Altamar Shipping Services

What Altamar Shipping Services does

Altamar Shipping Services Inc. is a privately held international maritime freight forwarder and shipping agent based in Tampa, Florida, operating a dedicated cargo lane between Tampa and Costa Rica. Founded in 1998, the company specializes in moving diversified freight — refrigerated containers, LCL cargo, pallets, 40-foot containers, buses, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, and crated cargo — for SMB importers and exporters across the corridor, with a typical transit time of approximately 15 days and multiple Costa Rica delivery points (Limón port plus fiscal warehouses in San José, Heredia, and Alajuela).

The company's commercial stack is centered on a self-serve web platform anchored by the 'Cotizador' instant online quoting tool (altamarshipping.com/cotizacion), which guides users through a multi-step configuration of transaction type, cargo category, destination, vehicle details, weight, and size parameters, followed by an electronic Booking Note and Power of Attorney processing flow. Supporting features include a monthly newsletter for document-submission reminders, a Facebook presence, and a Joinchat-powered live-chat widget. Ancillary revenue services include optional cargo insurance at 0.75% of insured value (Invoice Value + 10%) and a Collect payment service enabled through a Costa Rican intermediary, RS Line, S.A.

Revenue is generated on a transaction-fee basis per shipment, with no subscription or recurring contract components disclosed. Pricing is unit-based, varying by cargo type, weight bracket (up to 5,000 lb, 5,001-10,000 lb, 10,001-20,000 lb), container size (0-20 ft), and Costa Rica destination. The go-to-market is predominantly bottom-of-funnel self-service via the website, supported by direct phone and email ([email protected]) and physical document/cargo drop-off at the Tampa facility (PLRS c/o Altamar Shipping, 4201 Maritime Blvd, Berth 219, Tampa, FL 33605). Customer concentration is dispersed across undisclosed SMB importers and vehicle shippers, with no enterprise or institutional logos identified in the source data.

Name

Altamar Shipping Services

Legal name

Altamar Shipping Services Inc.

Website

https://altamarshipping.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Altamar Shipping Services is a Tampa-based international maritime freight forwarder running a dedicated Tampa-to-Costa Rica cargo lane for SMB importers, exporters, and vehicle shippers, supported by a self-serve online quoting and booking platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Freight Shipping Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), International Vehicle Shipping & Import Assistance (HSAKACAJ)

Keywords

• Maritime freight shipping
• Cargo transportation
• Vehicle shipping
• Import export logistics
• Container shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Maritime Freight Shipping: Core revenue from transporting cargo between Tampa, Florida and Costa Rica. Handles various cargo types including refrigerated cargo, LCL (less than container load), pallets, 40-foot containers, buses, trucks, trailers, and packaged cargo. Revenue is transaction-based per shipment.
2. Cargo Insurance: Optional insurance service offered at 0.75% of the total insured value (Invoice Value + 10%). Collected as a per-transaction fee when customers opt for coverage.
3. Payment Collection Services: Collect payment method services where RS Line, S.A. acts as payment intermediary on behalf of Altamar Shipping Services Inc., collecting payments in Costa Rica for shipments paid upon destination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Altamar Shipping Services is a maritime freight forwarder that transports import and export cargo between Tampa, Florida and Costa Rica. It handles diverse cargo types including refrigerated containers, LCL, pallets, 40-foot containers, vehicles, buses, trucks, and trailers with a 15-day transit time, supported by online quoting, documentation, and insurance services.

