can cover very different services.
What a sea freight forwarder actually does
The ocean carrier provides the vessel and is liable for the cargo from bill of lading to bill of lading. The forwarder sits either side of that leg, and is the party the shipper actually talks to:
- Books the space and negotiates the rate, choosing the service and rotation on real transit times rather than a corridor average.
- Prepares and checks the documents — bill of lading, packing list, certificate of origin, customs paperwork — before the goods leave.
- Coordinates pre- and post-carriage: collection from the supplier, the run to the port, final delivery at destination.
- Handles customs at both ends where, as in our case, the service is integrated.
- Manages the exceptions: blank sailings, missed transhipments, disputes over demurrage and detention.
When transport and customs sit with two different companies, every handover costs a day. We keep the two in the same team precisely because that is where shipments get stuck.
FCL, LCL and neutral consolidation
The choice between a full container and groupage is not settled by asking whether the container “fills up”, but by comparing cost per cubic metre delivered.
| Option | When it fits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LCL (groupage) | Below roughly 13-15 m³ | Charged on whichever is greater, volume or weight; dense cargo costs more than expected |
| FCL 20′ | Above 13-15 m³, heavy goods | ~33 m³ usable; on dense cargo the limit is payload, not space |
| FCL 40′ / 40’HC | Above 28 m³ of light cargo | ~67 and ~76 m³ usable |
| Break bulk / flat rack | Out-of-gauge pieces | Handled as project cargo |
The full comparison, including the charges that sit outside the ocean rate, is in our article on FCL versus LCL.
A note on neutral consolidation: some forwarders also consolidate on behalf of other forwarders, without approaching the end client. It is ordinary industry practice and it exists to fill containers on low-volume lanes. The practical effect for a shipper is that a sailing exists even when no single operator would have the volume to justify it alone.
Reading what a quotation does not say
A low ocean rate does not make a cheap shipment. On sea freight the charges that decide the final cost nearly all sit outside the freight line:
| Charge | What it covers |
|---|---|
| THC | Terminal handling, charged at both ends |
| B/L issuance | Releasing the bill of lading |
| CFS / deconsolidation | LCL only: splitting the container at destination |
| Demurrage | Container held inside the port beyond the free days |
| Detention | Container out of the port and in your possession |
| ISPS | Port security contribution |
One question makes two offers comparable: is this door to door, or port to port? If the answer is not clear, the comparison is not a comparison.
Lanes from Türkiye
From Turkish ports the operating picture splits into three directions:
- Western Mediterranean and Europe — Italy and Spain with high frequency and short transits; on many of these lanes Ro-Ro and road remain competitive.
- Gulf and Middle East — weekly departures to the main ports, with transhipment for the smaller terminals. The regional customs picture is on our Middle East and the Gulf page.
- North Africa and beyond — Libya and Nigeria, where destination conformity requirements weigh more than the freight rate.
Cargo that needs particular attention
Not everything travels the same way. Chemicals fall under the IMDG Code, with packaging and segregation requirements that differ from the road rules. Out-of-gauge pieces move on flat rack or as break bulk. Goods that must wait without being imported go into bonded warehousing. For shipments only passing through Türkiye, transit avoids importation entirely.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a forwarder and a carrier?
The carrier performs the transport and is liable for the cargo on the leg its bill of lading covers. The forwarder organises the operation: books the space, prepares the documents, coordinates pre- and post-carriage and customs. It is the shipper’s single point of contact, and this distinction determines who answers for what.
At how many cubic metres is a full container worth it?
Usually around 13-15 m³, though the exact point depends on the lane, the season and the destination port’s charges. On dense cargo a 20 ft container reaches its payload limit long before it runs out of space. We compare both options on cost per cubic metre delivered.
How long is an ocean freight quotation valid?
Ocean freight is a market price and moves weekly, so every quotation carries a validity date. For regular volumes a fixed-rate agreement can be set up; for one-off shipments the figure comes from the spot market.
What are demurrage and detention?
Demurrage covers the container held inside the port area beyond the free days; detention covers the container once it has left the port and is in your possession. They run on separate clocks and are invoiced separately. They are also the charges that most often cancel out a saving made on the rate.
Do you handle customs clearance too?
Yes, at both ends. Keeping customs and transport in the same team means a missing document surfaces before loading, not when the container is already in port and the free days are running.
Do you carry dangerous goods by sea?
Yes, under the IMDG Code. The requirements do not coincide with the road rules: packaging exempt on the road may not be accepted at sea. On multimodal shipments preparation follows the most restrictive regime. Detail is on our chemical transport page.
What do you need to quote?
Port or address of loading and delivery, volume and gross weight, number and type of packages, a description of the goods with HS code if available, and the Incoterms rule you want. With those we normally reply within 24 working hours.
Send us both ends of the lane, the volume and the weight: we will put FCL and LCL side by side with every charge included, and tell you whether the service is direct or transhipped. The service page is sea freight; to start an enquiry use the quote form.