My delivery date cannot move
Book air freight. Cargo moves airport to airport in days rather than weeks, and we price sea alongside so you can see what the speed is costing. See our air freight services
Freight forwarding guides for shipping and logistics
Cargoking Shipping & Logistics, headquartered in Mumbai, India, writes these freight forwarding guides for Indian exporters and overseas buyers sourcing from India. Each guide draws on 25+ years of moving air, sea, road and rail cargo through Indian ports and airports. It covers the decisions that settle cost and delay before a booking is made.
- 25+ years in freight forwarding
- 500+ business clients
- 100+ agent partners
- ISO 9001:2015 Certified
- MTO Registered
- FFFAI Member
- MSME Registered
Featured guide
When should you choose air freight over ocean freight?
Air FreightAir freight or sea freight from India: how to choose
Delivery date, shipment volume, cargo sensitivity and landed cost all decide the right mode. Our air freight page covers when speed justifies the air premium and when a container gives better value.
Compare air freight options from IndiaMore reading
Operational freight guides for international exporters and buyers
WarehousingWhy warehousing improves supply chain reliability for exporters
Reliable warehousing reduces order delays, improves stock visibility and gives operations teams more control during demand swings.
See warehousing for exporters
ComplianceDGFT documentation essentials for exporters in India
Incomplete documentation slows customs clearance and interrupts dispatch timelines. Our DGFT page lists the checks to complete before cargo leaves the warehouse.
Check DGFT documentation support
Cold ChainHow cold chain logistics protects temperature-sensitive cargo
Temperature-sensitive goods need tighter control at every handoff, from storage to transport and final delivery.
See temperature-controlled logisticsStart from the problem
What is your shipping problem?
Most freight enquiries from India start with a problem, not a service name. Pick the one closest to yours: each answer shows how Cargoking handles it and which service fits.
I do not have enough cargo for a full container
Ship LCL. Your cargo shares container space and you pay per cubic metre or tonne, whichever is greater. See our LCL sea freight services
My container is sitting at the port and charges are rising
Demurrage builds up when paperwork or pickup runs late. We check documents early and plan pickup or gate-in, giving the container the best chance of moving within its free days. Read about our forwarding coordination
My factory is far from the port
We move cargo by road or rail from factories across India to the port or airport, timed to the cut-off. Compare road transport and rail freight
My cargo is classed as dangerous goods
It has to be classified, packed, labelled and declared under the IMDG Code for sea or IATA rules for air before a carrier accepts it. Learn about hazardous cargo handling
My machinery is oversized or fragile
We plan export crating, choose flat-rack containers or low-bed trailers and arrange the road permits the load needs. See how we handle export packaging
I am buying from several Indian suppliers
We collect from each supplier, check goods against packing lists and consolidate them into one shipment. Explore our integrated logistics services
I only need to send samples or documents
A freight booking is too much for a small parcel. Send it with Cargoking Express, our international courier service
What we cover
What do our freight guides cover?
Freight advice online is mostly recycled. Ours comes from the operations team that books the space, checks the documents and takes the call when a container is rolled. It covers what actually decides whether a consignment moves on time.
01
Mode and routing
When air justifies its premium, when sea is the better answer and when a combination beats both. Get help from our logistics consultancy.
02
Documentation and compliance
What customs and DGFT actually require, and which omissions stop cargo most often. Read about our DGFT and IEC documentation support.
03
Storage and handling
How warehousing, packing and cold chain decisions change the risk profile of a consignment. See our third party logistics.
04
Cost and planning
Where landed cost really sits, and which charges a headline freight rate tends to leave out. Ask for an itemised freight quote.
Glossary
Essential international shipping terms every shipper should know
Freight quotes and sales contracts are full of terms that change who pays and when. Here they are in one line each.
- Chargeable weight
- Air freight is charged on the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight, which is length × width × height in cm divided by 6,000.
- Demurrage
- A charge for a container left at the port terminal beyond its free days.
- Detention
- A charge for keeping the carrier’s container outside the terminal beyond its free days.
