Global supply chains are becoming increasingly digital, AI is accelerating how work gets done, and customers are no longer looking for standalone software to solve individual problems. They increasingly expect connected platforms that bring together data, workflows, and decision-making across the entire freight lifecycle.

That shift requires a different kind of technology partner.

Over the past several months, we have been evolving our operation as a company. We have simplified decision-making, strengthened accountability, aligned teams around shared priorities, and focused our investments behind a common vision. Internally, we call this ONE Freightos.

Today, our external identity is evolving to reflect that same reality.

Bringing our products together under a single Freightos brand is not simply a branding exercise. It is the natural next step in building one company, and delivering an interconnected digital ecosystem where data and workflows operate seamlessly. .

An Evolution of Scale: Matching the Industry’s Shifting Needs

Over the past decade, Freightos has built one of the world’s largest digital freight networks, connecting carriers, freight forwarders, importers, exporters, and logistics providers across global trade.

Along the way, we expanded our capabilities through innovation, strategic acquisitions, and the development of specialized products serving different parts of the freight ecosystem.

Those products have been successful because they solve meaningful customer problems.

But as the industry evolves, customers increasingly expect something bigger than individual solutions.

They want a trusted technology partner that helps them make better decisions, connect more easily with trading partners, automate more workflows, and operate more efficiently across the entire logistics journey.

That is exactly where Freightos is headed.

Our ambition is not simply to offer great logistics software. Our ambition is to build the connected platform where procurement, pricing, booking, payments, data, and decision intelligence work together to help customers move freight more efficiently.

Brand unification is an important milestone on that journey.

A Simpler Experience for Customers

As our capabilities have grown, so has the number of brands representing different parts of our business.

Each of these brands has built deep trust within its respective segment. However, as these capabilities become more interconnected, bringing our portfolio together under the Freightos name makes it easier for our partners to unlock the full value of our network. This creates a simpler and more consistent experience making it easier for customers to understand who we are, what we offer, and how our solutions work together as a platform.

To support that vision, our products will now clearly reflect the customers they serve:

Freightos for Forwarders – our digital platform for freight forwarders, bringing together Rate & Quote, Booking, Sales Portal, Payments, and other workflow solutions under a single experience.

Freightos for Airlines – our technology platform enabling airlines with digital distribution, interlining, eBooking, and payment capabilities.

7LFreight by Freightos – our North American domestic freight procurement platform. Given its strong market recognition, it will initially retain its identity while becoming more deeply connected to the Freightos platform before full integration.

Freightos Enterprise – our enterprise procurement, tender management, and market intelligence platform for multinational importers and exporters.

Freightos Marketplace – our marketplace connecting importers and exporters with freight forwarders through instant pricing, booking, and shipment management.

Our public digital presence is now centered around freightos.com, providing a single destination to discover our platform and solutions.

For existing customers, nothing changes operationally. Accounts, logins, integrations, contracts, and workflows remain exactly as they are today.

Built Around the Success of Forwarders

Throughout this evolution, one principle remains unchanged.

Freightos succeeds when our customers succeed.

That is especially true for the freight forwarding community, which remains at the center of our strategy.

Everything we build is designed to help forwarders work more efficiently, connect with more carriers, automate more of their operations, and deliver better experiences to their own customers.

By bringing our capabilities together, we can deliver greater value than any individual product could on its own.

More Than a New Brand

This announcement is about much more than a new name or a new website.

It reflects the company Freightos has become—and the company we are continuing to build.

ONE Freightos is our operating model. It is how we execute, how we innovate, and how we create value for customers.

By bringing our products, teams, and customer experience together under one identity, we can focus our investments, accelerate innovation, simplify engagement, and deliver an increasingly connected experience across global freight.

Our vision remains clear.

To build the platform that connects the global freight ecosystem through better data, smarter workflows, and more intelligent decision-making.

This brand evolution is another important milestone on that journey.

And we’re just getting started.

The post Unifying the Freightos Identity – ONE Freightos: Building One Company appeared first on Freightos.

What is an air waybill (AWB)?

An air waybill, also called an air consignment note, is a required shipping document for air freight. It contains detailed information about your shipment and allows it to be tracked.

An AWB is a legally binding document when signed by all relevant parties.

Here is some of the information found in an AWB:

Carrier details
Consignor/shipper details
Consignee/receiver details
Origin airport code
Destination airport code
Quantity of items (number of packages or pallets)
Description of goods (weight, dimensions, condition)
HS code
Value of goods for customs clearance
Special handling instruction, if required
Payment information and shipping charges
Insurance details
Contract terms and conditions
Date, time, and place of contract execution
An 11-digit number

What is an air waybill used for?

Used for both domestic and international air freight forwarding, the AWB serves a number of functions:

Invoice or bill of freight
Contract between carrier and shipper
Proof of receipt by the carrier
Certificate of insurance for air freight
Essential document for customs declaration
Instrument to convey handling instructions

How can you get an air waybill?

For air shipments, the carrier and freight forwarders provide the air waybills. If you are an importer or exporter, your freight forwarder will share the air waybill with you.

Every international air waybill is issued in at least eight sets of different colors:

Green: Carrier’s copy
Blue: Shipper’s copy
Pink: Receiver’s copy
Yellow or Brown: Receipt of goods
White: 4 or more copies for various purposes, such as customs and airport

What is an air waybill number?

