Freight Forwarders

Freight Forwarders near you

A freight forwarder organises the international movement of goods without necessarily owning a single ship, aircraft or lorry. It books space, consolidates smaller consignments into full containers, arranges collection and onward delivery at both ends, produces the transport documents, and in most cases arranges customs clearance as well. HMRC describes freight forwarders as businesses that move goods around the world for importers and notes that a forwarder will arrange clearing goods through customs and will have the software to talk to HMRC's systems.

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Since the UK left the EU customs union, a forwarder's documentation role has grown considerably. Movements to and from Ireland, France or the Netherlands that once needed nothing now need declarations, and the forwarder is usually the business that files them. That has made choosing one less about freight rates and more about whether the firm can actually handle your commodity, your routes and your volume of declarations.

Forwarding is not a licensed activity in the UK. There is no register you must be on and no examination you must pass, which puts the burden of diligence on the shipper. The practical checks are about capability and contract terms rather than credentials.

Modes and service types you will be quoted

Full container load, where you take a whole container and it is sealed at origin.
Less than container load or groupage, where your pallets share a container with other shippers' goods.
Air freight, priced by chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
Road groupage to and from Europe, which is the most common route for UK importers moving smaller volumes.
Rail freight from Asia, positioned between sea and air on both cost and transit time.
Multimodal and door-to-door services, where the forwarder takes responsibility for the whole chain rather than a single leg.
Project and out-of-gauge freight, which needs route surveys and specialist equipment rather than a standard booking.

From booking to delivery

You supply commercial invoice, packing list, commodity codes, incoterm and any licence or certificate the goods need.
The forwarder books space, arranges collection at origin and lodges the export declaration or checks the supplier has.
Safety and security declarations are filed where the route and timing require them.
The goods move, and the forwarder issues or receives the transport document for the leg.
On arrival the import declaration is made, duty and import VAT are accounted for, and the goods are released.
Final delivery is arranged, proof of delivery returned, and the freight and clearance charges invoiced, often separately.

The CMR note and what it proves

For international road carriage the governing document is the road consignment note, universally called the CMR. GOV.UK describes it as a standard contract used by companies wanting a provider to transport goods internationally by road, and says it confirms that the haulage company has received the goods and has a contract from the supplier to carry them.

You must have a CMR note on all international journeys where goods are carried on a commercial basis. It can be completed by the haulier, by the company sending the goods abroad, or by the freight forwarder. Three copies are needed: one for the supplier of the goods, one for the eventual customer, and one to travel with the goods. Pre-printed notes can be bought from the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK.

A CMR signed clean on delivery makes a later damage claim much harder to run, so note any damage on it at the point of receipt.
For sea freight the equivalent document is the bill of lading, which can also be a document of title.
Air freight uses an air waybill, which is a contract of carriage but not a document of title.
The incoterm agreed with your supplier decides who arranges and pays for each leg, and who bears risk at each point.
Forwarders usually contract on standard trading conditions that limit their liability, so cargo insurance is a separate decision.

What you need before a forwarder can act

An EORI number comes first. GOV.UK says you may need an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number to move goods between Great Britain or the Isle of Man and any other country including the EU, between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, between Great Britain and the Channel Islands, and between Northern Ireland and countries outside the EU. You will also need one to register for an export licence.

To get an EORI number your business usually has to be established in the country you are importing to or exporting from, meaning a registered office, a central headquarters, or a permanent business establishment with people and technical resources. If you are not eligible to apply yourself, GOV.UK is explicit that you will need to appoint someone to deal with customs on your behalf and that the person appointed gets the number instead of you.

What a forwarder is not, and what stays with you

It is not a licensed profession, so there is no register to check and no regulator to complain to about competence.
It is not the carrier on every leg, and the liability regime differs between road, sea and air.
It is not your insurer, and standard trading conditions typically cap liability well below cargo value.
It is not responsible for the accuracy of the commodity codes, values and origins you supply.
HMRC is clear that you remain responsible for due diligence on your customs declarations even where you appoint someone to deal with customs for you.
Whoever you hire cannot act on your behalf without written instructions from you, stating whether they act directly or indirectly.

