What Cargocare Global Ltd does

Cargocare Global Ltd is a UK-headquartered freight forwarding and customs clearance specialist founded in 1982 in Felixstowe (originally as R Bugg (Forwarding) Ltd, rebranded in 2019) and operated by 28 employees across eight offices in the UK (Felixstowe, Basildon/London Gateway, Cannock, Egham/Heathrow, Woodbridge, Manchester), the Netherlands (Rotterdam), and the UAE (Dubai). The company provides sea freight (FCL/LCL), air freight, European road/rail/short-sea, UK domestic delivery, and customs clearance services, plus expert advisory on Incoterms, Port Health, DEFRA, and HMRC compliance. Its enterprise clients operate in specialised verticals including ingredients/food and drink, furniture and home, clothing/apparel/footwear, time-critical logistics, and renewables/solar.

The company's technology platform consists of online cargo tracking, purchase order management, bespoke reporting, and EDI integration with client systems including SAP, plus direct integration with UK port systems CNS and Destin8 for nationwide customs clearance. A client portal (cargocare-global.versowaves.app) is under development. The firm holds full AEO accreditation (one of the first in Europe, achieved in 2012), and is a long-standing member of BIFA, IATA, FIATA, and NDFTA.

Cargocare Global generates revenue on a transaction-based, quote-pricing model across six core streams (sea, air, European road, UK delivery, customs clearance, expert advisory). Go-to-market is direct sales-led with key account managers across UK offices, supported by a global partner network of shipping lines, airlines, and European hauliers that enables negotiated competitive rates on named-account and commodity contracts. Pricing is bespoke, reflecting client volume, commodity type, and service requirements.

Name

Cargocare Global Ltd

Legal name

Cargocare Global Ltd

Website

https://cargocare-global.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cargocare Global Ltd is a UK-headquartered freight forwarding and customs clearance specialist with 28 employees across eight offices, serving enterprise clients in food ingredients, furniture, fashion, automotive, and renewables sectors with sea, air, and road freight plus customs services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Customs clearance brokerage
• Sea and air freight
• International supply chain
• Logistics and haulage

Headquarters

HQ city

Felixstowe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 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. Sea Freight Forwarding: Full container loads (FCL) and less than container loads (LCL) movements for import and export between Asia, Americas and Europe. Services include ad-hoc and urgent shipments as well as ongoing regular shipments.
2. Air Freight Services: Dedicated air freight office providing cost-effective and high quality air freight services for import and export movements globally, including aircraft charter services.
3. European Road Transport: Intra-European movements by road, rail and short-sea shipping, including groupage, part load, full trailer load, temperature controlled vehicles, and out of gauge movements.
4. UK Delivery/Road Haulage: UK domestic transport services including booking, delivery arrangements, and coordination with warehouses and distribution centers.
5. Customs Clearance: Comprehensive customs clearance services managing thousands of clearances for general cargo, food items, and specialized products requiring Port Health and DEFRA compliance.
6. Expert Advisory Services: Trade advice including Incoterms, Port Health requirements, DEFRA, HMRC/Tariff advice, rules of origin, preferential trading, and documentation guidance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cargocare Global provides international freight forwarding across sea, air, and European road/rail/short-sea transport, alongside comprehensive UK customs clearance for general cargo, food, and specialty items. The company operates from multiple UK offices and international hubs in Rotterdam and Dubai, managing FCL/LCL sea freight, air freight consolidation and charter, groupage and full-load European movements, and sector-specialized logistics for food ingredients, furniture, fashion, time-critical cargo, and renewables/solar projects.