An air waybill number (AWB number) is a unique identification code used to track your shipment. It is an 11-digit number divided into three parts. Here’s an air waybill example:

AWB NUMBER
11-digits
99953729071

First three digits
Carrier / Airline prefix
999

Next seven digits
Serial number of AWB
5372907

Last digit
Check digit. This number is equal to the remainder when the 7-digit serial number is divided by 7. For example, when 5372907 is divided by 7, the remainder is 1.
1

What are the different types of air waybills?

There are two types of air waybills: master air waybill (MAWB) and house air waybill (HAWB).

A MAWB is issued by a carrier to a freight forwarder. It can include a number of different shipments because when freight forwarders book freight with a carrier, they consolidate shipments and book them together. The MAWB is the forwarder’s contract with the carrier for all of those shipments.

A HAWB is issued by the freight forwarder to each individual importer or exporter after their shipment is picked up. It includes only their specific goods.

Here are some more details about these different types of air waybills:

Master Air Waybill (MAWB)
House Air Waybill (HAWB)

Has the airline or carrier’s logo
Does not have the carrier logo

Issued by the actual carrier or their agent
Issued by the freight forwarder

States the terms and conditions of the carrier
States the terms and conditions of the forwarding company

Contains only one number: the MAWB number
Contains two numbers: HAWB and MAWB

Adheres to IATA rules or any of the international air conventions
May or may not be subject to regulations put forth by IATA or other international air conventions

Air waybill vs bill of lading

An air waybill is similar to a bill of lading (BoL): both are contracts issued by freight carriers. However, air waybills are used only for air freight and bills of lading are used for ocean freight as well as rail and other freight.

Here are some more differences between an air waybill and bill of lading:

Air Waybill (AWB)
Bill of Lading (BoL)

Used for air freight
Used for ocean, road, and rail freight

Non-negotiable
Can be negotiable or non-negotiable

Signed by shipper and carrier
Signed by shipper, carrier, and receiver

Acts as a legal contract of carriage
Acts as a title and receipt of delivered goods

Not used with Incoterms: FAS, FOB, CIF, and CFR
Can be used with all incoterms

The post Air Waybill (AWB): Meaning, Number, Types, and Examples appeared first on Freightos.

Estimate Your International Shipping Cost For The Best Way To Ship

When e-commerce businesses first start sourcing from overseas they often start small and test the waters. It makes sense to start out with small shipments by express freight (international courier), then graduate to larger shipments by air freight. But there comes a point if you are regularly shipping goods that it’s cheaper to ship by ocean freight.

Many businesses don’t realize that they have passed this point. By exclusively using or over-relying on shipping by air, they end up spending too much on their shipping costs.

Assuming other factors, such as transit time, don’t come into play when choosing between air freight and ocean freight, how do you know which one works out cheaper for your shipment?

The most accurate way of finding that out is to request separate quotes from a forwarder. But, that can be a hassle, especially if you don’t have all the details you need when requesting a quote. Then you’ll typically have to wait several days for the forwarders to prepare a freight quote. It takes that long because there are many cost variables affecting costs, such as the date the ship or plane departs port, shipment measurement and weight, and the exact points of pickup and delivery.

But at this point, you don’t want to know costs down to the cent, you are really looking for an estimate. But, that estimate has to take into account the many variables if it is going to be accurate.

Our International Shipping Cost & Prices Calculator

The Freightos.com international shipping cost estimator is unique in that it uses the live shipping data used by dozens of freight forwarders. The shipping cost calculator takes current international transit costs into account, but also all the relevant surcharges and fees, including the trucking costs for pickup and delivery.

The shipping cost estimator is an easy-to-use tool and takes less than a minute. After selecting between shipping full containers or boxes/pallets, simply enter your shipment’s dimensions and weight, and the origin and destination.

International Shipping Costs Estimates Help To Get Landed Cost

If you’re familiar with incoterms, there’s another reason why you might want to calculate accurate estimates of shipping costs.

When negotiating a deal with a supplier, you need to factor freight costs in with the buy price. If you are pushing for a lower buy price, and the supplier accepts it on condition that the incoterm switches from FOB to EXW, how do you know if you’re still better off? There’s no point pushing for a lower buy price, if you end up spending as much, or more, on freight costs.

You want to be decisive when hammering a deal. But how can you tell which is the better deal, a lower price on EXW (Ex-Works) incoterm (where you are paying all of the freight costs) or a higher price on FOB (Free On Board)? This is where the international shipping cost estimator comes in handy.

Simply add in the shipment details to the international shipping cost calculator as a door-to-door shipment to find out the freight cost for EXW, and a port-to-door freight rate for FOB Shipping. Add these freight costs to the respective buy prices. You’ve just worked out the landed cost and which deal is best for you. Easy!

China Shipping Cost Calculator

By 2020, imports from China accounted for around 15% of total global trade. Shipping from China by ocean typically takes at least 30-40 days door to door, so taking this long lead time into account is vital when booking shipments and estimating the total landed cost. When shipping from China, it’s also important to consider the cost of customs and duties, port congestion, delays, and other conditions that can affect the timing and landed cost of shipping.

Air freight from China is faster than the ocean but may be more costly. Freight rates can vary widely between freight forwarders and prices change regularly, so shopping around for the best offer can help reduce shipping costs significantly.

Using our free international shipping cost calculator to estimate freight rates from China can help you figure out landed costs and determine whether a specific item is likely to be profitable.

The post International Freight Shipping Costs & Rates Calculator appeared first on Freightos.