McCullough
McCullough is a privately held New Zealand freight forwarder and customs broker, founded in 1991 in Auckland, that specializes in international vehicle, boat, caravan, motorhome and machinery shipping into and out of New Zealand. It claims to handle roughly 30% of NZ motor vehicle imports and serves both individual importers and trade importers across five origin markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What McCullough does
McCullough Limited is a privately held New Zealand freight forwarding and customs clearance specialist founded in Auckland in September 1991. The company focuses on international vehicle, boat, caravan, motorhome, motorbike and machinery shipping, serving both individual consumers importing personal vehicles and trade importers bringing vehicles into New Zealand for resale. McCullough claims to handle approximately 30% of motor vehicle imports into New Zealand and operates an end-to-end service covering origin pickup, packing, shipping (RORO and container), customs and MAF biosecurity clearance, marine insurance, foreign exchange, vehicle compliance and door-to-door delivery across five core origin markets: Japan, the UK, Singapore, Australia and the USA.
The underlying operating stack is conventional rather than technology-led: long-standing carrier and port relationships, established customs procedures, 50,000 square feet of secure warehousing near Auckland Port, and a customer-facing cargo tracking portal (cargo.mmnz.biz). Revenue is generated primarily through professional service fees on freight forwarding and customs clearance, supplemented by marine insurance arrangement and foreign exchange services. Pricing is quote-based per shipment with no public list, and customer acquisition runs through the company website, phone, email and word-of-mouth referrals rather than through resellers or channel partners. With a disclosed headcount of 1-10 employees and no external funding, McCullough operates as a niche, owner-managed service business rather than a venture-scale platform.
McCullough firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McCullough
- Legal name
- McCullough Limited
- Website
- https://mmnz.biz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- McCullough is a privately held New Zealand freight forwarder and customs broker, founded in 1991 in Auckland, that specializes in international vehicle, boat, caravan, motorhome and machinery shipping into and out of New Zealand. It claims to handle roughly 30% of NZ motor vehicle imports and serves both individual importers and trade importers across five origin markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McCullough industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Vehicle Freight Forwarding and Customs Clearance
- NAICS
- Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (4831)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Vehicle Shipping & Export (RoRo/Container) (HSAKAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Finished Vehicle Ocean RoRo & Deep-Sea Vehicle Carriers (TLADAJAC)
Keywords
Where McCullough is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
McCullough business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding and Customs Clearance Services: McCullough generates revenue through service fees for comprehensive shipping, customs clearance, MAF/biosecurity clearance, packing, transport, delivery, and insurance services. They act as a freight forwarding and customs agency, arranging all aspects of vehicle and cargo imports/exports for customers.
- Marine Insurance: The company offers marine insurance coverage from origin pickup to destination delivery as part of their service offering.
- Foreign Exchange Services: McCullough provides competitive foreign exchange rates for customers purchasing vehicles overseas, passing on favorable rates compared to major banks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Quote Service |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
McCullough product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McCullough provides international vehicle, boat, caravan, machinery, and general cargo shipping services into and out of New Zealand, including integrated customs and biosecurity (MAF) clearance, marine insurance, foreign exchange, and vehicle compliance support. The company manages end-to-end logistics from pickup at origin to door-to-door delivery via RORO and container shipping methods, handling approximately 30% of NZ motor vehicle imports.
Product overview
McCullough is a New Zealand-based international vehicle shipping and logistics company founded in 1991. The company operates as a freight forwarding and customs clearance service handling approximately 30% of motor vehicle imports into New Zealand. The core offering is a unified 3-step shipping process (pickup and packing, shipping, door-to-door delivery) applied across multiple product lines: vehicle shipping services (cars, motorbikes, 4WDs, classics), recreational vehicles (caravans, motorhomes, RVs), boats, and general cargo. Regional shipping sub-products cover routes to/from New Zealand from Australia, UK, USA, and Japan. Value-added services include customs and MAF clearance, marine insurance, foreign exchange, and vehicle compliance services. The company also provides a customer portal (Cargo Login) for shipment tracking.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vehicle Shipping Services Core international shipping service for transporting vehicles (cars, motorbikes, 4WDs) using roll-on-roll-off (RORO) and container shipping methods, offered to individuals and trade importers.
- Car Shipping Specialized import and export car shipping service handling classic cars, Japanese imports, family wagons, and high-value vehicles, with end-to-end customs clearance.
- Caravan Shipping International import and export shipping service for caravans, including compliance handling and coordination with NZ regulations.
- Motor Homes and RV Shipping Shipping service for motorhomes and recreational vehicles with full customs and MAF biosecurity clearance, including compliance coordination.
- Boat Shipping International boat shipping service for sail boats, motor boats, speed boats, sports boats, and jet skis, with customs clearance.
- Motorbike Shipping Motorcycle import and export services with customs and MAF clearance for international transport.
- Machinery Shipping Heavy equipment shipping service including special purpose vehicles, construction vehicles, and oversized cargo with specialized handling.
- General Cargo Shipping General cargo shipping with FCL and LCL container options, including customs clearance and documentation services.
- New Zealand Vehicle Shipping Inbound and outbound vehicle shipping to and from New Zealand with port-to-port and door-to-door delivery options.
- Australia Vehicle Shipping Trans-Tasman vehicle shipping between Australia and New Zealand with 4-8 day transit times.
- UK Vehicle Shipping Vehicle shipping between UK and New Zealand with weekly sailings from Southampton.
- USA Vehicle Shipping Vehicle shipping from USA to New Zealand departing from Long Beach and Los Angeles.
