Freight for Brands That Need Inventory at Amazon, Walmart, Retail, and DTC on the Date We Quoted
We cover the first mile, middle mile and final mile. But we go the extra mile.
Ocean, air, truckload, and cross-border freight from your supplier to Amazon FBA and Vendor Central, Walmart WFS, Target, Costco and other retailer DCs, TikTok Shop, and your own DTC warehouses, with the dock appointment booked before the truck leaves. One team quotes it, books it, and tracks it in Relay from pickup to check-in.
BRANDS THAT SHIP FREIGHT WITH AMZ PREP
- AMZ Prep runs freight as the first leg of fulfillment: the team that quotes your container also books the Amazon, Walmart, or retailer DC appointment.
- Middle Mile consolidates FBA inbound freight across sellers onto daily truckloads, removing Amazon placement fees and checking inventory in within 2 to 4 days against a 7 to 10 day industry average.
- Every mode is covered under one quote: ocean FCL and LCL, air, FTL, LTL, expedited, reefer, flatbed, and cross-border US-Canada trucking, with customs brokerage built in.
- Middle Mile Plus moves pallet freight and temperature-controlled goods on the same appointment-booked lanes, from FDA-registered cold storage in Toronto, Salt Lake City, and Dothan.
- Every shipment is tracked in Relay alongside the inventory it carries in Navigate. Chad Collins leads the freight team.
Will your freight check in on the date the quote says?
Every brand asks it, in some form. Rate matters less than people expect. Freight pricing changes daily, and anyone can low-ball you on a Tuesday. What decides whether the quarter goes to plan is whether the truck arrives at the dock on the appointment, whether Amazon, Walmart, or the retailer DC checks it in that week, and whether someone picks up the phone when it doesn't.
AMZ Prep runs freight as the first leg of fulfillment. The team that quotes your container also books the Amazon appointment, and the login that shows your inventory also shows your truck. Brands tell us they will pay more for a check-in date that holds than for a cheaper quote that slips, so the program is built around the date. Daily lanes to every Amazon fulfillment center. Appointment-booked delivery to Walmart, Target, Costco, and other retailer DCs under their routing guides. Replenishment to your own DTC and marketplace warehouses. Customs brokerage for ocean, air, and US-Canada truck crossings. Live tracking in Relay.
The next section shows the three legs that freight runs through and what each one hands to the next.
Three ways freight gets your inventory where it sells, faster
First mile, middle mile, final mile. Each leg hands the next one clean carton data and inventory that is ready to move.
First mile: supplier to your first warehouse
Ocean, air, and cross-border trucking from China, India, Europe, and Canada, with customs brokerage, ISF filing for ocean imports, and receiving at 50+ warehouses. Cartons arrive labeled and counted, so the middle mile starts the day they land. First mile logistics
Middle mile: warehouse to Amazon, Walmart, and retail DCs
We consolidate inbound FBA shipments across sellers onto full truckloads to the same Amazon regions, on daily lanes with pre-booked dock appointments. That removes the per-seller placement fee and checks inventory in within 2 to 4 days. Middle Mile Plus runs the same lanes for pallet freight and temperature-controlled goods on reefer equipment, and the same model moves pallets into Walmart WFS, Target, Costco, and other retailer DCs under each routing guide. Middle Mile to FBA
Final mile: Prep Parcel for DTC, SFP, TikTok Shop, and B2B
For Shopify, TikTok Shop, Walmart Marketplace, Seller Fulfilled Prime, and wholesale orders that ship from our warehouses, Prep Parcel rate-shops 35+ regional and national carriers and uses zone skipping to cut parcel cost 25 to 32%, with cross-border US-Canada customs handled. Prep Parcel
Woof, a pet brand, ships stock from China to AMZ Prep and on to Amazon on a 3 to 5 day inbound cycle with zero placement fees. Receiving and FBA prep happen in one building.
The next section lists every mode we run and the transit you should plan around.
