Photo: Calvin joseph, CC BY-SA 4.0From your plant to a port abroad, on one plan.
Ocean · Air · Customs · CFS
- Cargo value managed annually
- USD 1B+
- Combined forwarding & supply-chain experience
- 50+ yrs
- Truck tracking and cargo vessel visibility
- 24×7
- Tons of cargo moved every year
- 1 Lakh+
What we handle
Sea, air, customs and the CFS, under one team.
Photo: BgbwikiV4, CC BY 4.0SeaOcean freight
Imports and exports by sea, as a full container (FCL) or a shared one (LCL), with door-to-door delivery when the shipment needs it.
Best for: Large volumes and heavy cargo on planned timelines.
- Vessel tracked 24×7, container tracked by RFID within India
- Free days and demurrage watched before they cost you
- Handed over to customs, the CFS and Wheelson trucks
Photo: Jamesshliu, CC BY-SA 3.0AirAir freight
Imports and exports by air, for cargo that cannot wait for a vessel.
Best for: Urgent, high-value or time-bound shipments.
- Import and export
- Cleared by our customs and CHA team
- Onward road transport by Wheelson trucks after arrival
Photo: Ccmarathe, CC BY-SA 4.0ClearanceCustoms & CHA
Customs clearance and CHA services coordinated with forwarding and transport, so containers, documents and cargo move in step.
Best for: Shipments that need clearance without chasing the bill of entry or shipping bill between parties.
- Documentation and compliance handled
- Clearance status tracked at every stage
- The truck waiting when the cargo is out of charge
Photo: TrainLearnGrow, CC BY-SA 4.0CFSCFS Management
Container freight station operations: containers stuffed or de-stuffed, cargo handled and released to transport.
Best for: Containers that need loading, unloading or handling near the port.
- Stuffing and de-stuffing
- Container coordination and cargo handling
- Truck ready when the container is released
Port to plant
One team owns the shipment, door to door.
- Ocean freight (FCL / LCL)
- Air freight
- Import & export
- Door-to-door delivery
- Vessel & container tracking
- Free-day & demurrage watch
- Onward domestic transport
- Destination coordination
Vessel ••218
Jebel Ali → Nhava Sheva
At seaBerth 06:00MSKU ••4471
JNPT → CFS
WatchFree days: 1MH04 ••2291
CFS → Pune plant
ReadyTruck assigned
BE ••8812 · Import
Documents verified
In progressAssessmentSB ••3307 · Export
Stuffing at CFS
TodayCut-off 18:00BE ••8790 · Import
Out of charge
ClearedDe-stuffedSB ••3299 · Export
Gate-in confirmed
SailedCut-off met
Customs, CHA & CFS
Cleared on time, with the truck already waiting.
Customs clearance and CFS operations coordinated with forwarding and transport, so containers, documents and cargo move in step.
Best for: Shippers facing detention, demurrage or missed vessel cut-offs.
- Customs clearance
- CHA services
- Documentation & compliance
- CFS operations
- Stuffing & de-stuffing
- Container coordination
- Cargo handling
- Clearance status tracking
1 teamfrom vessel to your dock: forwarding, CHA, CFS and the onward truck
Shipper's guide
Modes, containers, customs and charges, explained.
The volume, the value and the deadline decide the mode. If you are unsure, ask us to quote two options.
| Item | FCL (full container) | LCL (shared container) | Air freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Volumes that fill a container, and heavy cargo | Smaller volumes that do not fill a container | Urgent, high-value or time-bound cargo |
| How it is charged | Per container | By weight or volume, whichever is greater (W/M) | By chargeable weight |
| How it is handled | Your cargo alone, sealed at origin | Consolidated with other shippers' cargo at a CFS | Built into air cargo units at the airport |
| Time | Fixed sailing schedules | Adds time to consolidate and de-consolidate | The fastest door to door |
Most ocean cargo moves in one of three standard containers.
| Container | Inside size (L × W × H) | Capacity | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard (20' GP) | About 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | About 33 cbm | Heavy, dense cargo |
| 40 ft standard (40' GP) | About 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m | About 67 cbm | General cargo by volume |
| 40 ft high cube (40' HC) | About 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m | About 76 cbm | Light, bulky cargo |
Sizes are approximate and vary by manufacturer and shipping line. Reefer, open-top and flat-rack containers are used for temperature-controlled, tall and over-width cargo.
How cargo clears Indian customs by sea. Air cargo follows the same pattern at the air cargo complex.
Export
- 1
Registration
The exporter holds an IEC and is registered on ICEGATE.
- 2
Shipping bill
Filed electronically with the invoice and packing list.
- 3
Assessment
The customs risk system assesses the shipping bill; some cargo is selected for examination.
- 4
Let Export Order
Customs allows the export once its checks are complete.
- 5
Gate-in and loading
The container enters the port and is loaded on the vessel.
- 6
Export manifest
The carrier files the export general manifest after sailing, closing the record.
Import
- 1
Import manifest
The carrier files the import general manifest for the vessel.
- 2
Bill of entry
Filed with the supporting documents uploaded through e-Sanchit.
- 3
Assessment and duty
Customs assesses the bill of entry and the duty is paid.
- 4
Examination
Carried out only when the cargo is selected for it.