Product overview

Cargocare Global Ltd operates as a freight forwarding and logistics company offering a comprehensive suite of interconnected services. The core portfolio comprises Sea Freight, Air Freight, European Services (road/rail/short-sea), and UK Delivery under the Freight Forwarding umbrella, complemented by Customs Clearance as a standalone core service. The company provides specialized sector-focused offerings including Time Critical Logistics, Ingredients/Food & Drink Logistics, Furniture & Home Logistics, Clothing/Apparel & Footwear Logistics, and Renewables/Solar Logistics. Additional value-added services include Expert Advice (covering trade compliance, documentation, and regulatory matters) and System & Tracking for cargo visibility with SAP EDI integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Freight Sea freight forwarding services managing import and export movements between Asia, North and South America, and Europe, including full container loads (FCL), less than container loads (LCL), ad-hoc and urgent shipments, and ongoing regular shipments for business clients.
• Air Freight Dedicated air freight services from origin to destination, including daily import and export services, ad-hoc urgent shipments, aircraft charter, and consolidation/de-consolidation for global business clients.
• European Services Intra-European freight movements by road, rail, and short-sea including groupage, part load, full trailer load, temperature controlled vehicles, and out of gauge movements for clients shipping across EU and non-EU European countries.
• UK Delivery UK domestic transport and delivery services including booking, haulage coordination, dangerous goods handling, and coordination with warehouses and distribution centers for business clients.
• Customs Clearance Customs clearance services across all UK ports for general cargo, food items, products of animal origin, nuts, fresh fruit, vegetables, and wood, working with Port Health and DEFRA to handle thousands of clearances annually for business clients.
• Time Critical Logistics Specialized time-sensitive logistics services including express delivery, dedicated vehicles, heavy lift, out of gauge cargo, chartered vessels and aircraft, barge movements, and offshore delivery for businesses with deadline-critical shipment requirements.
• Ingredients, Food & Drink Logistics Specialized logistics for fresh fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, and honey with expertise in DEFRA/Port Health legislation, Aflatoxin testing, and managing perishables for ingredient importers, food manufacturers, and retailers.
• Furniture & Home Logistics End-to-end import services for furniture and home furnishings from China and South East Asia, including supplier coordination, purchase order management, and timely collection and shipping for furniture importers and home goods retailers.
• Clothing, Apparel & Footwear Logistics Express logistics services for the fashion industry including air freight consolidation, sea freight (FCL/LCL), garments on hangers, bonded warehousing, and high security warehousing for fashion retailers, e-commerce companies, and apparel distributors.
• Renewables/Solar Logistics Import, storage, and distribution logistics for solar panels, inverters, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), including UK solar farm projects up to over 150 MW for commercial solar developers and renewable energy companies.
• Expert Advice Services Advisory services covering Incoterms, Port Health requirements, DEFRA, HMRC/Tariff advice, preference (GSP), documentation, and insurance to help importers and exporters navigate international trade compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Containers cleared and delivered within 10 hours of vessel arrival for food & confectionary clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)coreOthers · 1 January 2012HMRC granted Cargocare Global full Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) accreditation in 2012, encompassing Safety and Security in the Supply Chain. This provides streamlined customs treatment and demonstrates credibility in international shipping.
• British International Freight Association (BIFA)coreOthersBIFA is the leading Body representing the UK International freight services industry. Cargocare Global has been a member since 1984, demonstrating long-term industry commitment and adherence to professional standards.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)coreOthersGlobal trade association for airlines. Cargocare Global has been a member since 1984, enabling air freight operations and demonstrating compliance with international air transport standards.
• International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA)minorOthersFIATA is the global voice of freight logistics. Membership provides international recognition and access to global freight forwarding network.
• Nut & Dried Fruit Trade Association (NDFTA)minorOthersThe NDFTA is the only trade association in Britain to exclusively promote and protect the interests of the British peanut industry. Cargocare Global is a proud member.
• Port Health AuthoritiescoreOthersFantastic relationships with Port Health Authorities around the UK developed through volume of perishable and speciality foodstuffs imported. Service has been developed to reflect Port Health requirements, providing greater transparency and speeding up customs clearance.
• B2L CargocarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerB2L Cargocare is the company's office in Rotterdam handling imports and customs clearance for Western and Central Europe.
• UAE CargocareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAE Cargocare is the company's office in Dubai for Middle East operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global freight forwarder with strong air, ocean, road and customs operations across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Directly comparable service mix to Cargocare, including air, sea, road forwarding and customs clearance, with similar focus on mid-market enterprise shippers.
• Expeditors International: US-listed global freight forwarder specialising in air and ocean freight forwarding with integrated customs brokerage. Direct comparable in core international forwarding and customs clearance services, with similar focus on operational excellence and IT-enabled shipment visibility, though at much greater scale.
• Ligentia: UK-headquartered international freight forwarder with specialisation in fashion, retail and lifestyle supply chains. Highly comparable mid-sized competitor operating in similar lanes (Asia/Europe) with sector-led service model closely mirroring Cargocare's vertical-focused approach (e.g. clothing/apparel/footwear, food).
• Geodis: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider with strong European road, ocean and air freight capabilities plus customs brokerage. Comparable in full multi-mode forwarding and European road network, but with broader industrial customer base and substantially larger scale than Cargocare.
• Yusen Logistics: Japanese-headquartered global logistics provider offering international freight forwarding (air/ocean), contract logistics and customs services. Highly comparable multi-mode forwarding and customs offering to Cargocare, with strong European and Asia-Europe lane presence aligned to Cargocare's customer base.

Broad incumbents

• CEVA Logistics: Global supply chain management and freight forwarding company providing ocean, air, ground, customs and contract logistics. Closely comparable in international freight forwarding and customs capabilities, but with substantially broader contract logistics and warehousing footprint.
• DB Schenker: Major European-headquartered freight forwarder and logistics provider with integrated land, air, ocean and contract logistics. Overlaps with Cargocare's sea/air/road forwarding and customs services, but operates as a much broader incumbent serving enterprise and contract logistics customers globally.
• DSV: Danish-headquartered global freight forwarder with leading market share in air and sea freight and significant European road capabilities. Comparable in offering complete forwarding and customs services, with a track record of consolidating smaller forwarders and very high scale relative to Cargocare.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL, providing air, ocean, road and customs services worldwide. Overlaps directly with Cargocare's full multi-mode offering and customs clearance expertise, but with far broader geographic reach and significantly greater scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering sea, air, road and customs services across all major trade lanes. Highly comparable to Cargocare Global in service mix (FCL/LCL ocean, air freight, customs brokerage), but operates at vastly greater scale with global infrastructure and proprietary digital platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cargocare-global-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Cargocare Global Ltd