Prime International Carriers

What Prime International Carriers does

Prime International Carriers is a privately held freight forwarding company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda. It offers multimodal logistics services spanning road freight, air freight, sea freight (FCL and LCL), warehousing, customs clearance, and real-time shipment tracking, serving enterprise clients across more than 100 countries with a concentration of operations in 21-plus African nations including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The firm is notably active in agricultural export logistics—particularly Rwandan coffee, where it has moved over 300 tons through its network—and in project cargo, mining logistics, and oversized/heavy-lift operations.

The company's product stack is built around a single integrated logistics platform with real-time cargo visibility and tracking as the connective layer across transport modes. It operates its own road-freight subsidiary called PLEX, which runs more than 200 trucks across Africa, and supplements this owned capacity with a network of 350-plus partner trucks. Strategic carrier partnerships with CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, and PIL provide ocean freight capability, while memberships in JC Trans, FIATA, the Global Logistics Alliance, and the UN Global Compact underpin international standards and ESG positioning. Technology is positioned as visibility- and coordination-led rather than AI-native.

Prime International Carriers generates revenue primarily through transaction-based freight forwarding fees, supplemented by warehousing/storage and customs clearance professional services. Pricing is fully quote-based, varying by commodity, mode of transport, incoterms, origin/destination ports, weight, and dimensions, with a one-business-day response commitment on the website quote portal. Go-to-market is sales-led with regional office presence in Kigali, Bujumbura, and Dar es Salaam, complemented by a global agent network, online quote capture, and direct phone/email outreach to enterprise customers.

Name

Prime International Carriers

Legal name

Prime International Carriers

Website

https://primeintlcarriers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prime International Carriers is a Kigali-based, privately held freight forwarder founded in 2015 that delivers multimodal road, air, sea, warehousing, and customs services to enterprise clients across 100-plus countries, with deep pan-African coverage via regional offices and its PLEX trucking subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)

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), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), Express / Time-Definite Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAB)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Cross-border logistics
• Customs clearance
• Multimodal transport
• Warehousing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kigali

HQ country

Rwanda

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Core revenue from freight forwarding across road, air, sea, and rail transport modes. Services include full-container (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL) ocean freight, air freight, cross-border road freight, and multimodal solutions.
2. Warehousing and Storage: Revenue from secure, managed storage facilities with state-of-the-art warehouses featuring 24/7 monitoring and security systems, plus comprehensive distribution management.
3. Customs Clearance Services: Expert customs clearance services handling documentation preparation, submission, regulatory compliance, and duty management to minimize delays and avoid penalties.
4. Project Cargo and Specialized Logistics: Specialized handling for project cargo, machinery, construction equipment, mining logistics, oversized cargo, and heavy-lift operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Prime International Carriers is a freight forwarding company that moves cargo across road, air, sea, and rail transport modes for businesses globally, with particular strength in pan-African cross-border logistics. The company offers five core services—Road Freight, Air Freight, Sea Freight (FCL/LCL), Warehousing, and Customs Clearance—integrated through real-time shipment tracking and supported by subsidiary PLEX operating 200+ trucks across Africa.

Product overview

Prime International Carriers offers a unified logistics platform providing world-class freight solutions across five core services: Road Freight, Air Freight, Sea Freight, Warehousing, and Customs Clearance. These services are interconnected through the company's Real-Time Tracking feature, which provides complete visibility from origin to destination. The company also operates PLEX, a subsidiary with over 200 trucks providing dedicated road freight capacity across Africa. Together, these offerings enable seamless multimodal logistics connecting businesses across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Road Freight

Quantifiable outcome

• 100K+ deliveries completed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• JC TranscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic logistics alliance partner as part of Prime International Carriers' Vision 2030 strategic global partnerships expansion. JC Trans is a global logistics organization supporting international logistics capabilities.
• FIATAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations) as part of global logistics alliances. FIATA membership provides international freight forwarding standards and industry recognition.
• Global Logistics AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership as part of global logistics alliance expanding collaboration with leading international logistics organizations and freight alliances.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPledging commitment to UN Global Compact principles for responsible business practices aligned with ESG and sustainability commitments.
• PLEX (Subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwned subsidiary operating over 200 trucks across Africa in Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Uganda and more, providing core road freight capabilities.
• CMA CGMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal shipping and maritime logistics partner providing ocean freight capabilities. CMA CGM is one of the world's leading shipping groups.
• MaerskcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal shipping and maritime logistics partner providing ocean freight capabilities. Maersk is a global leader in container logistics.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal shipping partner providing maritime logistics capabilities. MSC is one of the world's largest container shipping lines.
• PIL (Pacific International Lines)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic maritime partner providing ocean freight services. PIL is a global shipping container operator based in Singapore.
• African Logistics Agents NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnerships with freight agents and carriers across 21+ African nations including Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, DRC, Zambia, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe enabling cross-border road freight operations with 350+ trucks.
• Asian Freight Agents NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnerships with freight agents and carriers across China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East for Asia trade lane coverage.
• European Logistics NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished connections with European logistics networks and last-mile delivery across major European ports including Belgium, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark.
• Americas and Australia Partner NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished presence and vetted partner networks in United States, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Australia providing complete coverage for global import and export operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Agility Logistics: Global logistics provider with strong presence in emerging markets including Africa, offering freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs. Comparable geographic and service mix to Prime.
• Bolloré Logistics: Global logistics operator with particularly strong African footprint, including port operations and freight forwarding. Most direct incumbent comparable to Prime on African market presence and multimodal forwarding.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL, offering ocean, air, road, and customs services across 100+ countries. Directly comparable service portfolio; Prime competes against DHL's regional African operations for enterprise freight.
• DSV: Global transport and logistics company offering air, sea, road freight and contract logistics. Comparable multimodal forwarding model and enterprise customer base; Prime faces DSV in African trade lanes.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with deep ocean, air, and overland capabilities plus strong Africa presence. Comparable to Prime across all transport modes, but operates at far greater scale with global contract logistics.
• Expeditors International: Large global logistics provider specializing in air and ocean freight forwarding with customs brokerage. Comparable service mix and asset-light model; comparable enterprise customer positioning.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Global freight forwarder offering air, sea, road, and rail freight plus customs and warehousing. Comparable multimodal service portfolio and Africa presence via agent networks.

Direct peers

• Flexport: Digital-first global freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and road freight with proprietary visibility software. Directly comparable to Prime on multimodal forwarding, tech-enabled tracking, and enterprise customer focus, though at much larger scale.
• Scan Global Logistics: Mid-sized global freight forwarder with strong Africa, Asia, and emerging markets focus. Comparable to Prime on multimodal forwarding, project cargo, and humanitarian/specialized logistics.

Regional players

• Siginon Logistics: East African freight forwarding and logistics company with own fleet, warehouses, and customs operations across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Most direct regional comparable to Prime, including similar subsidiary truck model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/primeintlrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/primeintlcarriers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prime-international-carriers
• Instagraminstagram.com/prime_international_carriers_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Prime International Carriers