Full Container Load.
Zero uncertainty.
The rate is published. The duties are calculated before you book. The fee is one flat number per container. Gateway is a licensed NVOCC and ocean freight forwarder that puts your full landed cost on the table before the booking, not after the container lands.
The Gateway Difference
Ocean freight runs on uncertainty.
We removed it.
Ask three forwarders to price the same container and you get three numbers, none of them final. The rate hides a margin, the duties arrive as a surprise at entry, and the fees stack at destination. Gateway was built to end that: every cost on an FCL move is knowable before you book, and we put the tools to verify it in public.
The rate
Published before you ask.
Gateway's selling rates for 2,000+ lanes sit on a public board, refreshed weekly, no login required. The number you see is the number you book. Ask any other forwarder to show you theirs.
See live rates by laneThe duties
Calculated before you book.
The certified tariff engine behind every Gateway quote runs free at tariff.gatewaylines.com. Enter your HTS code and origin and see Section 301, Section 232, and every active US tariff on your product before a single dollar moves.
Price your dutiesThe fee
One flat number.
Freight at the published rate plus one flat Gateway fee per container. No handling, documentation, or admin stack waiting at destination. If a real cost changes mid-transit, you approve it before it bills.
See what's in the rateThe fragmentation
The whole move, one platform.
Most importers stitch a container move together from five vendors: a forwarder, a drayage broker, a customs broker, an insurance agent, and a spreadsheet of paperwork holding it all together. Gateway runs the entire move in one place, and the documents automate with it: ISF, AMS, and the House Bill of Lading are prepared, filed, and stored in your portal by Gateway. One login, one invoice, one accountable party. We handle everything except your taxes.
Licensed to carry, not just to quote.
Gateway Lines holds both Federal Maritime Commission licenses: NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) and Ocean Freight Forwarder. We issue the House Bill of Lading, file ISF and AMS in our own name, and stay accountable for the container gate to gate. The software platform, satellite tracking, tariff engine, load planner, and document filing come free with the freight.
How It Works
Five steps to your
container delivery.
Quote
Instant pricing
Book
Secure space
Load
Container stuffing
Transit
Live GPS tracking
Deliver
Door completion
The Service
Built for FCL.
Direct Carrier Access
Contracted NSA rates with the world's leading ocean carriers. No middleman markup, no broker chain — we book space at the source and pass the rate straight through to you.
Cargo Protection
Container sealed at origin with your seal number on the BOL. Gateway Shield all-risk coverage. Claims filed and paid in 15-30 days.
All-In Pricing
Ocean freight, BAF, THC, documentation, ISF, chassis — all in one quote. No surprise charges at destination. Better total cost than LCL for FCL-appropriate volumes.
Satellite Tracking
Every container gets real-time vessel tracking via satellite, 15-minute position updates, AI-predicted ETA, and port congestion alerts — included, not upsold.
Customs + Compliance
ISF 10+2, AMS, AES, Entry filing coordinated end-to-end. Licensed customs broker network in every major US port.
Human Support, 24/7
Assigned operator from booking to delivery. Live chat in the portal, SMS alerts on milestones, same-day email turnaround. No ticket queues, no offshore call centers.
Equipment
Every container type.
Standard dry, refrigerated, oversized — whatever your cargo needs, we book the right box at the right rate.
Dry Containers
General cargo · palletized · boxed
20'
Standard
Dense cargo, heavy machinery
40'
Standard
General cargo, palletized goods
40'
High Cube
Most booked — extra height for garments/apparel
45'
High Cube
Maximum volume for light goods
Specialized Containers
Reefer · open top · flat rack · ventilated
Reefer
20'/40'/40'HC
Temperature-controlled -30°C to +30°C. Pharma, produce, seafood, frozen goods. Pre-trip inspection + GPS temp logger on every booking.
Open Top
20'/40'
Removable tarp roof for crane loading. Machinery, pipes, oversized crates that exceed 2.39m height.
Flat Rack
20'/40'
No walls or roof. Boats, vehicles, construction equipment, oversized project cargo up to 45 tons.
Ventilated
20'/40'
Passive air circulation for cargo that needs to breathe — coffee, cocoa, tea, green produce. No power required.
Hazmat, oversized, and out-of-gauge cargo
Gateway handles IMO-classed hazardous cargo (all 9 classes), out-of-gauge project freight, and break-bulk. DGR-certified team members on staff. Email hazmat@gatewaylines.com with MSDS for a rate.
Decision Guide
FCL or LCL — which one?
Over 10 CBM? FCL is almost always cheaper AND faster. Under 10 CBM? LCL wins. Here's the breakdown.
Full Container Load
Exclusive container — your cargo only
Less than Container Load
Shared container with other shippers
Pricing
What's in your FCL rate.
One number on the quote. No surprise invoices at destination. Everything below is rolled into the all-in rate unless specifically called out.
Included in the rate
- Ocean freight (port-to-port)
- Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF / LSS)
- Terminal Handling Charges (origin + destination)
- Basic documentation + Bill of Lading
- ISF 10+2 filing (US imports)
- AMS filing (US imports, Gateway as NVOCC)
- Chassis usage (first 4 days free)
- Container seal + pre-trip inspection
- Real-time satellite tracking
- 24/7 operator support
Optional add-ons
- Gateway Shield insurance — tiered by cargo value
- Door-to-door drayage (origin or destination) — quoted per lane
- Customs brokerage (entry filing beyond ISF) — quoted per entry
- Demurrage / detention (if cargo sits past free time) — carrier daily rate
- Duty + tariff + MPF + HMF — passed through at cost
- Ship Green carbon offset — +2.5% of rate
- AES filing (US exports) — quoted per SED
- Special equipment surcharge (reefer, flat rack, OT) — varies
- Hazmat surcharge (IMO-classed cargo) — varies by class
- Document fee / BL amendment — flat rate
We quote everything up-front. If something changes mid-transit (carrier GRI, port strike, additional handling) we'll email you a pre-approval before billing it.
Paperwork
Documents you'll need.
Upload these in the Gateway portal and we handle the filing. Missing a doc? We'll flag it before it causes a customs hold.
Commercial Invoice
Item-level breakdown: HTS codes, unit + total value, country of origin, incoterm. Used for customs valuation and duty calculation.
Packing List
Cartons, pallets, dimensions, gross/net weight per line item. Matches the CI line-for-line.
Bill of Lading
Gateway issues the HBL at booking. Master BL issued by the ocean carrier. Original BLs couriered on request.
ISF 10+2
Importer Security Filing due 24h before vessel loads at origin. We file as your agent — you provide the 10 data elements.
Certificate of Origin
USMCA, GSP, or bilateral FTA? Upload the signed COO to avoid paying full MFN duty.
MSDS / SDS
Safety Data Sheet for IMO-classed cargo. Must show UN number, proper shipping name, packing group, and emergency contact.
Trade Lanes
Popular routes.
Questions
Everything else you might ask.
Ten questions shippers ask us most often. Don't see yours? Email sales — response within 4 business hours.
Around 10–13 CBM on most trade lanes. Below that, LCL's per-CBM rate wins even with consolidation fees. Above that, FCL's all-in rate beats LCL on cost AND avoids the 5–10 day consolidation delay. We'll quote you both on any booking under 15 CBM so you can compare.
Newsroom
Latest updates.
Ready to Ship?
Price your container
before you commit.
Published rate, calculated duties, one flat Gateway fee. The full landed cost up front, from a licensed NVOCC.