Cross Freight Internationale

What Cross Freight Internationale does

Cross Freight Internationale Speditionsges. mbH is a Hamburg-headquartered international freight forwarding company founded in 1996, operating as a privately held German limited liability company (mbH) under family ownership (Sorgenfrei family). The company provides end-to-end import and export logistics across six core service lines: airfreight, ocean freight (FCL/LCL/oversize/hazardous), courier and express delivery, ship spares delivery to vessels worldwide, crosstrade (third-country transport), and warehousing on over 2,500 m² including bonded customs warehouse facilities. It serves B2B customers including import/export businesses, maritime agencies requiring urgent spare parts delivery, and storage clients, with 24/7 personal service and dedicated contact persons as a primary differentiator.

The technology and infrastructure footprint includes an in-house X-ray and explosive trace detection (ETD) system — uncommon among small forwarders — which enables RegB-certified secure air cargo acceptance without external inspection delays. The company operates a proprietary customer portal for booking lists, packing lists, and delivery notes, and maintains a "house rates" EUR-USD internal currency system for billing stability. Tracking is integrated with 60+ carriers including Lufthansa Cargo, UPS, and FedEx. The company holds RegB certification from the German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) and is licensed under BAM II regulations to handle Class 1 sea rescue equipment, a specialized maritime capability. Global reach is achieved via membership in six forwarding networks (FIATA, IATA, WCA, IFA, ifc8, JCTrans), enabling worldwide service delivery without owned foreign infrastructure.

The business model is transaction-fee based across forwarding services and managed-services based for warehousing. Pricing is bespoke, quote-driven, and tailored to cargo type, weight, volume, destination, and service level — no standard price list is published. The go-to-market is sales-led, combining dedicated direct sales teams in Hamburg and Frankfurt with channel partnerships through the global forwarding networks. The company has approximately 35 employees, two operational locations (Hamburg headquarters and Frankfurt branch at Cargo City Süd), and operates exclusively under the German Freight Forwarders' Standard Terms and Conditions 2017 (ADSp). No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed.

Name

Cross Freight Internationale

Legal name

"Cross Freight" Internationale Speditionsges. mbH

Website

https://cross-freight.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Freight Forwarding

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Intermodal (Customs-in-Transit/Transit Regimes) Forwarding (TLACAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), International Express (Time-Definite Cross-Border) (TLAAABAB), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Air freight services
• Ocean freight forwarding
• Ship spares logistics
• Bonded warehouse storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Freight Forwarding: Full-service air cargo forwarding including time-sensitive deliveries, full charter services, and consolidated shipments. Revenue generated through freight fees based on weight, volume, and destination.
2. Ocean Freight Forwarding: Sea cargo forwarding for FCL (Full Container Load), LCL (Less than Container Load), oversized cargo, and hazardous goods. Revenue from container-based shipping fees.
3. Courier Services: Express delivery services including 24-hour service, overnight express, and door-to-door delivery through UPS and FedEx partnerships.
4. Ship Spares Logistics: Specialized worldwide on-board delivery of ship spare parts and equipment for maritime shipping companies, including customs handling and stock management.
5. Warehousing: Storage solutions on 2,500+ m² with bonded customs warehouse facilities, including handling, packaging, labeling, and commissioning services.
6. Customs Handling: Complete customs clearance services for import and export, including bonded warehouse storage for duty-free interim storage of goods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cross Freight Internationale is a German freight forwarding company that arranges international air, ocean, and courier cargo transport for import/export businesses, including specialized worldwide on-board delivery of ship spare parts, third-country (crosstrade) shipments, and 2,500+ m² of bonded warehouse storage with customs handling. Services span Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL), hazardous goods, oversized cargo, full charter, and 24-hour express deliveries, supported by in-house X-ray security screening and an online customer portal.

