Maritime Cargo Services

What Maritime Cargo Services does

Maritime Cargo Services (MCS) is a UK-headquartered independent freight forwarding company established in 1992 in Stowmarket, Suffolk, and operated as a family-owned partnership by Rob Shelley and Emily Shelley. The company arranges international sea freight forwarding, inland C&F (cost and freight) haulage across the UK and Ireland, customs clearance at all UK ports and in Rotterdam, international house removals, and ancillary services including cargo insurance arrangement and second-hand container sales. Its primary customer base is wholesale and retail importers and exporters of frozen, chilled and ambient food products, with additional exposure to automotive parts, construction materials, malt products, and household relocations.

The company operates a proprietary technology layer called MOATS, an in-house Freight Management System that provides customers with daily-updated shipment visibility (loading, transit, arrival dates, container numbers, order and invoice numbers, cargo weight and dimensions), online delivery bookings, and real-time warnings of impending Quay Rent, Demurrage, and Plug-in Fees. MOATS is positioned alongside operational integrations with major shipping lines (Maersk, MSC, CMA-CGM, COSCO, Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg Sud, OOCL, Yang Ming, Evergreen, Hyundai) and EDI-linked connections to UK ports, enabling customs clearance reportedly within one hour of vessel arrival.

MCS generates revenue through transaction fees on freight forwarding, haulage and customs clearance services, with a one-time license-style stream from container sales and an affiliate-style commission from arranged cargo insurance. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with quotations provided on request via phone and email and business development handled personally by the founding partners. The firm is BIFA-aligned (trading under British International Freight Association Standard Trading Conditions) and ISO 14001 accredited for environmental management, with a stated narrative around slow-steaming sea freight producing 30% lower emissions.

Name

Maritime Cargo Services

Legal name

Maritime Cargo Services

Website

https://maritimecargo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maritime Cargo Services is a UK-based, family-owned freight forwarder founded in 1992, offering sea freight, C&F haulage, customs clearance, and house removals to wholesale and retail importers and exporters via its proprietary MOATS tracking platform and multi-carrier shipping line partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding Services

NAICS

Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), International Freight Forwarding (Air/Ocean) for Personal Effects (HSAKACAD)

Keywords

• Sea freight forwarding
• Customs clearance services
• Container haulage logistics
• International freight forwarding
• Supply chain logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Stowmarket

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Core freight forwarding services for sea freight, including container shipping, reefer containers, dry van containers, flat racks, and open top containers. Revenue generated through freight fees based on cargo type, volume, and shipping routes.
2. C&F (Cost and Freight) Deliveries: Cost and freight delivery services including inland transportation, nationwide haulage coverage for UK and Ireland, and container haulage. Revenue from haulage and delivery service fees.
3. Customs Clearance: Full customs clearance services for imports and exports via road, sea, or air. EDI-linked clearance through UK ports. Free deferment account service for start-up importers. Revenue from clearance service fees.
4. Container Sales: Sale of second-hand sea-worthy containers for clients such as those renovating properties requiring secure storage.
5. Cargo Insurance Arrangement: MCS arranges single-shipment marine cargo insurance policies on behalf of customers for goods in transit, earning commission on insurance premiums placed.
6. International House Removal: International house removal services utilizing commercial freight rates for personal belongings relocation overseas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maritime Cargo Services is a freight forwarding company that arranges international container shipping, inland C&F (Cost and Freight) deliveries across the UK and Ireland, full customs clearance for road/sea/air shipments, international household removals, and marine cargo insurance for goods in transit. Services span dry van, reefer, food-grade, flat rack and open top containers to global destinations, with a proprietary MOATS tracking platform providing daily-updated shipment visibility.

