The Freight Hero

What The Freight Hero does

The Freight Hero is a Dutch digital freight forwarding platform headquartered in Hengelo, Overijssel, with a branch office in Izmir, Turkey. Founded around 2016, the company operates as an online intermediary connecting European importers and exporters with international shipping lines and logistics carriers for sea freight (FCL and LCL) and air freight services. The platform covers approximately 200 countries and 700 destinations, with specialization in flows through the three main European gateway ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp.

The core product is a self-serve web platform that generates all-in freight quotes in 15 seconds and completes bookings in approximately 2 minutes. The underlying technology is a proprietary automated purchasing system that connects in real-time to major shipping line systems and logistics providers, enabling volume-based cost consolidation across carriers. A customer dashboard branded as "Freight Manager" provides real-time track-and-trace, document upload, and access to historical shipment records, quotes, and invoices. Add-on services include customs clearance, cargo insurance, dangerous goods transport, REX system facilitation, Incoterms advisory, Letter of Credit processing, and supply chain management with bol.com marketplace integration.

The business model is transactional: revenue is earned on the margin between quoted all-in prices and actual carrier costs, with a pay-as-you-go billing cadence. Pricing is volume-based for LCL shipments (from 1 cubic meter minimum) and unit-based for FCL containers (20ft, 40ft, 40ft High Cube). The customer base is a long-tail of SMB and mid-market European businesses engaged in import/export activity, supplemented by direct sales-team support for larger or complex accounts via phone, WhatsApp, and email. The company is privately held, holds FENEX membership as a certified Dutch freight forwarder, and operates without disclosed external funding.

Name

The Freight Hero

Legal name

The Freight Hero

Website

https://thefreighthero.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Freight Hero is a Dutch digital freight forwarder offering self-serve sea and air freight booking through an online platform with automated rate comparison, serving SMB and mid-market European importers and exporters across 200+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Cross-Border E-commerce Ocean Forwarding (DDP/DDU) (TLACABAK)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Sea freight booking
• Air freight logistics
• Digital freight platform
• Customs clearance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hengelo

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: The Freight Hero acts as a freight forwarder, bundling and comparing costs from shipping lines and logistics providers. Revenue comes from the margin between quoted all-in rates and actual costs from carriers. Services include sea freight (FCL/LCL), air freight, customs clearance, and door-to-door delivery.
2. Value-Added Services: Additional services including customs clearance, cargo transport insurance, Letter of Credit processing, and supply chain management. These are bundled into the all-in pricing model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Freight Hero is a Dutch digital freight forwarder that operates an online booking platform enabling businesses to compare, quote, and book sea freight (FCL and LCL) and air freight shipments in real time. The platform bundles ocean carrier rates, handling, port, customs, and trucking costs into an all-in price and supports door-to-door delivery, customs clearance, cargo insurance, and supply chain management services across 200+ countries.

Product overview

The Freight Hero operates as a digital freight forwarding platform offering sea freight and air freight services through its online booking platform (thefreighthero.nl). The core offering consists of the main booking platform with real-time rate calculation and booking capabilities, supported by a customer dashboard (Freight Manager Portal) for tracking and document management. Additional services include customs clearance, container transport (FCL/LCL), LCL consolidation, loading metre calculator, supply chain management with bol.com marketplace integration, cargo insurance, dangerous goods transport, REX system facilitation, Incoterms consultation, and Letter of Credit services. The platform connects to shipping lines and logistics providers worldwide, offering all-inclusive pricing with coverage of handling costs, storage costs, customs clearance, port costs, and trucking costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freight Manager: Customer dashboard portal for tracking shipments and managing supply chain

Products and services

• Online Booking Platform Web-based platform (thefreighthero.nl) where business customers search sea and air freight rates, complete bookings, and manage shipments. Quotes are generated within 15 seconds.
• Sea Freight Services (Zeevracht)

Quantifiable outcome

• Quotes generated in 15 seconds
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FENEX (Federatie Nederlandse Expediteurs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2025The Freight Hero was admitted to FENEX membership, the Netherlands Association of Freight Forwarders. This certification ensures customers that the company meets professional standards and codes of conduct in the freight forwarding industry.
• 2M Alliance (Maersk, MSC, HMM)coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic cooperation with 2M shipping alliance consisting of Maersk, MSC, and HMM (as slot charter). One of the three global shipping alliances that The Freight Hero works with to provide container transport services.
• Ocean Alliance (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Ocean Alliance comprising CMA CGM, COSCO, and Evergreen. Provides global container shipping services as one of three major shipping alliances.
• THE Alliance (Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Yang Ming)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with THE Alliance including Hapag-Lloyd, ONE (K-Line, MOL, NYK), and Yang Ming shipping lines. One of three global shipping alliances facilitating worldwide container transport.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding: Major freight forwarder with comprehensive ocean and air freight services plus customs brokerage. Sets the standard for end-to-end global supply chain solutions that SMB-focused digital players partially replicate.
• DSV: Global freight forwarding giant with strong European and ocean freight presence. Offers similar sea/air freight services but at enterprise scale with full door-to-door solutions.
• C.H. Robinson: Large North American-headquartered freight forwarder and 3PL with global ocean and air services. Comparable end-to-end digital platform Navisphere, but at much greater scale across multiple modes.
• Maersk: World's largest container shipping line and integrated logistics provider. Through its 2M alliance partnership and Twill platform, Maersk is both a critical supplier and a competitive threat to The Freight Hero.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive ocean, air, and customs operations. The dominant incumbent in European freight forwarding against which SMB-focused digital players compete.

Direct peers

• iContainers: Online ocean freight forwarder offering instant quotes and FCL/LCL booking. Closely comparable business model focused on SMB importers/exporters shipping from Asia.
• Flexport: Well-funded digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and trucking services via a tech platform. Closest functional peer to The Freight Hero, but at vastly larger scale and with broader service portfolio.
• Freightos: Digital freight marketplace and SaaS provider (Bookings, Acuity) for ocean and air freight. Directly comparable platform model with both marketplace booking and B2B software exposure.

Regional players

• Eurosender: European digital freight and logistics marketplace focused on intra-Europe and import/export shipments. Comparable SMB-focused digital model, particularly strong in continental European markets.

Emerging players

• Twill (by Maersk): Maersk's digital freight forwarding platform for SMBs. Competes directly in the same SMB segment as The Freight Hero, with carrier backing and lower-cost capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-freighthero

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Freight Hero