For shippers
Compare freight quotes from logistics providers
CargoLinked helps shippers request and compare international freight quotes. Post your shipment once, for free, and logistics companies that cover your origin or destination country reply with structured quotes you compare side by side: price in US dollars, transit time, route, validity and what is included.
How it works
- 1
Post a freight request
Describe the cargo, origin, destination, shipping mode, weight and either a ready date or a required arrival date. Posting is free. You can save a draft and publish it when it is complete.
- 2
Providers that cover your route respond
Logistics companies with a live CargoLinked listing whose coverage includes your origin or destination country see the request and submit a structured quote: a price in US dollars, transit time in days, the route, a validity date and notes on what is included.
- 3
Compare the quotes in one place
Quotes appear on your request in your dashboard, sorted by price, each with the company profile, its rating from past shippers and the Verified badge where the company holds one. The notes carry the inclusions and exclusions, so read them before comparing prices.
- 4
Accept one quote
Accepting a quote declines the others and opens a shipment workspace shared with that provider for status updates, documents and messages. Nothing is committed until you accept, and the transport contract is between you and the provider: CargoLinked is the marketplace, not the carrier.
What a quote contains
Every quote on CargoLinked has the same five fields, so two providers are always comparable on the same terms. Here is what each one tells you and what to check.
| Field | What to check |
|---|---|
| Price (USD) | Every quote is in US dollars, so prices line up without conversion. Check the notes for what the price covers: origin charges, main carriage, destination charges, customs clearance and delivery are not always all included. |
| Transit time (days) | Port-to-port or door-to-door? A short transit can sit on top of a long pre-carriage or a transhipment wait. The route description should make the scope clear. |
| Route | Direct or via a hub, which ports or airports, and whether the provider moves the cargo itself or through a partner at either end. |
| Valid until | The last day the provider will hold the price. Rates move, so a quote valid for two weeks is worth more than one valid for two days if your cargo is not yet ready. |
| Notes | Inclusions, exclusions, surcharges, payment terms and conditions. Two quotes at the same price can differ here by hundreds of dollars once destination charges and clearance are added. |
A worked comparison
1 x 20' container, general cargo, 14,000 kg, Sea freight (FCL), from Port Klang, Malaysia to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
| Quote | Price (USD) | Transit | Route | Valid for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider A | $1,640 | 38 days | Port Klang to Rotterdam via Singapore (transhipment) | 7 days | Port-to-port. Excludes destination terminal handling and customs clearance. Subject to space on the sailing. |
| Provider B | $1,850 | 32 days | Port Klang to Rotterdam, direct service | 14 days | Port-to-port. Includes origin and destination terminal handling. Import customs clearance excluded. |
| Provider C | $2,100 | 27 days | Port Klang to Rotterdam, direct service, next sailing | 10 days | Includes destination terminal handling and import customs clearance. Delivery to door in the Netherlands quoted separately. |
Illustrative example. These are not live quotes and the providers are not real listings; the point is which fields to compare and why the cheapest line is not always the best one.
Read across the row, not down the price column. The cheapest quote excludes destination handling and clearance, so the landed cost is closer to the middle one. The fastest quote already includes clearance but not delivery. Which is right depends on your deadline and who handles the destination side.
What you need to post a request
The form asks for the details a provider needs to price the move. These are required; ports, dimensions, container details, Incoterm and special requirements are optional and improve the quotes you get.
- A short title for the shipment
- Origin country
- Origin city
- Destination country
- Destination city
- Cargo type: general, hazardous, refrigerated, oversized, liquid or dry bulk, vehicles or live animals
- Shipping mode: sea FCL or LCL, air, road, rail or multimodal
- Total weight in kilograms
- A ready date, a required arrival date, or both
Not sure of the volume or chargeable weight? The CBM calculator and chargeable weight calculator are free.
Common questions
- Is it free to post a freight request on CargoLinked?
- Yes. CargoLinked charges shippers nothing to post a request, receive quotes, compare them or accept one. Logistics companies pay for membership if they want unlimited quoting.
- Do quotes arrive automatically when I post?
- No. Each quote is written by a logistics company that has read your request, so quotes arrive as providers respond rather than the moment you post. How many you receive depends on the route, the cargo and how complete your request is. A clear title, exact cities, weight and dates get better answers.
- Who can quote on my request?
- Logistics companies with a live CargoLinked listing whose coverage includes your origin or destination country. Coverage can come from where the company is headquartered, the countries it declares it serves, or worldwide coverage. Each company also needs an active membership or remaining free quotes for the month.
- What if I receive no quotes?
- Your request stays open until you cancel it. Add any missing detail, widen the dates, or use the directory to find companies that cover your lane and contact the ones that publish contact details. You can also post again with a different mode if the first was unusual for the route.
- Can I compare quotes in different currencies?
- Quotes on CargoLinked are submitted in US dollars, so prices line up without conversion. If you budget in another currency, the free currency converter under Freight Tools uses European Central Bank reference rates.
- Does a Verified badge mean a quote is safe to accept?
- The badge means the company has completed an optional document review with CargoLinked. It does not check prices, insurance or performance. Read the company profile and its ratings, ask for references where the shipment warrants it, and see our due diligence guidance before accepting.
- What happens after I accept a quote?
- The other quotes on that request are declined and a shipment workspace opens for you and the provider, with status updates from pickup to delivery, shared documents and messaging. The transport contract is between you and the provider; CargoLinked is not a party to it.