What Zenith International Freight does

Zenith International Freight Ltd is a UK-based, privately held freight forwarder founded in 2000 and headquartered in Bradford, Yorkshire, operating from five UK offices spanning Bradford, Manchester, the Midlands, west London near Heathrow, and east London. The company delivers end-to-end international logistics across six core service lines: sea freight (FCL and LCL consolidation with global weekly services), air freight (economy through express plus chartering), international road freight (European door-to-door with 5,000+ truck movements per year), global project logistics (out-of-gauge, breakbulk, RoRo, heavy haulage), 24/7 customs clearance (AEOC-accredited with direct HMRC and NCTS links), and its proprietary Zenith Track web-based tracking and booking platform. Customer base is horizontal B2B, serving UK and international businesses requiring complex multi-modal shipping and customs compliance; customer logos are not publicly disclosed and the segmentation approach is horizontal rather than vertical-specialised.

Revenue is generated through transaction-fee freight forwarding, handling charges, and customs brokerage on a quote-based pricing model with no public rate cards. The technology stack is anchored by the Zenith Track dashboard, EDI integration with shipping lines and airlines for real-time container, vessel, and aircraft tracking, and AI-powered OCR for automated document scanning. Distribution is sales-led and direct-to-business, supported by specialist air freight teams in Manchester and at London Heathrow, with marketing concentrated on LinkedIn, content/blog articles on logistics trends, and the company website. Strategic capability is reinforced by AEOC accreditation, membership in BIFA (the UK professional body for freight forwarding), and the exclusive GLN Agency network, which provides global coverage through vetted independent partners without requiring owned overseas infrastructure.

Name

Zenith International Freight

Legal name

Zenith International Freight Ltd

Website

https://zen-intl.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zenith International Freight is a UK-based freight forwarder offering multi-modal sea, air, and road freight forwarding plus customs clearance and project logistics, serving B2B clients across global trade lanes from five UK offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Express / Time-Critical Air Freight (Next-Flight-Out, AOG, Just-in-Time) (TLACAAAD), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Sea freight services
• Air freight services
• Customs clearance
• Project logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 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 and Logistics Services: End-to-end freight and logistics services including sea freight, air freight, road freight, project logistics, and customs clearance. Revenue generated through freight forwarding fees, handling charges, and customs brokerage services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zenith International Freight is a UK-based end-to-end freight forwarding and logistics services provider offering sea freight (FCL and LCL), air freight (economy to express with chartering), international road freight across Europe, global project logistics for out-of-gauge cargo, and 24/7 in-house customs clearance. Services are supported by a web-based tracking dashboard (Zenith Track) with AI-powered OCR document scanning and EDI integration to shipping lines, airlines, and customs authorities.