Product overview

Altamar Shipping Services operates as a maritime shipping company providing international freight transportation between Tampa, Florida and Costa Rica. The core offering is the Maritime Shipping Service, which handles various cargo types including refrigerated cargo, LCL shipments, pallets, 40-foot containers, vehicles, buses, and trucks. The company supplements this with an Online Quotation Tool (Cotizador) for instant pricing calculations, a Booking Note documentation system for shipment processing, shipping notification newsletters, optional cargo insurance, collect payment services via intermediary RS Line S.A., and Power of Attorney authentication support. All services are connected through their web-based platform, with delivery locations in Limón and San José/Heredia/Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maritime Shipping Services International freight shipping service transporting cargo between Tampa, Florida and Costa Rica, handling refrigerated cargo, LCL shipments, pallets, 40-foot containers, buses, trucks, and packed cargo with a 15-day transit time. For importers and exporters moving cargo, vehicles, and freight on the Tampa-Costa Rica corridor.
• Online Quotation Tool (Cotizador) Web-based instant quoting tool enabling customers to calculate shipping costs by selecting transaction type (import/export), cargo type, destination, vehicle details, weight, and size parameters.
• Booking Note & Shipping Documentation Online form for submitting shipment details including shipper/consignee information, vehicle details, cargo descriptions, and payment method selection for customs processing.
• Cargo Insurance Optional cargo insurance coverage offering Invoice Value plus 10% protection at 0.75% of total insured value, with a liability waiver option.
• Collect Payment Services Payment collection service allowing exporters/consignees to pay for shipments upon arrival in Costa Rica through payment intermediary RS Line, S.A.
• Power of Attorney Processing Document authentication service requiring customers to download, complete, and have a lawyer/notary notarize the Power of Attorney for customs clearance.
• Shipping Notifications (Newsletter) Monthly newsletter subscription service informing customers about document submission periods for imports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15-day transit time between Tampa and Costa Rica
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Flexport: Digital-first international freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and trucking services with online quoting and booking. Comparable to Altamar as an asset-light ocean forwarder leveraging technology to serve SMB shippers, though at much larger scale across global lanes.
• iContainers: Online ocean freight platform specializing in FCL/LCL bookings between the US/Europe and Latin America/Asia. Direct comparable to Altamar in offering instant online ocean freight quotes and bookings for SMB importers/exporters moving containerized cargo.
• ECU Worldwide: Global NVOCC and ocean freight consolidator with strong presence in LCL and FCL across emerging markets including Central/South America. Comparable to Altamar as a non-vessel-operating ocean forwarder serving SMB trade lanes with consolidation services.

Broad incumbents

• Maersk: World's largest ocean container carrier with integrated logistics and forwarding services covering the Tampa-Central America lane. Broad incumbent that competes indirectly with Altamar by offering end-to-end ocean and inland services, but as part of a global portfolio rather than a Costa Rica specialist.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarder with ocean, air, customs, and warehousing capabilities serving US-Latin America corridors. Broad incumbent offering overlapping services to Altamar but operating at enterprise scale with multi-modal integrated solutions.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest global forwarders with deep ocean, air, and overland networks including Central America coverage. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering ocean freight forwarding and customs services, but serving enterprise customers across global trade lanes.
• Agility Logistics: Global logistics provider with ocean, air, and road freight forwarding and customs brokerage across emerging markets including Latin America. Broad incumbent comparable to Altamar's ocean forwarding and documentation services, but at global enterprise scale.

Regional players

• Tropical Shipping: Ocean carrier specializing in Florida/Caribbean/Central America trade lanes, including Costa Rica. Regional peer with direct geographic and cargo-type overlap with Altamar's Tampa-Costa Rica focus, though operating its own vessels rather than as a pure forwarder.
• Crowley Maritime: US-based ocean logistics company with extensive Caribbean and Central America (including Costa Rica) LCL and FCL services. Comparable as a regional player with overlapping Tampa-Costa Rica ocean freight and forwarding capabilities, though at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Freightos: Digital freight marketplace and SaaS platform enabling instant ocean and air freight pricing and booking. Emerging player with partial overlap to Altamar's online quoting model, but operating as a B2B marketplace/aggregator rather than a single-lane forwarder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/altamarshipping.services
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altamar-shipping-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Altamar Shipping Services