International shipping shouldn’t require juggling multiple vendors, scattered updates, and unclear accountability. With Associated Logistics Group (ALG), you get one experienced dedicated contact who connects every piece of your global supply chain with one solution.

Instead of handing freight off between different providers and hoping nothing gets missed, ALG manages the movement end-to-end with one point of contact, clear visibility, proactive communication, and total control. Your freight never falls into the handoff gap.

Skip the handoffs. Skip the delays. Work directly with ALG. As your international freight forwarding partner, ALG manages international air cargo, ocean freight, customs brokerage, and final delivery as one coordinated move, whether you're importing containers from Asia, exporting machinery to Europe, or nearshoring production to Mexico.

International freight rarely stops at the port or the airport. Once your cargo lands stateside, it still has to reach a warehouse, a distribution center, or a customer's dock, and that leg deserves the same coordination as the overseas move. That's why ALG backs every international shipment with customized third-party logistics solutions. The plan for your freight doesn't end the moment the container comes off the ship.

Air Freight or Ocean Freight: Choosing the Right Mode for Your Shipment

The mode decision drives your landed cost, inventory strategy, and delivery promise. It deserves more than "air shipping is fast, ocean freight is cheap."

• International Air Freight moves smaller, high-value, or time-sensitive cargo in days, typically 1 to 2 weeks door-to-door including customs. It's priced on chargeable weight (the greater of actual and dimensional weight) and generally runs several times the cost of ocean. Choose air for perishables, pharmaceuticals, electronics, urgent production parts, and just in time inventory programs.
• International Ocean Freight moves volume economically. Depending on the lane, door-to-door transit commonly runs 4 to 10 or more weeks, at a fraction of air cost. Choose ocean for bulk inventory, machinery, and any freight where you have planning lead time to work with.

Many ALG customers use both: ocean for baseline replenishment, air for launches, spikes, and recovery shipments when a delay simply isn't an option. Because ALG quotes both modes on every request, you see the real tradeoff for your lane instead of relying on a rule of thumb.

FCL vs. LCL Ocean Shipping

Not every ocean shipment needs a full container, and knowing which one fits your freight can change your cost per unit significantly.

• Full Container Load (FCL): A 20-foot or 40-foot container dedicated entirely to your freight. FCL gives you the best per-unit cost at volume, no co-loading with other shippers' cargo, and faster port handling since the container moves as one unit from vessel to truck.
• Less Than Container Load (LCL): Your freight shares a container with other shipments, and you pay by the cubic meter instead of the whole box. LCL is the right call when you don't have enough cargo to fill a container on your own, or when your product needs to move now instead of waiting until you do.

ALG runs the FCL versus LCL math on every ocean quote. As your LCL volume grows, a dedicated container often becomes the cheaper and faster option, and your ALG rep will tell you exactly when that crossover happens instead of leaving you to guess.

Customs Brokerage and Compliance, Coordinated for You

International freight lives or dies at the border. ALG coordinates customs brokerage on every air and ocean shipment, working with licensed brokers to keep your paperwork, tariff classifications, and compliance filings in order before your cargo needs them, not after it's already sitting at the port.

That includes:

• Commercial Documentation: Commercial invoices, packing lists, and bills of lading or air waybills prepared and checked before your freight moves, not after a hold notice shows up.
• Tariff Classification: Correct HTS codes assigned to match your duty rate to what you're actually shipping.
• Import Security Filing (ISF): Ocean import filings submitted on time, before a missed deadline turns into a container sitting at the port.
• Permits and Agency Holds: Coordination for commodity-specific requirements, including FDA prior notice and other agency clearances when your freight calls for it.

Your dedicated ALG contact keeps you posted on where your documentation stands at every step. A missing form never turns into a week of storage fees and a customer waiting on their order.

Landing Your Freight Is Not the Finish Line

Clearing customs gets your freight into the country. It doesn't get your freight to your warehouse, your distribution center, or your customer's dock, and that last leg deserves the same planning as the overseas move.

ALG plans that domestic leg before your shipment even leaves origin. A handful of pallets headed to one location often moves best through reliable LTL freight shipping, while larger volumes may call for a dedicated truckload. On longer domestic lanes, rail and truck intermodal services can move your freight cost-effectively without slowing down your supply chain.

Industries We Move Internationally

ALG's international air and ocean network supports a wide range of commodities, including:

• Electronics and Technology: High-value, often time-sensitive freight that benefits from air options and cargo insurance.
• Industrial Machinery and Equipment: Heavy, high-value ocean freight requiring careful FCL planning and inland delivery coordination.
• Retail and Apparel: Seasonal, volume-driven ocean freight programs that need to land on schedule.
• Automotive Parts: Production-critical components where a missed shipment can stop a line, making air freight and expedited options a regular part of the plan.
• Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals: Temperature-sensitive and compliance heavy freight requiring careful documentation and handling.
• Consumer Goods: Everything from housewares to specialty products, moving in FCL or LCL volumes depending on demand.

And more. Don't see your commodity listed? Ask your ALG rep, and chances are we've moved it before.

Common International Freight Problems, Solved

International freight brings a specific set of headaches that domestic shipping doesn't, and ALG builds every shipment around solving them before they cost you time or money.

• Port Congestion and Delays: ALG tracks vessel schedules and port conditions, catching a delay before it becomes a surprise.
• Hidden Fees: Straightforward rate structures on every quote, with accessorial charges called out up front instead of buried in an invoice.
• Documentation Holds: Paperwork prepared and checked before your freight needs it, not after a missing form holds your container at the port.
• Container Availability: Ocean carrier relationships that keep equipment available even when capacity tightens on your lane.
• Limited Visibility: Tracking from origin pickup through final delivery, not just port to port.
• Disconnected Handoffs: One ALG contact managing air, ocean, customs, and domestic delivery, instead of five separate providers who only know their own piece of the move.

Experience matters in international logistics. ALG combines the reach of a global network with the service level and responsiveness of a true partner. You get the scale of a large provider without losing the person on the other end of the phone.

International Freight FAQ

What is a freight forwarder?

A freight forwarder is a logistics partner that arranges international shipping on your behalf, including booking air and ocean carriers, coordinating customs brokerage, managing documentation, and connecting pickup, linehaul, and final delivery into one move. ALG acts as your forwarding partner with a single dedicated contact from origin to destination.

Should I ship my freight by air or by ocean?

Choose air freight shipping when speed matters more than cost: high-value, perishable, or urgent freight, typically delivered within 1 to 2 weeks. Ocean freight is the best choice when cost matters more than speed: bulk and planned inventory, typically several weeks in transit at a fraction of the price. ALG quotes both so you can compare for your specific lane.

What is the difference between FCL and LCL?

FCL (full container load) dedicates an entire container to your freight. LCL (less than container load) shares container space with other shippers and is priced by volume. FCL costs less at higher volumes, while LCL keeps smaller shipments moving without waiting to fill a container.

How long does ocean freight take from China to the U.S.?

Port-to-port transit typically runs about 2 to 4 weeks to the West Coast and 4 to 6 weeks to the East Coast, with door-to-door timelines longer once origin pickup, customs clearance, and inland delivery are included. Exact timing depends on the lane, carrier, and season, and ALG provides realistic transit estimates with every quote.

What documents do I need to import freight into the U.S.?

At minimum, you'll need a commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill, plus an ISF filing for ocean imports and any commodity-specific permits. ALG coordinates the full document set with your customs broker. Nothing holds your freight at the port.

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