Cargo Transport Systems

What Cargo Transport Systems does

Cargo Transport Systems (CTS) is a privately held, independently operated freight forwarding company founded circa 1994, headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, with a Canadian regional office in Montreal, Quebec. The company operates as a licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) and international freight forwarder, offering ocean freight, air freight, project cargo handling for oversized or high-value goods, customs clearance coordination, expedited trucking, rate negotiation, and supply chain problem resolution. CTS serves importers and exporters engaged in international trade—documented customers include a Midwest Importer with annual sales exceeding $2 billion—across primary lanes linking the United States, Canada, and Europe. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to shipment type, destination, urgency, and volume, with revenue generated through transaction fees on each forwarding engagement.

CTS uses a sales-led, consultative go-to-market approach, attracting B2B customers through direct phone engagement, website inquiries, whitepaper case studies, free cost-and-service assessments, and a quarterly newsletter. Distribution is direct to enterprise customers with no reseller channel. The underlying technology stack is centered on Magaya, a third-party logistics management platform that handles cargo tracking, shipment documentation, and customer-facing shipment visibility through a Magaya-credentialed login portal; CTS does not develop proprietary AI, routing, or pricing technology. The company has 1-10 employees per firmographic data, no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no management team bios published, indicating a lean, founder/management-owned operation with limited public visibility.

Name

Cargo Transport Systems

Legal name

Cargo Transport System

Website

https://cargotransportsys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cargo Transport Systems is a privately held NVOCC and freight forwarder founded circa 1994, providing ocean, air, and project cargo forwarding plus customs and trucking coordination to importers and exporters in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

NVOCC Operations & Ocean Consolidation (TLACABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) Ocean Consolidation (LCL) (TLACALAA), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Time-Critical & AOG (Aircraft on Ground) Specialized Forwarding (TLACAJAI), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Ocean freight shipping
• Air freight forwarding
• Project cargo handling
• Supply chain logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Westlake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: CTS generates revenue through freight forwarding fees charged for ocean freight and air freight shipments. Services include international ocean shipping as an NVOCC, international air freight, project cargo handling, customs clearance coordination, and trucking logistics. The company also earns fees for rate negotiation and problem resolution services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cargo Transport Systems (CTS) operates as a fully licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) and Freight Forwarder arranging international ocean freight, air freight, and specialized project cargo transportation for importers and exporters. The company coordinates end-to-end logistics including rate negotiation, customs clearance, trucking, and supply chain problem resolution, supported by the Magaya cargo management platform for shipment tracking and documentation.

Product overview

Cargo Transport Systems (CTS) is a service-oriented freight forwarding company operating as a single unified platform of freight forwarding services. The core offering consists of international freight forwarding capabilities built around three primary service lines — Ocean Freight (as a licensed NVOCC), Air Freight, and Project Cargo — supported by ancillary services including Rate Negotiation, Problem Resolution, and Customer Support. The Magaya platform serves as the customer-facing cargo management and documentation portal. All services are delivered with a focus on supply chain visibility, cost reduction, and shipment reliability across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and international routes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Freight Services International ocean freight services operating under CTS's NVOCC license, providing on-time, claim-free ocean shipments at competitive costs with global supply chain visibility for importers and exporters moving goods internationally.
• Air Freight Services International air freight forwarding with dedicated support teams, consistent efficient processes, competitive costs, and global supply chain visibility for businesses that need fast international movement of goods.
• Project Cargo Services Specialized handling of large, heavy, and high-value goods that are not suited for standard container shipping, representing a core CTS specialty executed by cargo specialists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved a major North American importer with $2 billion+ annual sales over $58,000 in a time-sensitive freight situation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MagayacoreTechnology or IntegrationCTS utilizes Magaya logistics management software as their cargo tracking and shipment management platform. Customers access the Magaya system through CTS login to manage their freight forwarding operations. This technology partnership enables CTS to provide digital cargo management capabilities including tracking, documentation, and operational coordination for ocean and air freight shipments.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Flexport: A tech-enabled digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and trucking services to importers and exporters. Like CTS, Flexport acts as an intermediary arranging international freight, though at vastly greater scale with proprietary technology.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: A Germany-headquartered global freight forwarder with strong expertise in air, ocean, and road freight as well as contract logistics. Like CTS, it focuses on personalized customer service and has expertise in time-sensitive and project cargo.
• Echo Global Logistics: A US-based 3PL and freight forwarder offering truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal services. Provides comparable freight arrangement services to shippers, with a technology-led platform model similar to what CTS aims to deliver via Magaya.

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: A global 3PL offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions. Provides comparable ocean and air freight services to CTS, with particular strength in automotive and consumer goods verticals.
• Kuehne + Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering ocean, air, road, and contract logistics services. Overlaps with CTS on ocean and air freight forwarding but operates at global scale with proprietary digital platforms.
• Yusen Logistics: A Japan-based global logistics provider offering ocean and air freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions. Comparable to CTS as a multimodal freight forwarder, but with extensive global infrastructure.
• XPO Logistics: A North American 3PL with freight forwarding, last-mile, and brokerage services. Overlaps with CTS on freight arrangement services, though XPO is focused more on domestic trucking and last-mile than international ocean freight.
• DHL Global Forwarding: The freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL, offering worldwide ocean and air freight services. Directly competes with CTS on international freight forwarding, with much greater scale and brand recognition.
• C.H. Robinson: A major North American 3PL and freight forwarder with global ocean and air freight capabilities. Provides comparable freight forwarding services to importers and exporters, but as part of a much broader logistics portfolio.
• Expeditors International: A global publicly-traded freight forwarder with no ocean or air assets, offering international ocean and air freight forwarding services. Direct overlap with CTS's core service lines, but vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Cargo Transport Systems