- EXW (Ex Works)
- The buyer collects from the seller’s premises and handles everything after that, including export formalities in India.
- FOB (Free On Board)
- The seller pays to get the goods loaded on the vessel at the Indian port, and risk passes to the buyer once they are on board.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight)
- The seller pays freight and minimum insurance to the destination port, but risk still passes to the buyer once the goods are on board in India.
- Bill of lading (B/L)
- The sea freight document that acts as a receipt, a contract of carriage and, when issued as a negotiable original, title to the goods.
- Air waybill (AWB)
- The air freight equivalent of a B/L, a receipt and contract of carriage but not a document of title.
- HS code
- The international 6-digit product classification customs use to set duty rates. India extends it to 8 digits, ITC-HS, for exports and imports.
- Multimodal transport document
- One document covering a shipment that moves by more than one mode under a single contract, issued by an MTO registered with DG Shipping, such as Cargoking.
Why read these
Most freight problems are decided before the cargo moves
By the time a shipment is delayed, the cause is usually weeks old: a commodity classified wrongly, dimensions estimated rather than measured, packaging chosen on price, an Incoterm agreed without anyone checking who pays for the destination leg.
Each of those is cheap to fix beforehand and expensive to fix afterwards. That is the gap these guides are written into. Not general supply-chain commentary, but the specific decisions an exporter or importer makes in the week before a booking.
If something here applies to a shipment you are planning, send us the details rather than guessing from a guide. Route, commodity, weight or volume and the target date are enough for a considered answer.
- Written by the team handling the shipments
- No generic theory, no filler
- Updated when operational practice changes
- Specific questions answered directly
FAQ
Freight questions exporters and buyers ask about shipping and logistics
A shipping line owns and runs the vessels, while a freight forwarder plans and books the whole movement across carriers, transport and paperwork. A forwarder such as Cargoking compares lines, arranges pickup, checks documents and coordinates delivery on one file. See our freight forwarding services.
Yes, most businesses need an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) from DGFT before they can export or import goods in India. It is a 10-digit code linked to your PAN, and customs filings use it. Our team supports first-time exporters with IEC and DGFT documentation.
A shipping bill is the export declaration Indian customs needs before goods can be loaded. It is filed electronically on ICEGATE. Our team checks the details, and the filing is done through our licensed customs clearance specialists as part of our export freight forwarding.
You need a certificate of origin when the buyer’s country asks for one or when your buyer wants lower duty under a trade agreement. A preferential certificate is needed to claim that lower duty. We flag it at booking so it can be arranged before shipment.
ISF (Importer Security Filing, also called 10+2) is cargo data US Customs needs at least 24 hours before goods are loaded on a vessel bound for the USA. The US importer or their agent files it, and the Indian shipper supplies the details. Read our India to USA shipping guide.
Yes, a UK importer needs an EORI number starting with GB to clear goods into the UK. Without it, the shipment can be held at the UK port. We check this at booking. See our India to UK shipping guide.
Pallet height for air cargo depends on the aircraft: passenger aircraft commonly take around 160 cm, while freighters accept taller loads. Check the limit with us before packing, because an oversized pallet may need re-packing or a different flight. See our air freight services.
You can cut freight cost by measuring cargo accurately, consolidating smaller loads and comparing air and sea before you book. Packing to reduce empty space lowers chargeable weight, and planning ahead avoids paying for urgent air. Our logistics consultancy reviews mode, routing and landed cost.
Yes, Cargoking acts as the freight forwarder for overseas buyers sourcing from Indian suppliers. One coordinator handles the file, from supplier pickups and export paperwork checks to main carriage to your destination port. See our integrated logistics services.
Cargoking’s freight guides are written by the operations team that books, documents and tracks shipments from India every day. Each guide is updated when port practice or rules change. Have a question about your own shipment? Contact our operations team.
More questions? Read our full FAQ page.
Shipping problem not covered in our guides?
Send us the route, commodity and timeline. Our operations team will reply with a considered option and an itemised price.