Surface Freight Forwarders

This is the inland half of forwarding, and it is a different licence from the one in our Freight Forwarders section. An ocean forwarder is licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission and handles the water leg. A surface freight forwarder is registered with FMCSA, takes legal responsibility for the freight itself, and moves it by truck or rail — typically consolidating your container load with other cargo and issuing you its own paperwork. You want one when your container has landed and still has a long domestic leg, or when you are shipping to several inland destinations out of one arrival. Unlike a broker, a forwarder is a carrier in the eyes of the law: it can be held liable for loss or damage while it has your goods. Ask what its cargo liability limit is per pound before you hand anything over. Companies below carry an FMCSA registration recording a freight forwarder role, most of them under an FF-series docket, and self-reported intermodal or container freight on their MCS-150.