On this page · 6 sections
Shipping across borders involves many parties: a trucker, a port or airport, a shipping line or airline, a customs broker and an agent at the other end. A freight forwarder ties them together. This guide explains what a forwarder does, how to choose between sea and air, what Incoterms mean in plain words, and how customs clearance works.
If you are new to exporting, read exporting from India, step by step first. It covers registration, HS codes, stuffing and the bill of lading in detail. This guide stays on the forwarding side.
What a forwarder does
A forwarder does not need to own the ship or the plane. Its job is to plan and coordinate. In practice that means:
- choosing the route, port and carrier
- booking space on the vessel or flight
- moving goods to and from the port or airport by road
- checking documents before they reach customs
- arranging customs clearance through a licensed customs broker
- arranging handling and delivery at the destination
- giving you one point of contact and one set of updates
At Safe & Secure Logistics, our desk plans and books the route and runs the Indian road legs. Ocean or air carriage, customs broking and destination handling are done by partner operators. See our freight forwarding service for how the desk works.
Sea or air
| Question | Sea freight | Air freight |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cargo | Heavy, bulky, lower value per kg | Light, urgent, high value per kg |
| Transit | Weeks | Days |
| How you pay | Per container (FCL) or per cubic metre (LCL) | Per kg of chargeable weight |
| Weight basis | Volume matters most for LCL | Higher of actual and volumetric weight |
| Handling | Fewer touches with a full container | More frequent, faster handovers |
Two quick checks help. First, work out the chargeable weight with the volumetric weight calculator. Light, bulky goods often cost far more by air than their actual weight suggests. Second, work back from the date the buyer needs the goods. If sea transit plus port time misses that date, air is the answer.
For sea, decide between a full container (FCL) and a shared one (LCL). The container size guide shows what fits.
Incoterms in plain words
Incoterms are rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They say where the seller’s job ends and the buyer’s begins: who pays for each leg, who bears the risk, and who clears customs on each side. The current set is Incoterms 2020.
The common ones, in plain words:
- EXW (Ex Works). The buyer collects from your premises and handles almost everything.
- FCA (Free Carrier). You hand the goods to the buyer’s carrier at an agreed place in India, cleared for export.
- FOB (Free On Board). You deliver the goods on board the vessel at the Indian port. Sea only.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight). You pay sea freight and minimum insurance to the destination port, but risk passes when goods are loaded in India.
- DAP (Delivered At Place). You deliver to the buyer’s named place, not unloaded. The buyer pays import duty.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). You deliver and also pay import duties and taxes at destination.
Agree the term in the sales contract before booking. Our Incoterms guide has the full set.
Customs clearance, step by step
Exports
- Make sure the exporter holds an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) from the DGFT.
- Prepare the commercial invoice and packing list with the correct HS code.
- The exporter or a licensed customs broker files the shipping bill on ICEGATE.
- Customs assesses the shipping bill and may examine the goods.
- Customs grants Let Export Order (LEO), and the goods can be loaded.
Imports
- The importer needs an IEC.
- The supplier sends the invoice, packing list and the bill of lading or air waybill.
- The importer or a licensed customs broker files the bill of entry on ICEGATE.
- Customs assesses duty, which the importer pays, and may examine the goods.
- Customs gives out of charge, and the goods can leave the port or airport.
Our customs clearance service explains how the desk arranges this.
Documents checklist
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- IEC of the exporter or importer
- Shipping bill (export) or bill of entry (import)
- Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air)
- Any certificate the product or destination requires, such as a certificate of origin
Send the forwarder these early. Most delays at the port come from a missing or mismatched document, not from the vessel.
What to send for a quote
To quote door to door in one go, a forwarder needs: pickup address, number of packages, dimensions and gross weight, a description of the goods and HS code if known, invoice value, the Incoterm, preferred port and the delivery address.
Safe & Secure Logistics has served shippers since 1951, with 76,000+ truck hires a year through 110+ branches and offices reaching 2,000+ destinations. For a planned or recurring shipment, send a request for quotation. For a single shipment, get a quote.
Figures for Safe & Secure Logistics are for FY2025-26 from our booking register. How each one is counted is on the Facts and sources page.