OCEANAIR

What OCEANAIR does

OCEANAIR is a privately held, family-owned freight forwarder and customs broker founded in 1983 in Boston, MA by Ed Kaplan, Joe Wyson, and Harvey Waite. The company operates from six U.S. locations — Peabody, MA (headquarters); Chelsea, MA (FDA-registered, CBP-bonded warehouse with on-site refrigerated storage and TSA-certified cargo screening); Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Portland, ME; and Providence, RI — and describes itself as the largest independent freight forwarder and customs broker in the Northeast. It serves enterprise and mid-market customers with end-to-end international and domestic logistics across air freight, ocean freight (FCL/LCL as a certified NVOCC/OTI), ground freight (through a network of over 5,000 vetted carriers), customs brokerage, trade compliance, and cargo insurance underwritten by Lloyd's of London.

OCEANAIR monetizes primarily through transaction-based fees on freight forwarding, customs brokerage filings, and insurance placement, supplemented by professional services revenue from trade compliance consulting. Pricing is quote-based and customized per shipment rather than subscription or tier-based. The company operates nine industry verticals — Perishables (25+ years of seafood cold-chain expertise), Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences (GDP/cGMP-compliant, PLN member), Entertainment, Wine & Spirits, Manufacturing, Retail & Consumer, Hi-Tech, General Cargo, and a Domestic Division launched in 2018. It maintains a portfolio of regulatory credentials including CTPAT, NVOCC/OTI, IAC, CCSF, FDA registration, and a CBP-bonded facility.

The technology stack centers on CargoWise TMS for shipment visibility, CO2 emissions tracking, and BI; WiseGrid for international tracking portal; and Logistically TMS for domestic tracking. The platform supports track-and-trace, booking management, cargo status reporting, and shipment notifications. The company runs sales-led go-to-market through direct enterprise sales teams in each office, a website quote engine, and content-driven demand generation via newsletters (Tariff Talk, Monthly Horizon), webinars, and resource libraries covering USMCA, Incoterms 2020, and trade compliance.

Name

OCEANAIR

Legal name

OCEANAIR, Inc.

Website

https://oceanair.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

OCEANAIR is a family-owned, independent freight forwarder and customs broker founded in 1983, operating from six U.S. locations. It provides air, ocean, ground freight, customs brokerage, compliance, and cargo insurance to enterprise and mid-market customers across perishables, pharmaceutical, and other verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Water Transportation (483), Scheduled Air Transportation (48111), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Air–Ocean Multimodal Forwarding (TLACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Temperature-Controlled Ocean Freight (Reefer Containers) (TLACAMAG)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Customs brokerage
• Cold chain logistics
• Trade compliance services
• International shipping solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Revere

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Core revenue from air freight, ocean freight (FCL/LCL), and ground freight (FTL/LTL) forwarding services. Services include booking, pickup, documentation, customs clearance, and final delivery. Revenue is generated through service fees based on shipment weight, volume, destination, and service level (standard, priority, premium, time critical).
2. Customs Brokerage: Customs clearance services including classification, valuation, entry processing, ISF filings, PGA filings, FTZ services, and post-entry services. Revenue generated through brokerage fees per filing and value-added service charges.
3. Trade Compliance Services: Compliance consulting including HTS classification, duty drawback, CTPAT certification support, export compliance programs, ITAR/EAR compliance, and supply chain audits. Revenue through consulting fees and service retainers.
4. Cargo Insurance: Insurance placement services for cargo protection across all transportation modes. OCEANAIR arranges coverage underwritten by Lloyd's of London, generating revenue through insurance placement fees.
5. Ground Freight / Trucking: Truckload brokerage (FTL, refrigerated, LTL), hot shot/expedite services, and specialized equipment handling through a network of over 5,000 vetted carriers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OCEANAIR is a global logistics provider offering end-to-end freight forwarding services across air, ocean, and ground transportation, complemented by customs brokerage, trade compliance consulting, and cargo insurance. The company operates specialized divisions for temperature-sensitive industries including perishables (seafood, meats, produce) and pharmaceuticals, supported by a Transportation Management System with real-time tracking, a CBP-approved bonded warehouse, and a network of over 5,000 vetted trucking carriers.