- 5
Out of charge
Customs clears the cargo for release.
- 6
Delivery
Delivery order from the shipping line, then release from the CFS or port to the truck.
The usual set for a commercial shipment. Some products need more, such as licences or other-agency approvals.
Export
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Shipping bill
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- IEC (Importer Exporter Code)
- Certificate of origin, where the buyer or a trade agreement needs one
- Insurance certificate, where the cargo is insured
Import
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of lading or air waybill
- Bill of entry
- IEC (Importer Exporter Code)
- Certificate of origin, to claim trade-agreement duty benefits
- Licences or other-agency approvals, where the product needs them
Charges that surprise shippers most often, and how they arise.
Free days
The time the port, CFS or shipping line allows before charges start.
Demurrage
Charged when a full container stays at the port or terminal beyond its free days.
Detention
Charged when the shipping line's container is kept outside the terminal beyond its free days.
CFS ground rent
Storage charged by the CFS for cargo or containers held beyond its free period.
LCL weight or measure
LCL is priced on weight or volume (W/M), whichever is greater.
Air chargeable weight
The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight: length × width × height in cm, divided by 6,000.
On moWe the Planning Agent watches container free days, so pickup is arranged before demurrage starts.
The Incoterms® 2020 rules set who arranges and pays for each leg, and where risk passes from seller to buyer. There are 11.
| Rule | Use for | In short |
|---|---|---|
| EXW: Ex Works | Any mode | The buyer collects from the seller's premises and handles everything after. |
| FCA: Free Carrier | Any mode | The seller hands export-cleared cargo to the buyer's carrier at a named place. |
| CPT: Carriage Paid To | Any mode | The seller pays carriage to the destination; risk passes at handover to the first carrier. |
| CIP: Carriage and Insurance Paid To | Any mode | As CPT, with the seller also insuring the cargo. |
| DAP: Delivered at Place | Any mode | The seller delivers to the named place, ready for unloading; the buyer clears import. |
| DPU: Delivered at Place Unloaded | Any mode | As DAP, with the seller also unloading. |
| DDP: Delivered Duty Paid | Any mode | The seller delivers cleared for import, with duties paid. |
| FAS: Free Alongside Ship | Sea and inland waterway | The seller delivers alongside the vessel at the port of loading. |
| FOB: Free on Board | Sea and inland waterway | The seller loads the cargo on board; risk passes then. |
| CFR: Cost and Freight | Sea and inland waterway | The seller pays freight to the destination port; risk passes on loading. |
| CIF: Cost, Insurance and Freight | Sea and inland waterway | As CFR, with the seller also insuring the cargo. |
A summary only. Check the rule and the named place in your sales contract.
From the vessel to the truck
Global freight doesn't end at the port.
Ocean and air
Booked, then tracked 24×7 at sea
Customs and CHA
Cleared, with the documents in order
CFS
Stuffed, de-stuffed and released
Onward transport
Onward by Wheelson trucks
Runs on the Wheelson backbone
Technology, governance and operations — as one system.
Technology
24×7 vessel visibility, RFID container tracking and clearance status on moWe, with the truck legs that follow.
moWe Agentic TMSGovernance
Documentation, compliance and handoffs tracked across every party as a workflow, not held in inboxes.
Business agentsOperations
One extended team from origin to destination: forwarding, customs, CFS and onward transport.
All solutions
Questions shippers ask
Forwarding, answered.
Do you handle both imports and exports?
Yes. Ocean and air freight for imports and exports, with door-to-door support when the shipment needs it.
Do you handle FCL and LCL?
Yes. Ocean freight covers full container loads (FCL) and shared, less-than-container loads (LCL), for imports and exports, with door-to-door delivery when the shipment needs it.
Can you clear customs for my shipment?
Yes. Customs clearance and CHA services cover the documentation, compliance and coordination with every party, connected to the forwarding leg before it and the CFS and transport legs after it.
What happens at the CFS?
Containers are stuffed or de-stuffed, cargo is handled and the documentation is coordinated with customs and transport, so the truck is ready when the container is released.
How do I see where my shipment is?
On moWe: the vessel is tracked 24×7, the container through RFID tracking in India's logistics ecosystem, and the truck that follows like every other Wheelson shipment.
How do you keep demurrage down?
Free days are watched on moWe from the moment the vessel berths. The Planning Agent flags a container whose free days are running out with no truck assigned, so pickup is arranged before demurrage starts.
What is the difference between a CFS and an ICD?
A CFS (container freight station) sits near a port and handles stuffing, de-stuffing and storage of cargo before export or after import. An ICD (inland container depot) is a dry port inland, where containers are cleared by customs and moved to and from the seaport by road or rail.
Which Incoterms® rule should I use?
It depends on how much of the journey each side wants to control and insure. FCA and FOB leave the main freight to the buyer, CIF and CIP have the seller pay freight and insurance, and DAP and DDP have the seller deliver to the buyer's door. Agree the rule and the named place in your contract; our team can advise on the freight side.
Do you move the cargo after the port?
Yes. Wheelson transportation takes it on as full truckload or part truckload, and warehousing and 3PL can hold it, all run by the same extended team.
Start with the problem
Have a supply chain problem? Start there.
Tell us the problem, not the rate card. We'll come back with the right mix of operations, technology and governance within one working day.