Resources

Notes from
the field.

Weekly lane reports. Playbooks. Case studies. A glossary you can actually use.

Case studies & playbooks

How the work
actually runs.

Two sample case studies sit on the case-studies page. Below is how we'd plan a typical engagement across three common business shapes.

Playbook · Apparel

A 4-season program from a standing start.

Discovery week, factory shortlist, PP samples, first PO within 30 days, first container within 100. Quarterly review on landed cost, lead time and defect rate.

Walk through the plan →
Apparel playbook
Playbook · DTC

First container to weekly flows.

One lane, one mode, one 3PL integration. Tighten it, then scale: more SKUs, second lane, additional mode. Shopify + forwarder + 3PL stitched on day one.

Walk through the plan →
DTC playbook
Playbook · Tech

Compliance-first launch.

HTS classification and ECCN screening on day one. Licensed broker on the entries. Portal document trail from the first BL. Cold, audit-ready infrastructure before volume.

Walk through the plan →
Tech playbook

See the full case studies →

Lane reports

This week
on the water.

A sample weekly read on the lanes we quote most. When we have live weekly data, we'll email it on Monday.

Week 16 · 2026

SHA → LAX

$2,150 / 40'HC
↓ 4% w/w

Capacity easing post-Chinese New Year spike. Good booking window through end of April for May sailings.

Week 16 · 2026

NGB → HAM

$3,820 / 40'HC
↑ 2% w/w

Red Sea reroutes still adding 10–14 days. Book 3 weeks out minimum; reefer capacity tight through June.

Week 16 · 2026

HKG → JFK (AIR)

$5.20 / kg
→ flat

E-com demand is the floor. Rates holding steady for general cargo, premium for time-definite.

Week 16 · 2026

LAX drayage

$465 / move
↓ 6% w/w

Chassis supply has normalised. Same-day turns available; LFD pressure well below Q1 levels.

View the full lane report → Subscribe weekly →

Blog & Guides

Long reads.
Short answers.

Everything we wish someone had handed us on our first import.

Incoterms
CUSTOMS · 9 MIN READ

Incoterms 2020 for small importers.

What EXW, FCA, CIF and DDP actually commit you to — and the three traps that cost first-time importers the most money.

Read the guide →
Ocean
OCEAN · 11 MIN READ

Running an ocean RFP the right way.

A working framework — the data to collect, carriers to invite, the scoring sheet to use, and the mistakes most brands make on round one.

Read the framework →
Air
AIR · 9 MIN READ

When to fly instead of sail.

A sea-vs-air decision matrix with a worked example and the break-even numbers that actually matter.

Read the matrix →

Browse all articles →

Glossary

Logistics,
in plain English.

A small, opinionated dictionary. No filler definitions.

BL (Bill of Lading)

The contract between shipper and carrier. Title document. If it's not right, nothing else matters.

FCL / LCL

Full Container Load (your container) vs Less than Container Load (you share one). Break-even is around 14 CBM.

HTS / HS code

The tariff classification that drives duty rate. Get this wrong and customs gets very interested in you.

Drayage

The short-haul truck move between port / rail ramp and the next facility. Where most of your "container is sitting" pain lives.

Demurrage & Detention

Fees for holding the container too long at port (demurrage) or out of port (detention). Clock starts immediately.

ISF 10+2

The importer security filing the US requires 24 hours before loading. Miss it and it costs you $5K a pop.

CBM

Cubic meter. The unit LCL is priced in. Length × width × height in metres.

Accessorials

The charges on top of base freight — THC, BAF, chassis, inside delivery, etc. Where quotes get "creative".

POD

Proof of Delivery. The signed document that proves the goods arrived. No POD, no payment.

Open the full glossary →

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the lane report.

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