What Scarbrough Global does

Scarbrough International, Ltd. (dba Scarbrough Global) is a privately held third-party logistics provider founded in 1984 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The firm operates four service divisions — Global Freight & Logistics (ocean, air, ground forwarding plus customs brokerage in the US, Canada, and Mexico), 3PL Transportation Solutions (full truckload and LTL), Warehousing and Fulfillment (including Amazon Fulfillment, retail fulfillment, and cross-dock), and Supply Chain Consulting (duty drawback, USMCA, global trade services). Underlying these divisions is a proprietary technology stack that includes the Clarity client portal for shipment planning and tracking, ScarCard for import/export analytics pulled from CBP's ACE portal, an internal Transportation Management System with EDI and ERP/WMS integration, and a 2024 partnership with Altana that adds AI-driven supplier and compliance screening (UFLPA, sanctions, export controls, climate). Physically, Scarbrough owns cross-dock and warehouse real estate along the US-Mexico border (Laredo, Brownsville, Pharr, El Paso) and operates regional offices in Kansas City, Chicago, St. Louis, Liberty (MO), Cambridge (Ontario), Monterrey, and Amsterdam, supported by an agent network covering 70+ countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Scarbrough's business model blends transaction-fee revenue (international freight forwarding, domestic truckload and LTL brokerage), professional services fees (customs brokerage, consulting, duty drawback), and managed services (warehousing and fulfillment). The company also operates a subscription-style ScarCard analytics offering sold to both clients and non-clients. Pricing is custom and quote-driven per shipment or engagement rather than published; freight rates are explicitly non-binding until agreed in writing per the firm's Terms & Conditions. Go-to-market is consultative and expert-driven: named account executives engage enterprise and mid-market shippers directly, supplemented by self-service channels such as the Domestic LTL Portal, while thought-leadership content (Scarbrough University, the Shipping With Scarbrough podcast, webinars, blog/news, and YouTube libraries) functions as top-of-funnel demand generation.

Customer concentration is broad and industry-diversified across enterprise and mid-market accounts — named customers include Diamond Pet Food (pet food manufacturing), Castle Creations (manufacturing), an agronomy services provider, Insight2Design (engineering/design), Sulzer (industrial), BVI Medical (medical devices), Company of Animals (pet products), BDI Worldwide (specialty services), and Carbage Can (consumer/SMB). The firm carries CTPAT certification (#scaBro00507), is a GDPR-compliant data processor, and is led by a founder/management team that has owned the business across more than 40 years, with no disclosed private equity or venture backing.

Name

Scarbrough Global

Legal name

Scarbrough International, Ltd.

Website

https://scarbroughglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Scarbrough Global is a privately held Kansas City-based 3PL founded in 1984 offering international freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing/fulfillment, and supply chain consulting, supported by proprietary technology (Clarity portal, ScarCard analytics, internal TMS) and border facilities spanning the US, Mexico, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Third-Party Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) & Dangerous Goods Logistics (TLAIAAAJ)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Customs brokerage services
• Third-party logistics
• Warehousing and fulfillment
• Supply chain consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. International Freight & Forwarding: Revenue generated from arranging international freight shipments including ocean freight, air freight, and multimodal transport. Services include space booking with carriers, consolidation services, and special projects for oversized cargo. The company leverages long-term carrier relationships to secure volume rates for clients.
2. Customs Brokerage Services: Fees for U.S., Canadian, and Mexican customs brokerage services including entry preparation, duty drawback recovery, and compliance support. Over 20% of import staff are Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers and Certified Customs Specialists, with Certified Export Specialists on the export team.
3. 3PL Transportation Solutions: Third-party logistics services including full truckload brokerage, LTL freight services, and domestic transportation management. Revenue from arranging and managing domestic trucking, including LTL portals for instant carrier rate access.
4. Warehousing and Fulfillment: Warehousing, distribution, and fulfillment services including Amazon Fulfillment, retail fulfillment, and freight distribution. Facilities include warehouse locations at US-Mexico border points (Laredo, Brownsville) and cross-dock operations.
5. Supply Chain Consulting: Consulting services for supply chain optimization, duty drawback and reduction, global trade services, and USMCA/free trade agreement compliance. Includes free webinars and training resources (Scarbrough University) that serve as lead generation for paid consulting engagements.
6. ScarCard Data Analytics Subscription: Subscription-based data analytics tool offering quarterly reporting and supply chain optimization insights. Available to both Scarbrough clients and non-clients. Clients can import ACE data into ScarCard for visibility of U.S. Customs data.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scarbrough Global is a third-party logistics provider that moves international and domestic freight, clears customs, stores and fulfills goods, and advises clients on supply chain strategy. Core services include ocean and air freight forwarding, customs brokerage in the US/Canada/Mexico, full truckload and LTL transportation, warehousing and fulfillment, and supply chain consulting, supported by proprietary technology including the Clarity portal, ScarCard analytics, and an internal TMS.