- Japan Vehicle Shipping Japanese vehicle imports to New Zealand with RORO and container services from major Japanese ports.
- Customs and MAF Clearance Complete customs clearance and Ministry for Primary Industries (MAF) biosecurity clearance services bundled with each shipment.
- Marine Insurance Comprehensive marine insurance coverage from pickup at origin to destination delivery, including A Clause Cover options, available to all clients.
- Foreign Exchange Services Competitive foreign exchange rates for international transactions, available to all clients purchasing vehicles overseas.
- Vehicle Compliance Services NZ standards compliance checking and vehicle inspection coordination for imported vehicles.
- Cargo Login Portal Online customer portal for tracking shipments and managing cargo documentation, available at cargo.mmnz.biz.
Quantifiable outcome
- Handles approximately 30% of motor vehicle imports into New Zealand
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use McCullough
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
McCullough technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
McCullough partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Strategic Links - JapancoreMcCullough maintains strong strategic relationships in Japan with local agents who specialize in vehicle packing and transport. Staff visit Japan regularly to maintain and improve service to clients.
- Strategic Links - EnglandcoreEstablished relationships with UK-based suppliers and dealers for motorhome purchases, including dealers familiar with the export process for Kiwis buying VAT qualifying vehicles.
- Strategic Links - SingaporeminorStrategic international relationship in Singapore supporting the vehicle import/export network.
- Strategic Links - AustraliacoreTrans-Tasman shipping relationships with Australian ports (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle) for regular RORO and container services.
- Strategic Links - USAcoreEstablished relationships with US ports (Long Beach, Los Angeles, Savannah, Jacksonville, New York, Miami) for vehicle shipping from the USA to NZ.
- Shipping Lines and Airlinescore20+ years of developed relationships with shipping lines and airlines enabling competitive shipping rates and privileged options on freight, cartage, and pricing.
- Ports and StevedorescoreStrong relationships with ports and wash bays enabling fast cargo clearance and efficient loading/unloading processes.
- UK Dealers (Motorhome Suppliers)coreRecommended UK dealers including those who sell 1-year lease vehicles, familiar with the export process for Kiwis. Includes dealers familiar with VAT qualifying vehicle exports.
- Government Departments (Customs and MAF)coreEstablished relationships with government departments for efficient customs and biosecurity clearance processing.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McCullough competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- DB Schenker: Global freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and customs services including automotive logistics. Comparable at the freight forwarding and customs brokerage layer McCullough operates in.
- Kuehne+Nagel: World's largest freight forwarder with vehicle logistics and customs capabilities in NZ via global network. Represents scale competition; not specialized but equipped to encroach on McCullough's lane.
- CFR Rinkens: Global specialty vehicle logistics provider offering ocean RORO and container transport worldwide. Larger incumbent in the same vehicle-shipping niche but with broader geographic reach than McCullough.
Direct peers
- Magnet Shipping: NZ-based vehicle and machinery shipping agent handling RORO and container imports. Comparable niche focus on personal and trade vehicle imports into New Zealand.
- Schumacher Cargo Logistics: US-headquartered vehicle and household goods shipping specialist offering international car transport services. Comparable specialty vehicle logistics services and customer base for personal vehicle imports.
- Cosdel: New Zealand-headquartered freight forwarder and customs agent specializing in vehicle imports. The closest direct comparator to McCullough given overlapping NZ customs clearance and vehicle logistics services for trade and individual importers.
- DriveSouth Pacific: NZ-focused vehicle import and compliance specialist offering end-to-end import services including shipping, customs, and compliance. Direct competitor for the same importer and individual customer segments.
- EasyCarShip: Online-specialist international vehicle shipping broker arranging RORO and container transport for cars, boats, and motorcycles. Closely aligned business model to McCullough's digital quote-to-door offering.
Emerging players
- Flexport: Digital-first global freight forwarder expanding ocean and customs services with a tech-led platform. Represents the emerging digital-forwarder threat that could pressure traditional vehicle import forwarders like McCullough.
Regional players
- MoveCars: Australian-headquartered vehicle transport specialist running frequent Trans-Tasman and international vehicle shipping services. Competes on the Trans-Tasman lane that is core to McCullough's Australia product line.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McCullough social profiles
Digital presenceMcCullough financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McCullough leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
McCullough funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McCullough M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McCullough
What does McCullough do?
McCullough provides international vehicle, boat, caravan, machinery, and general cargo shipping services into and out of New Zealand, including integrated customs and biosecurity (MAF) clearance, marine insurance, foreign exchange, and vehicle compliance support. The company manages end-to-end logistics from pickup at origin to door-to-door delivery via RORO and container shipping methods, handling approximately 30% of NZ motor vehicle imports.
Is McCullough a public or private company?
McCullough is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was McCullough founded?
McCullough was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is McCullough based?
McCullough is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does McCullough make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freight Forwarding and Customs Clearance Services are the primary driver. The others are marine Insurance and foreign Exchange Services.
Who are McCullough's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are DB Schenker, Kuehne+Nagel and CFR Rinkens. Direct peers are Magnet Shipping, Schumacher Cargo Logistics, Cosdel, DriveSouth Pacific and EasyCarShip. Flexport is listed as an emerging player. MoveCars is listed as a regional player.
Does McCullough have an API?
No public API is recorded for McCullough.
What industry is McCullough in?
McCullough's product category is International Vehicle Freight Forwarding and Customs Clearance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAKAFAJ, International Vehicle Shipping & Export (RoRo/Container), with a secondary code of TLADAJAC, Finished Vehicle Ocean RoRo & Deep-Sea Vehicle Carriers. Its NAICS code is 483111 and its SIC code is 4731.