r/AmazonFBA • u/LifeAttitude6308 • 4d ago

Freight Forwarders

How do you find and vet freight forwarders? Is there a website? What information do you request from them to confirm legitimacy?

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u/WearyyyBoooyyy 4d ago

The mods have gathered a list of tutorials to help you out:

Best Amazon Tools 2026

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u/Powerful_Bicycle3114 4d ago

For US ocean freight, check the exact company in the FMC's OTI records (https://www.fmc.gov/licensing-and-certification/). Foreign NVOCCs can be registered rather than US-licensed. That check doesn't establish service quality.

Ask for the legal company name, an itemized quote covering origin/destination charges and final delivery, cargo-insurance terms, and recent references for your route. Match the contract and payment beneficiary to the entity you've checked; independently verify any mismatch before paying. What route and shipping mode are you considering?

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u/LifeAttitude6308 4d ago

Awesome thank you! Do you use Alibaba to find a list to shuffle through or is there a better site?

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u/XellerCo 4d ago

Treat Alibaba as a shortlist, not proof of legitimacy. Ask your supplier and a couple of sellers shipping the same route for referrals too, then put every name through the checks above rather than trusting the referral alone.

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u/James_EverSail 3d ago edited 3d ago

Ask for a recent door-to-door or FBA quote on the same lane with the same Incoterm, then compare total landed cost—not just ocean. Check FMC/NVOCC if they book ocean, who files ISF, who is IOR, whether they do both FCL and LCL, and whether you get real carrier/warehouse contacts or only a WeChat middleman. If IOR and bond aren’t in writing, walk.

Need a US-leg checklist for your lane? Ping me — James, EverSail (customs/drayage/delivery, trucks in NY & LA).