Product overview

Scarbrough Global is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider with over 40 years of experience offering a comprehensive suite of freight forwarding, customs brokerage, transportation, and supply chain consulting services. The core offering includes international freight (ocean, air, ground), 3PL transportation solutions, warehousing/fulfillment, and consulting. The technology portfolio centers on Clarity as the primary customer-facing portal for shipment tracking and management, supplemented by ScarCard for data analytics and reporting, a Transportation Management System (TMS) for logistics operations, and the Domestic LTL Portal for trucking services. Educational resources include Scarbrough University Training and the Shipping with Scarbrough Podcast. The company recently partnered with Altana to provide AI-powered compliance screening and supply chain visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clarity: Customer portal for planning and tracking logistics operations, managing international, warehouse, and domestic transportation shipments.
• ScarCard
• Scarbrough University
• Shipping with Scarbrough Podcast

Products and services

• International Freight Forwarding Services Ocean and air freight forwarding services for importers and exporters, including coordination of origin pickup, carrier booking, documentation, customs handoff, and destination delivery through a global agent network.
• Customs Brokerage Services Licensed customs brokerage across the US, Canada, and Mexico, including import/export clearance, tariff classification, duty drawback, and compliance consulting for cross-border shippers.
• 3PL Transportation Solutions Full truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation brokerage across domestic US lanes, supported by a self-serve Domestic LTL Portal for rating, booking, and tracking.
• Warehousing and Fulfillment Services Warehousing, inventory management, and order fulfillment services including Amazon Fulfillment, retail fulfillment, and freight distribution for e-commerce and retail clients.
• Supply Chain Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Scarbrough was among the first 20 U.S. Customs Brokers to file via CBP's ACE, enabling superior customs data reporting and compliance capabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AltanacoreTechnology or IntegrationAltana is the world's first Value Chain Management System — a unified, comprehensive platform providing AI-powered supply chain visibility, compliance risk detection, and collaborative workflows. Scarbrough's partnership with Altana enables clients to vet new and existing suppliers and products against every compliance requirement — from forced labor (UFLPA) to climate to sanctions — with exposure flags, triage workflows, documentation, and regulatory reporting. US Customs and Border Protection itself uses Altana for UFLPA enforcement.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365coreTechnology or IntegrationScarbrough uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 to manage and execute marketing materials that are relevant, timely, and of interest to clients. Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides business functions including marketing automation, customer relationship management, and data management. All processors acting on behalf of Scarbrough comply with privacy notices and data protection laws.
• Bannockburn Global ForexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBannockburn Global Forex (BGFX) specializes in foreign currency transactions and hedging strategies for companies doing business internationally. BGFX provides aggressive pricing and tailored advice, acting as clients' eyes and ears in currency markets and an extension of their finance team. Scarbrough refers clients to BGFX for currency risk management, and BGFX is featured on Scarbrough's Foreign Currency resource page.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScarbrough was among the first 20 U.S. Customs Brokers to file via CBP's ACE (Automated Commercial Environment) and has deep integration with CBP systems. CBP uses Altana (Scarbrough's technology partner) for UFLPA enforcement. Scarbrough maintains CTPAT certification (#scaBro00507) and works closely with CBP on compliance matters including FDA, USDA, and APHIS regulations.
• Global Cities Initiative (GCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCI Export Plan is featured on Scarbrough's platform as a co-branded training and export assistance program. GCI helps companies with current exports and those looking to become exporters, providing tools, city-specific resources, and sales/export plan assistance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FedEx Logistics: FedEx's freight forwarding, customs, and supply chain solutions division; comparable services to Scarbrough (customs, ocean/air freight, warehousing) but operating at much larger scale with integrated parcel/express assets.
• UPS Supply Chain Solutions: UPS's 3PL and freight forwarding arm offering customs brokerage, warehousing, and transportation services comparable to Scarbrough's full portfolio but backed by UPS's owned global network.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Division of Deutsche Post DHL providing global freight forwarding, customs, and supply chain services overlapping with Scarbrough's international division but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Hub Group: North American 3PL provider of intermodal, truck brokerage, and logistics services; comparable to Scarbrough's transportation and warehousing divisions serving enterprise and mid-market shippers.
• Expeditors International: Global freight forwarder with strong customs brokerage capabilities and a technology-forward service model directly comparable to Scarbrough's proprietary portal and analytics approach.
• Livingston International: North American customs broker and freight forwarder, very closely comparable to Scarbrough in service mix (customs brokerage + international freight + trade compliance) and customer base of mid-market importers/exporters.
• C.H. Robinson: North American 3PL and freight brokerage leader with TMS-driven domestic and international offerings, directly comparable to Scarbrough's Transportation division and LTL/FTL brokerage.
• RXO: North American freight brokerage and last-mile provider spun off from XPO; directly comparable to Scarbrough's LTL/FTL brokerage and TMS-driven transportation management offerings.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Major global freight forwarder offering ocean, air, customs brokerage, and contract logistics with similar end-to-end service model; comparable on integrated service stack but at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Uber Freight: Digital freight brokerage and managed transportation platform (including the Transplace 3PL business); overlaps with Scarbrough's TMS and brokerage services but with a technology-first, asset-light positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXwRWPN61-tm-ck_KCgjUXg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScarbroughGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scarbrough-group
• Xx.com/ScarbroughGroup

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Scarbrough Global