Product overview

Cross Freight Internationale is an international freight forwarding company offering a comprehensive portfolio of logistics services. The core offerings include six main divisions: Airfreight, Oceanfreight, Courier Services, Ship Spares, Crosstrade, and Warehousing. These are supported by value-added services including Tracking, House Rates (internal currency exchange rates), X-Ray/ETD (security screening), Customs Handling/Zoll-Lager (bonded warehouse), and Known Consignors certification (regulated agent status). The company also provides a Customer Portal for online access to booking and shipping documentation. All services operate under German Freight Forwarders' Standard Terms and Conditions 2017 (ADSp).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airfreight (Luftfracht) Full-service air freight forwarding of time-sensitive cargo delivered to all airports worldwide, including full charter of entire planes and collective transports on regular schedules. Targeted at import/export businesses needing fast, flexible air cargo solutions.
• Oceanfreight (Seefracht) Organization and execution of individual ship transports on all international trade routes, including Full Container Load (FCL), collective consignments (LCL), oversizes, and hazardous loads. Targeted at import/export businesses moving bulk or containerized cargo.
• Courier Services (Kurierdienste) 24-hour courier services including overnight express and door-to-door delivery for urgent shipments such as spare parts, documents, and medicines. Delivered through UPS and FedEx partnerships with integrated tracking.
• Ship Spares Worldwide on-board delivery of ship spare parts and ship equipment goods for international shipping companies and maritime agencies, including storage, handling, and customs handling from ship-to-ship, with licensed handling of Class 1 sea rescue equipment.
• Crosstrade Third-country (triangular trade) transport processing that leverages the global forwarding network for fast and secure transport handling between continents without goods entering the German market. Targeted at international trading firms needing cross-border shipment orchestration.
• Warehousing Storage solutions on over 2,500 m² at optimal Hamburg locations with customs-bonded warehouse facilities, including commissioning, packaging, labelling, and interim storage for imported goods. Targeted at businesses needing temporary or long-term storage with customs optimization.
• Customs Handling (Zoll-Lager) Complete customs clearance services for import and export shipments, including bonded warehouse storage that enables duty-free interim storage of goods. Targeted at import/export businesses needing customs compliance and tax deferral.
• X-Ray / ETD Security Screening In-house X-ray system and explosive trace detection (ETD) machine for security screening of air freight shipments, enabling fastest possible transport times by avoiding external inspection queues. The company is certified as a Regulated Agent (RegB) by the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA).

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest possible transportation through in-house X-ray screening eliminates external inspection delays and waiting times
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of freight forwarders providing international coverage and standardized service standards. Enables Cross Freight to offer qualified services across all trade routes worldwide.
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal airline association providing air freight standards and network access. Critical for air cargo operations and compliance with aviation security regulations.
• WCA (World Cargo Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading world logistics partnering network providing global coverage through vetted independent forwarders. Offers clear advantages for customer service standards.
• IFA (International Freight Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational freight forwarding association providing network access and industry collaboration opportunities.
• ifc8 (InFinite Connection)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent forwarding network providing additional global coverage and partnership opportunities in specialized trade lanes.
• JCTrans Logistics NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal logistics network providing access to Asian and international trade routes through vetted forwarding partners.
• UPSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier service partner for express shipments. UPS tracking integration provided for customer shipment monitoring.
• FedExminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier service partner for express shipments. FedEx tracking integration provided for customer shipment monitoring.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DACHSER: German-headquartered logistics provider with strong air and sea freight forwarding operations alongside road logistics, competing for German B2B import/export accounts.
• DHL Global Forwarding: World's leading air and ocean freight forwarder, part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, with direct overlap in air freight, ocean freight, and customs clearance services.
• Kuehne + Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with comprehensive air, sea, and contract logistics — a broad incumbent competing for the same German import/export customers.
• Geodis: Global logistics provider with significant freight forwarding and contract logistics capabilities, overlapping air/sea forwarding and customs handling.
• DB Schenker: Major European freight forwarder with extensive air, sea, and land transport operations headquartered in Germany, competing head-to-head in German air and ocean forwarding.
• DSV A/S: Global freight forwarding and logistics giant with extensive air, sea, and road forwarding; vastly larger scale than Cross Freight but operates in the same core forwarding categories.

Direct peers

• Röhlig Logistics: Germany-based international freight forwarder with strong air and sea freight operations and a comparable mid-sized, family-influenced ownership profile.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global freight forwarder offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics with comparable multimodal forwarding capabilities and similar mid-market positioning.
• Emons Spedition: German freight forwarding and logistics company with multimodal services and a privately held, family-influenced ownership structure serving similar SME import/export customers.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Digital-native freight forwarder offering air and ocean freight forwarding with proprietary technology platform — a different business model but increasingly competing for the same digital-forwarding customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/crossfreight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cross-freight-internationale-speditionsges-mbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/cross_freight_gmbh

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Cross Freight Internationale