Are you overpaying your forwarder?

Upload an ocean freight invoice. Our AI decodes every line item — BAF, ECRS, ISPS, documentation fees, ocean freight — and benchmarks each against industry rates. See exactly where the markups are hiding.

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Benchmarked against Gateway Lines rates

All rates are benchmarked to Gateway Lines rates — current plus a 90-day rolling rate index based on fair-market pricing (mostly spot market, some contracted).

What you'll see

Every line item, decoded and benchmarked.

Most ocean freight invoices are written in industry shorthand: BAF, CAF, ECRS, ISPS, CIC, GRI, PSS. We decode every one of them and tell you whether what you paid is fair, high, or above market.

Surcharge decoder

BAF, CAF, ECRS, ISPS, CIC, GRI, PSS — every cryptic line item explained in plain English.

Ocean freight benchmark

Compare what you paid to the industry range for that lane on that date. Top of market, mid, or below.

Hidden margin detection

Spot the difference between carrier-posted surcharges and what your forwarder actually charged.

Documentation fee fairness

AMS, BL, ISF, Telex Release benchmarked against industry averages. Inflated docs are the #1 hidden margin.

Terminal & port verification

THC, port handling, drayage compared to published port-authority rates.

Confidential & free

Your invoice and forwarder name are never shared, sold, or named publicly. Free, no signup.

Sample report

Here's what your audit looks like.

Side-by-side comparison: what you paid vs. industry-range benchmarks. Every disputed line explained in plain English.

Sample audit

Shanghai → Long Beach · 40HC · April 2026

Total paid

$3,990

Line item	You paid	Fair range	Verdict
Ocean Freight (CN→USWC, 40HC) Within industry range — top end of market	$2,400	$1,800 – $2,650	High
BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor) Posted carrier rate is $380. ~$240 above tariff.	$620	$380 – $440	Above market
ECRS No major carrier currently filed for ECRS this lane.	$180	$0 – $90	Above market
Documentation Handling Industry average for documentation is $110–150.	$385	$110 – $150	Above market
Bill of Lading Fee Slightly above range but reasonable.	$95	$50 – $75	High
Terminal Handling Charge In line with USWC port THC.	$245	$220 – $260	Fair
ISF Filing Standard.	$65	$40 – $60	Fair

Industry mid-range

$2,850 – $3,425

Estimated overpay

~$565 – $1,140

Gateway estimate

~$2,950

Sample data shown for illustration. Your actual audit will reflect your specific lane, container type, date, and surcharges.

Why this exists

Freight invoices are written to be hard to read.

Most importers know they're paying more than they should. They just can't prove which line is the markup. Forwarders know this. The shorthand — BAF, CAF, ECRS, GRI, PSS — exists partly to make line-by-line scrutiny exhausting.

Gateway runs this audit free as a goodwill tool. We're a licensed FMC NVOCC with direct contracts at MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, and ZIM. We know what each surcharge is supposed to cost, because we pay it ourselves.

BAF

Bunker Adjustment Factor. Carrier-posted, updated quarterly. Should match the carrier filing.

ECRS

Emergency Cost Recovery Surcharge. Often used by forwarders to bury margin.

ISPS

International Ship & Port Facility Security charge. Fixed by IMO. Should be uniform.

CIC

Container Imbalance Charge. Real on imbalanced lanes (e.g. Asia-USWC). Should match carrier filing.

GRI

General Rate Increase. Carrier-announced. Effective dates posted publicly.

PSS

Peak Season Surcharge. Seasonal — typically Aug–Oct on TPEB.

Forwarder margin guide

What's a fair middle-man fee?

Forwarders are middlemen — they take a margin on top of the carrier rate for booking, documentation, and operational coordination. Here's roughly where that margin should land per container.

Routine FCL

$200–$250

Standard ocean booking, common lane, no special handling. Typical port-to-port FCL forwarder margin.

Complex freight

Up to $500

Non-routine routing, heavy customs work, project cargo, reefer, hazmat, or time-critical bookings. Higher margin earns its keep.

Above standard

$1,000+

We've seen invoices with $1,000+ in middle-man margin per container with nothing extra to justify it. That's beyond industry standard — ask for a line-by-line breakdown.

How to read this: The audit doesn't accuse — it shows you where on this curve your invoice sits. If you're inside the $200–$500 band, your forwarder is operating fairly. Above that, ask them to walk through the line items. A real forwarder hands over the breakdown without hesitation.

FAQ

Common questions

Benchmark every line item on your invoice against published industry rates. Ocean freight should be within 10–15% of the spot rate for that lane on the date you booked. Surcharges like BAF, ECRS, and ISPS should match the carrier's posted tariff. The Gateway audit decodes your invoice line-by-line and flags anything outside fair-market range.

Free, confidential, takes 60 seconds.

Upload your invoice and we'll send you a decoded audit report inside of 24 hours.

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