Product overview

OCEANAIR is a freight forwarding and logistics services provider operating as a single unified platform with specialized service divisions. The core offerings include Freight Forwarding, Air Freight, Ocean Freight, Ground Freight, Customs Brokerage, Compliance, and Cargo Insurance services. These are complemented by industry-specific specialized divisions including Perishables by OCEANAIR (cold-chain logistics for perishables and seafood), Pharmaceuticals by OCEANAIR (cold-chain for pharma and life sciences), Entertainment by OCEANAIR (production logistics), Wine & Spirits by OCEANAIR, Manufacturing by OCEANAIR, Retail & Consumer by OCEANAIR, Hi-Tech by OCEANAIR, and a Domestic Division for domestic trucking services. The company also provides a Resource Center with trade compliance resources including USMCA guidance and INCOTERMS 2020 documentation. OCEANAIR positions itself as the region's largest independent freight forwarder and customs broker.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perishables by OCEANAIR: Specialized cold-chain logistics for time- and temperature-sensitive shipments, including seafood, meats, and produce
• Pharmaceuticals by OCEANAIR
• Entertainment by OCEANAIR
• Wine & Spirits by OCEANAIR
• Domestic by OCEANAIR

Products and services

• Freight Forwarding

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7/365 operations for time-critical shipments with priority handling
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pharma Logistics Network (PLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCEANAIR Pharmaceuticals division is a proud member of the PLN network, combining global reach with deep regulatory expertise to safely manage movement of sensitive drugs, vaccines, clinical trial materials, and high-risk goods worldwide.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationOCEANAIR operates as an IATA-certified agent, leveraging certification to provide air freight services including airport-to-airport, door-to-door, priority consolidation, hand carry, aerospace AOG services, and temperature-controlled shipments.
• CNS (Cargo Network Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationCNS Certificate of Endorsement holder, enabling comprehensive air logistics services with carrier partnerships for competitive rates, flexible transit options, and dependable capacity access.
• Major Carrier AlliancescoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnerships with major carrier alliances for ocean freight services, offering competitive rates, flexible sailing schedules, and extensive routing options through certified NVOCC and OTI operations.
• Over 5,000 Vetted Carrier NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGround freight operations leverage a network of over 5,000 vetted carriers for FTL, LTL, refrigerated, hot shot, and specialized equipment services across the US.
• World Cargo Alliance (WCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of World Cargo Alliance, a global network of freight forwarders enabling international coverage and partnerships for cross-trade, triangular, and third-party shipments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AIT Worldwide Logistics: US-headquartered privately held freight forwarder with multimodal services, customs brokerage, and specialized verticals including perishables and life sciences. Closest scale and operating model comparable to OCEANAIR with national US footprint.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Germany-headquartered mid-sized global freight forwarder with air, ocean, road, and customs services. Family-owned heritage comparable in culture to OCEANAIR; similar product mix across multimodal forwarding and specialized verticals.
• Yusen Logistics: Japan-based global logistics company with freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions across air, ocean, and road. Direct service-line overlap with OCEANAIR including customs brokerage and multimodal forwarding.
• Kerry Logistics Network: Asia-headquartered global logistics provider offering freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and specialized industry solutions including temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals. Comparable service portfolio targeting pharma and perishables verticals like OCEANAIR.
• Air Sea Land Shipping: US-based independent freight forwarder with comparable regional focus, NVOCC operations, and customs brokerage services. Closest like-for-like independent forwarder peer to OCEANAIR in terms of size and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Expeditors International: Global asset-light freight forwarder offering air, ocean, and ground services with strong customs brokerage capabilities. Directly comparable service mix to OCEANAIR but at much greater global scale and public-company resources.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide: One of the largest US-based third-party logistics providers and freight forwarders. Comparable as a multimodal freight forwarder serving enterprise customers, though significantly larger and broader in scope than OCEANAIR's regional focus.
• Nippon Express: Major Japanese global logistics provider with extensive air and ocean forwarding, warehousing, and pharmaceutical cold-chain capabilities (NX Pharma). Overlaps with OCEANAIR across all major service lines but operates at significantly larger scale.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Air and ocean freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL with strong life sciences (DHL Medical Express) and perishables offerings. Direct service overlap with OCEANAIR but with a global network that OCEANAIR cannot match.
• Kuehne+Nagel: World's largest sea freight forwarder and a top-3 air freight forwarder, with extensive cold-chain pharma logistics (KN PharmaChain) and perishables capabilities. Overlap with OCEANAIR across all core services, but at vastly larger scale and global reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oceanairinc
• Xx.com/oceanair_bos

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OCEANAIR