The Freight Club

What The Freight Club does

The Freight Club is a non-profit, member-centric networking association for autonomous, owner-operated freight forwarding companies, founded in November 1998 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The organization operates a curated global network of 82 member companies spanning 71 countries, governed by a Board of Directors with member representatives from France, Indonesia, Italy, Brazil, the United States, and the United Kingdom under President Jean Jacques Gouelle. Its core offer is exclusive membership coverage under a one-member-per-country policy, designed to let independent forwarders compete against multinational logistics firms by providing reciprocal access to vetted international partners.

The organization's product surface consists of four elements: (1) the Membership Network itself, (2) the Membership Application System (a web-based onboarding workflow requiring sponsorship, company information, and credentials such as IATA or FIATA membership), (3) the Receivable Protection Assurance Program, which allocates USD 100,000 in funds to secure member-to-member transactions, and (4) the TFC Connect annual conference, which has been held 22 times across various global locations since 1999 and serves as the primary in-person business development and member acquisition mechanism. Members collectively deliver a comprehensive freight service suite spanning air freight, ocean freight, customs brokerage, warehousing, distribution, trucking, project cargo, dangerous goods, door-to-door, personal effects, and NVOCC services.

The Freight Club generates revenue through recurring annual membership fees billed on a subscription cadence, with pricing not publicly disclosed and a discount available for applications accepted after the first half of the year. The go-to-market motion is community-led: prospective members apply through the website, secure sponsorship from an existing member or a recommendation letter from an industry association (IATA, FIATA, local freight or customs broker associations, or a commercial bank), and are approved by the Board. Marketing channels are limited to the website, direct email to the secretariat, and the annual conference; no digital advertising, content marketing at scale, or outbound sales motion is indicated. The organization explicitly positions itself as a network owned by the members and not directed toward private investors.

Name

The Freight Club

Legal name

The Freight Club

Website

https://thefreightclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Freight Club is a non-profit, member-centric networking association for autonomous freight forwarders, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. It operates an exclusive 82-member network spanning 71 countries under a one-member-per-country policy, supported by an annual conference and a Receivable Protection Assurance Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding Network Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Freight Marketplaces (Customs-Aware Matching) (TLAEAJAJ)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding network
• Logistics networking association
• Cargo consolidation services
• Customs brokerage network
• Global freight partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The Freight Club generates revenue through membership fees from its 82 member companies worldwide. As a non-profit organization, these fees are used to sustain the network and provide member services including the annual conferences, Receivable Protection Assurance Program, and directory access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Freight Club operates a non-profit membership network for autonomous freight forwarders, providing exclusive geographic coverage with one member per country across 71 countries. Members gain access to vetted international partners for collaborative freight forwarding, the Receivable Protection Assurance Program (USD 100,000 allocated) to secure member-to-member transactions, and the annual TFC Connect conference for face-to-face networking and business development.

Product overview

The Freight Club is a non-profit, member-centric networking organization for freight forwarding companies. The core offering is its Membership Network Services, which provides exclusive geographic coverage with one member per country. The organization offers several integrated components: a Membership Application System for onboarding new members, the Receivable Protection Assurance Program for securing transactions, and TFC Connect for annual face-to-face networking. Member companies collectively provide a comprehensive suite of freight forwarding services including air freight, ocean freight, customs brokerage, warehousing, distribution, trucking, project cargo, dangerous goods handling, door-to-door delivery, personal effects, and NVOCC services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Network Services A non-profit membership network for freight forwarding companies offering exclusive geographic coverage with one member per country, providing access to a vetted global network of 82 partners across 71 countries for business collaboration and reciprocal international forwarding partnerships.
• Receivable Protection Assurance Program A transaction-protection program backed by USD 100,000.00 in allocated funds designed to secure member-to-member transactions and reduce financial risk in business dealings between members of the network.
• TFC Connect Annual Meeting Annual General Meeting event where members gather face-to-face to conduct business with peers, gain industry knowledge, explore new opportunities, and strengthen professional relationships within the network.
• Membership Application System Web-based platform enabling prospective members to submit applications with sponsorship options, company information, services offered, and required documentation for membership consideration by the Board of Directors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% membership renewal rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• IATA (International Air Transport Association)minorOthersIATA membership is one of the credentials that prospective members can provide as part of their application for membership. IATA agents are recognized as qualified freight forwarders in the air cargo industry.
• FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations)minorOthersFIATA membership is accepted as a recommendation credential for prospective TFC members. FIATA members demonstrate professional standing in the freight forwarding industry.
• Local Freight Forwarder AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal freight forwarder associations can provide recommendation letters for companies applying to become TFC members, serving as references for professional standing.
• Local Customs Broker AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal customs broker associations can provide recommendation letters for companies applying to become TFC members, validating professional credentials.
• Commercial BanksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial banks can serve as references for companies applying for TFC membership, providing financial reference letters as part of the application process.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lognet Global: Invitation-based worldwide network of freight forwarders providing exclusive country representation, reciprocal business referrals, and annual gatherings in the same niche as The Freight Club.
• JC Trans: Global network of freight forwarders and logistics providers with member-only directories, annual conferences, and cross-border partnership facilitation; competes for the same independent forwarder segment as TFC.
• Globalink Logistics Network: Invitation-only network of independent freight forwarders covering dozens of countries, with annual meetings, reciprocal business programs, and member-vetting requirements comparable to TFC's.
• WCA Family of Logistics Networks: Largest global family of freight forwarder networks with one-member-per-country exclusivity across multiple sister networks. Operates an identical model to TFC, offering vetted cross-border forwarding partner matching and annual conferences.
• Global Logistics Network (GLN): Worldwide association of vetted freight forwarders organized by exclusive geographic representation, offering members directory access, conferences, and cross-border lead-sharing analogous to TFC.
• iGlobally Network: Worldwide exclusive network of independent freight forwarders with one member per country, annual meetings, and peer-to-peer referral dynamics directly comparable to The Freight Club.

Broad incumbents

• National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA): US-based trade association representing customs brokers and freight forwarders; broader and older than TFC but offers overlapping industry representation, networking events, and education services for similar members.
• FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations): Global non-governmental federation of national freight forwarder associations; sits above TFC's members as an industry umbrella body and overlaps with TFC's networking and advocacy role at a wider scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Thefreightclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFreightClub

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Freight Club