K&L Freight
K&L Freight is a UK-based independent freight forwarder, founded 1989, providing door-to-door sea, air, and road freight forwarding plus customs clearance to UK importers, exporters, and niche verticals including aviation MRO and food cold-chain customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersNorthwich, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What K&L Freight does
K&L Freight Ltd is a UK-based independent international freight forwarding company founded in 1989 and headquartered in Northwich, Cheshire. The company provides door-to-door freight services across sea, air, and road modes, including full container load (FCL), less-than-container-load (LCL) consolidation, urgent/time-critical freight, cross-trade shipping, customs clearance, warehousing, and freight insurance. Its underlying technology stack is conventional for the sector: routing and tracking are supported by a global network of carrier partnerships (shipping lines, airlines, and road hauliers), with customer-facing visibility via online door-to-door tracking and status reports. There is no proprietary digital platform, API, or AI capability disclosed.
The company monetises through quote-based professional services fees on each shipment, with pricing dependent on origin, destination, dimensions, weight, commodity, and Incoterms; UK delivery and customs clearance are bundled into the quoted price by default. Its go-to-market is direct B2B sales via phone, email, and website contact forms, supplemented by content marketing through an active company blog. Customer segments include UK importers and exporters (primary), small-to-medium-volume LCL shippers, aviation MRO operators requiring AOG parts logistics, and food industry businesses needing temperature-controlled cold-chain transport, with trade-lane specialisations in China, India, and the USA.
The business is privately held by founder Chris Buckley, with no external equity, debt, or institutional investment disclosed, and has operated continuously for over 35 years. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees and revenue is not publicly disclosed. K&L Freight positions itself as a relationship-driven mid-market forwarder, competing on personal service, multi-agency customs expertise (DEFRA, Port Health, Forestry Commission, Trading Standards, Home Office, Border Force), and trade-lane knowledge rather than on scale or proprietary technology.
K&L Freight firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- K&L Freight
- Legal name
- K&L Freight Ltd
- Website
- https://klfreight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- K&L Freight is a UK-based independent freight forwarder, founded 1989, providing door-to-door sea, air, and road freight forwarding plus customs clearance to UK importers, exporters, and niche verticals including aviation MRO and food cold-chain customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
K&L Freight industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Cargo Air Freight Forwarding (Airport-to-Airport / Door-to-Door) (TLACAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction) (TLACAHAD), Cross-Border Fulfillment & Distribution (In-Country Injection) (TLACAKAF)
Keywords
Where K&L Freight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northwich
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
K&L Freight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Freight Transportation Services: K&L Freight generates revenue through freight forwarding services including air freight, sea freight, and road freight transportation. They charge for complete door-to-door services including supplier shipment collection, transportation, import/export duty advice, and warehousing.
- Customs Clearance Services: Revenue generated from customs clearance services including clearing through customs, handling duty and VAT payments on behalf of importers, and providing import/export duty advice.
- LCL (Less than Container Load) Services: Cost-efficient LCL service where customers pay for space used measured by cubic metre. Multiple smaller shipments are grouped together and sent in one container.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing tailored to specific shipment requirements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
K&L Freight product offering
Product offeringCore offering
K&L Freight is a UK-based freight forwarding company providing door-to-door international shipping services. It arranges sea, air, and road freight movements, handles customs clearance, and offers warehousing and supply chain management solutions for businesses moving goods in and out of the UK.
Product overview
K&L Freight is a UK-based international freight forwarding company offering a comprehensive suite of logistics services. The core offerings include Sea Freight (FCL/LCL with various container types), Air Freight, Road Freight, and LCL Freight consolidation services. Specialized offerings cover Urgent Freight for time-critical shipments, Cross Trade Shipping, and comprehensive Import/Export Freight Forwarding services. The company provides end-to-end Supply Chain Management and Contract Logistics solutions, complemented by Shipping Consultancy advisory services. Dedicated trade lane services support imports from China, India, and the USA. Additional services include customs clearance, warehousing, and freight insurance. The company has been operating since 1989 and positions itself as experts in door-to-door freight forwarding with over 35 years of experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- International Sea Freight Forwarding Arrangement of ocean freight shipments for import and export between the UK and overseas markets, including FCL, LCL, and door-to-door coordination for businesses moving containerised or bulk cargo.