Where international shipments go wrong

Demurrage and detention charges accumulate when containers sit at the port or off-hire past the free period.
A commodity code supplied loosely leads to the wrong duty rate and a post-clearance correction.
The incoterm agreed with the supplier does not match what either party actually arranged.
Goods needing a licence, certificate or special handling are booked as ordinary cargo and stop at the border.
A clean-signed CMR or delivery note undermines a damage claim that would otherwise have succeeded.
Quotations compare badly because one includes terminal handling, customs entry and delivery and another does not.

Forwarder, express operator or booking direct

HMRC groups the people who can deal with customs for you into freight forwarders, customs agents or brokers, and express operators. Express operators transport documents, parcels and freight within a specific time frame and will handle customs as part of the delivery, which suits small, urgent, low-complexity consignments.

Booking direct with a carrier can work where you ship the same lane repeatedly at volume and have in-house customs capability. For most importers the forwarder earns its margin on the parts that are not the freight: consolidation, documentation, customs, and having someone to call when a container is held. Whoever you use must be established in the UK for customs purposes.

Freight Forwarders: frequently asked questions

Do freight forwarders need a licence in the UK?

No. Forwarding is not a licensed activity and there is no statutory register of forwarders. HMRC does publish a register of customs agents and express operators to help traders find someone, but it states plainly that businesses on those lists are not vetted, approved or recommended by HMRC and that it does not verify the information. Due diligence is therefore yours to do.

Do I need my own EORI number if my forwarder handles everything?

You need one if you are established in the country you are importing to or exporting from and you appoint someone to deal with customs on your behalf. Being established generally means a registered office, central headquarters or permanent business establishment there. If you are not eligible to apply yourself, the person you appoint gets the EORI number instead of you.

What is a CMR note and do I need one?

It is the road consignment note used for international road carriage, and GOV.UK says you must have one on all international journeys where goods are carried commercially. It confirms the haulier has received the goods under a contract to carry them. Three copies are produced: one for the supplier, one for the eventual customer and one that travels with the goods, and it can be completed by the haulier, the sender or the forwarder.

Does my forwarder insure my goods?

Generally not. Forwarders contract on standard trading conditions that limit their liability, usually well below the commercial value of the cargo, and that limit is a liability cap rather than insurance. Cargo insurance is a separate product and a separate decision. Ask what conditions apply, what the limit is, and whether the quote includes any cover at all.

Why did my quote go up after the goods arrived?

Usually demurrage or detention, duty and import VAT that were outside the freight quote, or terminal and handling charges quoted separately. When comparing forwarders, ask each to state exactly which legs and which charges are included and which are pass-throughs, otherwise you are comparing two different services at two prices.

Can a forwarder based outside the UK clear my goods?

HMRC requires that whoever deals with customs for you is established in the UK for customs purposes. An overseas forwarder can still arrange the freight, but the customs representation has to come from a UK-established business, which is often a partner firm rather than the one you booked with. Ask who that will be before the goods move.

Sources

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the fees freight forwarders charge

Fees depend on the work involved and how the professional bills. We only publish fee ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the fee:

Scope and complexity of the work
How the firm bills: hourly, per project or on a monthly retainer
Experience of the team
Timeline and how urgent the work is
Ongoing support after the work is delivered

How to compare freight forwarders before you hire

Ask for examples of similar work for clients like you.
Read reviews and ask for references you can contact.
Make sure the scope, deliverables and timeline are written down before work starts.
Ask who will do the work: an in-house team, freelancers or subcontractors.
Compare two or three proposals before you decide.

Questions to ask freight forwarders before you hire

Have you done work like this before, and can I see examples?
Who will work on this, and who is my main contact?
How do you charge: hourly, per project or monthly?
What is included, and what costs extra?
How long is the contract, and how can either side end it?
How will you report on progress?
Who owns the work, files and accounts you set up for me?

Licences and registration

This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals, and the rules depend on where you are. Ask which body they’re registered with, and check their status on that body’s public register before you hire.

Guides about freight forwarding

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