Simple Forwarding

What Simple Forwarding does

Simple Forwarding is a U.S.-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage firm founded in 2016 and headquartered in Monroe, New York. The company arranges and manages international shipping across ocean (FCL and LCL), air, and ground (FTL/LTL and rail) modes, with end-to-end coverage from overseas factory pickup through customs clearance to final warehouse delivery. It is a licensed customs broker and Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI), serving three primary verticals: eCommerce and Amazon FBA sellers (its lead segment), brick-and-mortar retailers, and wholesale/distribution businesses, with selective cross-border US-Canada activity.

Its underlying technology is a logistics management platform integrated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection's ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) and CAPE systems, enabling electronic entry management, ACH refund processing for IEEPA tariff refunds, and a proprietary 3-step release protocol (Analyze, Engage, Release) for resolving CBP, FDA, USDA, and CPSC holds. The product portfolio includes a sub-brand, Syncro Intl, focused on Amazon FBA inbound placement optimization, alongside ancillary modules for cargo insurance and assisted ACE enrollment. All services operate as a single integrated offering rather than standalone products.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based freight forwarding fees, professional services fees for customs brokerage, performance-based fees for customs hold release (paid only on successful resolution), and commissions on cargo insurance. The go-to-market is direct sales-led with an inside-sales motion (sub-1-hour response times), supported by a content engine spanning a regulatory-focused blog, downloadable logistics guides, and a twice-monthly newsletter. Pricing is quote-based with a stated commitment to transparent, all-inclusive pricing. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, partnerships, or institutional investors, suggesting founder-owned, bootstrap operations at a small (1-10 employee) scale.

Name

Simple Forwarding

Legal name

Simple Forwarding Inc.

Website

https://simpleforwarding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Simple Forwarding is a US freight forwarding and customs brokerage firm arranging international ocean, air, and ground shipping for eCommerce and Amazon FBA sellers, brick-and-mortar retailers, and wholesale distributors. It combines transparent quote-based pricing with ACE/CAPE-integrated customs clearance, tariff-refund support, and hold-resolution services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Customs Brokerage

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border E-commerce Ocean Forwarding (DDP/DDU) (TLACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

E-commerce Cross-Border Air Parcel Forwarding (DDP/DDU, De Minimis) (TLACAAAJ), Domestic Distribution & Regional Linehaul Forwarding (TLACACAD), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• US customs brokerage
• Cross-border logistics
• Amazon FBA logistics
• ACE customs filing

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Revenue from arranging and managing international shipping via ocean (FCL/LCL), air freight, and ground transportation (FTL/LTL). Handles booking, coordination with carriers, and end-to-end logistics management.
2. Customs Brokerage: Fees for customs clearance services including document preparation, tariff classification, HTS code verification, duty assessment, and compliance support.
3. Cargo Insurance: Commission-based revenue from offering comprehensive cargo insurance coverage protecting goods from door to door against physical loss, damage, theft, and environmental conditions.
4. Customs Release Services: Performance-based pricing for customs hold resolution. Flat fee structure where payment is only required upon successful cargo release from CBP, FDA, USDA, CPSC, or other agency holds.
5. ACE Enrollment Services: Fee-based service helping importers complete ACE portal enrollment and ACH refund setup for IEEPA tariff refunds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Simple Forwarding is a U.S.-based freight forwarder and customs broker that moves goods internationally and domestically for eCommerce sellers, brick-and-mortar retailers, and wholesale/distribution companies. Its core services include air, ocean (FCL/LCL), and ground (LTL/FTL) freight forwarding, customs brokerage, cargo insurance, customs release, and ACE/CAPE enrollment assistance. The company leverages proprietary technology integrated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection systems to provide transparent pricing and performance-based customs clearance.

Product overview

Simple Forwarding is a freight forwarding services company operating as a unified platform offering end-to-end logistics across multiple transport modes and customer segments. The core product portfolio includes freight forwarding services segmented by customer type — for eCommerce/Amazon sellers, brick-and-mortar retailers, and wholesale/distributors — supported by transport capabilities across ocean (FCL and LCL), air freight, and ground trucking (LTL and FTL), complemented by customs brokerage, cargo insurance, and customs release services. Additional modules include ACE enrollment assistance and a sub-brand called Syncro Intl focused on Amazon FBA inbound optimization. All services are designed to work together as a single logistics partner from overseas factory to final delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eCommerce Seller Freight Forwarding
• Brick & Mortar Freight Forwarding
• Wholesale & Distribution Freight Forwarding
• Air Freight
• Ground Freight (LTL & FTL Trucking)
• Ocean Freight (FCL & LCL)
• Customs Brokerage
• Cargo Insurance
• Customs Release Services
• ACE Enrollment Assistance
• Syncro Intl Sub-brand shipping program under Simple Forwarding for high-volume importers, offering integrated freight and customs services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 1 hour average response time to customer inquiries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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 indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GlobalTranz (Worldwide Express): Digital freight brokerage and 3PL serving SMB/mid-market shippers across LTL, truckload, and intermodal. Direct peer in technology-augmented freight forwarding for similar customer profile.
• Flexport: Tech-enabled global freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and ground freight plus customs brokerage. Closest direct peer in addressing SMB and mid-market importers with a digitally-enabled, transparent-pricing model — directly competitive on the same eCommerce/Amazon-forwarding lane.
• iContainers: Digital ocean freight forwarder focused on SMBs shipping FCL and LCL internationally with instant online quotes. Comparable in targeting small-to-mid importers with transparent, online-first ocean forwarding.
• Freightos: Online freight marketplace and forwarding platform that digitizes international shipping, including ocean and air, for SMBs and enterprises. Direct competitor in the eCommerce/freight booking experience Simple Forwarding targets.
• Worldwide Express: Non-asset-based freight broker offering LTL, truckload, and air freight with a sales-led model for SMB and mid-market shippers. Direct competitor in domestic and cross-border ground freight plus air.

Broad incumbents

• Echo Global Logistics: Tech-enabled freight broker offering truckload, LTL, and intermodal services at scale. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in domestic freight arrangement for the same mid-market shipper base.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with ocean, air, road, and contract logistics plus customs brokerage. Broad incumbent with overlapping customs and ocean forwarding capabilities, especially relevant for mid-market customers scaling beyond a small forwarder.
• DHL Global Forwarding: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering ocean, air, road, and customs services. Comparable in customs brokerage and multimodal forwarding, though at enterprise scale rather than SMB focus.
• Coyote Logistics (UPS): Large asset-light freight broker owned by UPS, providing truckload, LTL, and intermodal. Comparable to Simple Forwarding's ground/LTL services but at much larger scale and broader customer profile.
• Amazon Global Logistics: Amazon's own cross-border ocean freight and trucking service for sellers sourcing into FBA. Direct overlap on Amazon FBA inbound lane with potential platform-preference risk for independent forwarders like Simple Forwarding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simpleforwarding

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Simple Forwarding