Product overview

Maritime Cargo Services (MCS) is a freight forwarding company established in 1992 offering multiple integrated services: Sea Freight Services (handling various container types globally), C&F Deliveries (UK-wide haulage with online booking), Customs Clearance (full EDI-enabled clearance across UK ports and Rotterdam), International House Removal Service (cost-effective overseas moving), and Transit Insurance. These services are supported by the MOATS Freight Management System, the company's proprietary platform providing shipment tracking and visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Freight Services Comprehensive sea freight forwarding service for importers and exporters, covering dry van containers (20', 40', 40' High Cube), reefer containers, food grade containers, flat racks and open top containers to global destinations. Designed for wholesale and retail businesses moving containerised cargo internationally.
• C&F Deliveries Container freight delivery service with nationwide UK and Ireland coverage, featuring online delivery bookings, real-time monitoring and competitive haulage rates delivered through a network of trusted container haulage companies. Targeted at importers and exporters needing inland transport of containers.
• Customs Clearance Full customs clearance service for road, sea and air shipments covering all UK ports with EDI links, plus European customs clearance and warehousing facilities in Rotterdam. Includes bonded shipments, IPR/OPR, CFSP clearance and a free deferment account service for start-up importers. Designed for businesses importing or exporting goods into or out of the UK and Europe.
• International House Removal Service Full-service international moving service utilizing commercial freight rates, offering a D-I-Y container approach for cost-effective overseas relocations. Targets private individuals relocating overseas or purchasing property abroad as a second home or permanent relocation.
• Transit Insurance Cargo insurance arrangement service enabling customers to obtain single-shipment or annual marine cargo insurance policies to cover goods in transit. MCS earns commission on insurance premiums placed on behalf of customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• On-time on-budget delivery record
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACLminorOthersShipping line tracking partner - direct tracking link provided for customers to monitor container shipments.
• COSCOcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• CMA-CGMcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• Hamburg SudcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• MaerskcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)coreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• Hapag LloydcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• OOCLcoreOthersMajor shipping line partner providing container shipping services to MCS customers.
• Port of FelixstowecoreOthersMajor UK port partner for container handling and customs clearance services.
• Port of TilburyminorOthersUK port partner for vessel scheduling and cargo handling.
• Port of SouthamptonminorOthersUK port partner for cargo tracking and vessel scheduling.
• British International Freight Association (BIFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCS trades under BIFA Standard Trading Conditions (latest edition). BIFA is the leading trade association for UK freight forwarding companies.
• Rotterdam Customs and Warehousing FacilitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEuropean customs clearance and warehousing partner for imports into Europe, providing first-class facilities in Rotterdam.
• UK and Ireland Container Haulage CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationwide network of trusted container haulage companies providing inland transportation services with extensive coverage across UK and Ireland.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cardinal Global Logistics: UK-based mid-sized freight forwarder offering ocean, road, customs, and warehousing services to importer/exporter clients — directly comparable in size, geography, and service mix to MCS.
• Allport Cargo Services: UK freight forwarder and customs broker with similar SME focus and BIFA-aligned trading conditions; competes in the same mid-market UK import/export space as MCS.
• GAC Group: Global freight forwarding, logistics, and shipping services group with strong UK presence and significant food/cold-chain exposure; comparable in service scope though materially larger than MCS.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global forwarder with deep ocean freight, customs, and perishables capabilities; overlaps MCS in food/cold-chain and UK–Europe trade lanes.
• Yusen Logistics: Global logistics provider with strong ocean freight forwarding, customs, and contract logistics offerings; competes for UK import/export business in similar verticals to MCS.

Broad incumbents

• Nippon Express: Large global logistics group offering ocean forwarding among a much wider portfolio of services; competes with MCS in UK import/export forwarding but is much larger and broader.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with dominant ocean and customs operations; competes for the same UK/EU shipper wallet as MCS but at significantly greater scale.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL; offers ocean, customs, and integrated logistics overlapping MCS's core services, typically for mid-to-large enterprise accounts.
• DSV: Danish-headquartered global forwarder; one of the most acquisitive players in the mid-market forwarder segment and a likely acquirer profile for businesses like MCS.

Others

• Maersk (A.P. Moller-Maersk): World's largest container shipping line and a core carrier partner of MCS; not a direct competitor for forwarding but represents the strategic carrier-disintermediation risk facing small forwarders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritime-cargo-services

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Maritime Cargo Services