- International Air Freight Forwarding Arrangement of time-sensitive air cargo shipments between the UK and international origins/destinations, including consolidation, documentation, and door-to-door delivery for businesses with urgent or high-value goods.
- European Road Freight Groupage, full-load, and part-load road transport services between the UK and continental Europe for businesses requiring overland delivery of palletised or bulk goods.
- Customs Clearance Preparation and submission of import/export customs declarations, duty/VAT handling, and compliance support for goods moving in and out of the UK on behalf of trading businesses.
- Warehousing & Storage Short- and long-term storage of goods for businesses requiring inventory holding, consolidation, or distribution support prior to onward shipment or final delivery.
- Supply Chain Management Coordination of end-to-end supply chain activities — including freight, customs, and warehousing — for businesses seeking a single outsourced logistics partner.
Companies that use K&L Freight
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
K&L Freight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
K&L Freight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
K&L Freight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CEVA Logistics: French-headquartered global 3PL providing air/sea freight forwarding, contract logistics, and supply chain solutions. Overlapping service mix with K&L on freight forwarding and contract logistics but with a focus on enterprise-scale accounts.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group offering air, ocean, road freight and customs services worldwide. Operates at vastly larger scale but provides the same multi-modal forwarding and customs clearance services that K&L offers to UK importers/exporters.
- DSV: Global Danish transport and logistics company with significant air, sea, and road forwarding plus contract logistics. Competes broadly with K&L on multi-modal forwarding but operates at much greater scale and continues acquiring mid-sized forwarders.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with strong air and sea freight forwarding plus integrated contract logistics. Competes head-on with K&L on air, sea, and customs brokerage for UK trade lanes but with a vastly larger global network.
Emerging players
- Flexport: US digital-native freight forwarder offering air and ocean forwarding with strong proprietary technology platform. Represents the emerging digital-forwarder model that competes with traditional forwarders like K&L through technology and online booking flows.
Direct peers
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered family-owned global freight forwarder offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics with door-to-door service. Comparable to K&L as a multi-modal forwarder with a similar mid-market customer orientation and independent/family ownership heritage.
- DBC UK (Domain BC): UK freight forwarder offering air, sea, and road freight forwarding plus customs clearance, with trade-lane specialisation in China and Asia. Closely matches K&L's multi-modal service, customs expertise, and Asia trade lane focus.
- James Cargo Services: UK-based independent freight forwarder offering air, sea, and road freight forwarding with customs clearance and similar door-to-door service. Very comparable size and business model to K&L, serving UK importers and exporters across multiple trade lanes.
- Expeditors International: US-headquartered pure-play international freight forwarder offering air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage, with no owned trucks or vessels. Similar asset-light forwarding model and customs clearance capability that mirrors K&L's service scope, though materially larger.
Regional players
- Freight by Air: UK-focused independent freight forwarder specialising in air freight and customs clearance for importers and exporters. Competes directly with K&L on UK import/export air freight services and customs brokerage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
K&L Freight social profiles
Digital presenceK&L Freight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
K&L Freight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
K&L Freight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
K&L Freight 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 K&L Freight
What does K&L Freight do?
K&L Freight is a UK-based freight forwarding company providing door-to-door international shipping services. It arranges sea, air, and road freight movements, handles customs clearance, and offers warehousing and supply chain management solutions for businesses moving goods in and out of the UK.
Is K&L Freight a public or private company?
K&L Freight is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was K&L Freight founded?
K&L Freight was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is K&L Freight based?
K&L Freight is headquartered in Northwich, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does K&L Freight make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freight Transportation Services are the primary driver. The others are customs Clearance Services and LCL (Less than Container Load) Services.
Who are K&L Freight's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CEVA Logistics, DHL Global Forwarding, DSV and Kuehne+Nagel. Flexport is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, DBC UK (Domain BC), James Cargo Services and Expeditors International. Freight by Air is listed as a regional player.
Does K&L Freight have an API?
No public API is recorded for K&L Freight.
What industry is K&L Freight in?
K&L Freight's product category is Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAAAA, General Cargo Air Freight Forwarding (Airport-to-Airport / Door-to-Door), with a secondary code of TLACAHAD, Export/Import Documentation Preparation (Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipper’s Letter of Instruction). Its NAICS code is 48851 and its SIC code is 4731.