Product overview

Zenith International Freight is a UK-wide end-to-end freight and logistics services provider founded in 2000, headquartered in Yorkshire with offices across the UK including Manchester and London Heathrow. The company offers a comprehensive suite of logistics services consisting of six core offerings: Sea Freight Services (FCL and LCL consolidation with global weekly services), Air Freight Services (express to economy with chartering capabilities), International Road Freight (European door-to-door movements), Global Project Logistics (OOG, breakbulk, and heavy haulage), Customs Clearance (24/7 in-house department with AEOC accreditation), and Zenith Track (a web-based tracking dashboard and booking platform with AI-powered OCR and EDI integration). These services are underpinned by best-in-class technology linked with logistics partner networks and HMRC for seamless customs processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Freight Services Ocean-based freight forwarding including Full Container Load (FCL), Less than Container Load (LCL) consolidation, and groupage services. Provides weekly global services including UK-USA and UK-Far East routes, with loading and unloading control at dedicated facilities worldwide. Targeted at businesses requiring reliable ocean cargo transportation.
• Air Freight Services Bespoke export and import air freight services spanning economy to express and courier tiers, including chartering capabilities. Features daily groupage services, direct airline access, and combined air-door-to-door multimodal services. Delivered by specialist air freight teams based in Manchester and at London Heathrow.
• International Road Freight European road transport covering export and import with over 5,000 door-to-door truck movements per year. Includes full trailer loads, part load groupage, single pallet distribution, and courier services, underpinned by 24/7 in-house customs clearance capabilities.
• Global Project Logistics Project management for Out-of-Gauge (OOG) shipments including breakbulk, chartering, RoRo, flatrack, specialist packing, and heavy haulage. Provides turn-key project solutions from procurement through delivery with dedicated human support throughout the process, designed for oversized and complex cargo.
• Customs Clearance Specialist customs clearance agent services navigating CHIEF, CDS, and NCTS formalities. Operates a dedicated 24/7 in-house customs department with AEOC accreditation, direct links to HMRC, and transit documentation capabilities covered by comprehensive customs guarantee.
• Zenith Track Web-Based Tracking Dashboard Web-based tracking dashboard and booking platform providing real-time monitoring of warehousing stock, shipments, and milestones. Features AI-powered OCR document scanning and seamless EDI integration with agents, shipping lines, and airlines for proactive delay management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Proactive delay management giving customers valuable time to adapt and overcome obstacles
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• British International Freight Forwarding Association (BIFA)coreOthersMembers of the British International Freight Forwarding Association, the professional institute for freight forwarding companies in the UK, demonstrating industry recognition and adherence to professional standards.
• GLN Agency NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembers of the exclusive GLN Agency network whereby Zenith is represented by a network of independent like-minded logistics operators throughout the world, enabling global coverage through strategic partnerships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Expeditors International: US-listed global freight forwarder focused on air and ocean freight with customs brokerage. Highly comparable to Zenith's asset-light, technology-enabled forwarding model, with a similar B2B customer mix and end-to-end service orientation.
• C.H. Robinson: US-headquartered freight broker and third-party logistics provider with strong technology and NA/global ocean and air forwarding. Comparable to Zenith as a non-asset-based forwarder relying on carrier capacity and digital tools to serve international B2B shippers.
• Geodis: French-headquartered global freight forwarder offering sea/air freight forwarding, road, contract logistics, and customs. Closely comparable multi-modal + customs service portfolio to Zenith, with a comparable UK presence and similar mid-to-large market customer base.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Germany-headquartered mid-sized global freight forwarder with air, sea, road, and contract logistics. Closely comparable to Zenith in scale, family/private ownership history, multi-modal service mix, and customs capabilities.
• Davies Turner: Privately held UK freight forwarder with air, sea, and road freight plus customs clearance. The most directly comparable UK mid-sized private competitor to Zenith in scale, ownership structure (founder/family owned), service mix, and customer focus.
• Yusen Logistics: Japan-headquartered global logistics provider with airfreight, ocean freight, road, and customs services. Comparable to Zenith as a multi-modal forwarder with similar end-to-end service model and similar target customer profile of mid-to-large B2B shippers.
• Kerry Logistics Network: Asia-headquartered global freight forwarder with strong intra-Asia and Asia-Europe trade lane coverage. Comparable to Zenith as a multi-modal forwarder with customs and project logistics, and a relevant competitor on UK-Far East lanes.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding and customs arm of Deutsche Post DHL, with air, ocean, and road services plus customs clearance. Compares to Zenith as a broad incumbent with the same multi-modal + customs value proposition but at global scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering sea, air, road, and contract logistics with customs brokerage. Compares to Zenith as the global mega-incumbent whose scale and carrier leverage contrast with Zenith's mid-market UK focus.
• DSV A/S: Danish-headquartered global freight forwarder with significant air/sea/road and customs operations, built largely through acquisition (Panalpina, Schenker, Agility GIL). Compares to Zenith as a roll-up acquirer of mid-sized forwarders and a direct competitor on UK-Europe lanes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zenith-international-freight-ltd
• Xx.com/zenith_intl
• Facebookfacebook.com/Zenithinternationalfreight

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Zenith International Freight