Which freight modes does AMZ Prep run, and how long does each take?
| Mode | Best for | Typical transit | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL | 15+ CBM, planned replenishment. 20ft and 40ft containers from China, Europe, India | 25 to 35 days China to US port | Sea freight |
| Ocean LCL | 1 to 15 CBM, shared container, per-CBM pricing | 30 to 40 days | Sea freight |
| Air | Launches, restocks, high-value goods. Per-kg pricing | 3 to 7 days airport to airport | Air freight |
| FTL | 12+ pallets, one dedicated trailer, up to 45,000 lb dry van | 1 to 5 days domestic | Full truckload |
| LTL | 1 to 12 pallets, shared trailer | 1 to 5 business days | Less than truckload |
| Expedited | Deadline freight, same-day pickup | 1 to 3 days | Expedited |
| Reefer | Frozen, refrigerated, climate-controlled | Lane dependent | Reefer |
| Flatbed | Oversized, non-stackable, up to 48,000 lb | Lane dependent | Flatbed |
| Cross-border | Canada to US and US to Canada, FBA and 1P, customs pre-cleared | 2 to 5 days plus clearance | US-Canada freight |
Rates shown are indicative and vary with volume, origin, commodity, and season. Transit times are port-to-port or terminal-to-terminal estimates and differ for door-to-door service. Contact us for a custom quote.
The next section covers the six things you can verify about AMZ Prep freight before you move a pallet.
Why do brands move their freight to AMZ Prep?
Six things you can verify before you move a pallet. None of them is a promise about price.
Speed you can plan around
Daily lanes to every Amazon fulfillment center with the dock appointment booked before the truck leaves, and 2 to 4 day FBA check-in on Middle Mile. Peak carrier surcharges, October to January, are passed through at cost.
One login for freight and fulfillment
Relay shows live truck location, documents, invoices, and quote approvals. Navigate shows the inventory the truck is carrying. There is no separate forwarder portal to log into and no broker email thread to search.
A freight team, not a quote desk
Chad Collins leads freight at AMZ Prep. When a load needs a different route, a split across two FCs, or a same-day fix, you talk to someone who can approve it on the call.
35+ carriers, rate-shopped per load
Every FTL, LTL, and reefer load is quoted across 35+ carriers and matched to the lane, equipment, and date. TMS integration with your ERP or WMS for brands shipping weekly.
Temperature-controlled end to end
FDA-registered cold storage in Toronto, Salt Lake City, and Dothan with frozen, refrigerated, and ambient zones, reefer transport, and Middle Mile Plus into Amazon for meltables, frozen, and refrigerated goods.
Customs built in
Brokerage for ocean, air, and US-Canada truck crossings. ISF filing for ocean imports, HTS classification, CUSMA preferential duty, and PARS/PAPS pre-clearance on US-Canada truck crossings.
Beekeeper's Naturals runs 50+ full truckloads and multiple LTLs a week across Amazon, D2C, and B2B channels on this program, with TMS integration and a weekly freight review.
The next section covers freight that is delivered against a purchase order rather than into FBA.
Can AMZ Prep deliver freight against Vendor Central and retailer purchase orders?
If you sell to Amazon as a first-party vendor, your freight is a delivery against a purchase order: Amazon's routing guide, an advance ship notice, a booked appointment window, and a chargeback if any of it is late, short, or mislabeled. We run PO freight into Amazon's inbound docks from our warehouses and from your supplier, and our Vendor Central fulfillment team handles carton labeling and the ASN on the way. Brands moving from 1P to 3P, or being invited the other way, use the same lanes for both.
The same purchase-order discipline applies to Walmart, Target, Costco, Nordstrom, and other retail accounts: EDI, ASN, routing-guide compliance, and appointment windows, handled through our B2B retail fulfillment team.
Freight services, calculators, and guides
Each service page carries its own rates, transit tables, and FAQ. The calculators run without a signup.
FBA Freight Forwarding
Door-to-door forwarding from China, Europe, and India to Amazon FBA. Customs, labeling, and delivery included.
First Mile Logistics
Supplier to first warehouse: pickup, export, international freight, customs, receiving.
Middle Mile to FBA
Consolidated inbound to Amazon on daily lanes. Zero placement fees, 2 to 4 day check-in. Middle Mile Plus for pallets and cold chain.
China to USA Shipping Guide
HS codes, duty rates, tariff impacts, freight modes, and compliance for sellers sourcing from China.
Section 321 and De Minimis
What the end of US de minimis means for Canada-to-US consignments, and how cross-border freight clears now.
Vendor Central (1P) Fulfillment
PO freight, routing-guide compliance, ASN, carton labeling, chargeback prevention.
Freight tools
Freight Rate Calculator
Ocean FCL, LCL, and air estimates from China to US Amazon FCs.
Import Duty Calculator
Customs duties and taxes for US imports from any origin.
Tariff Calculator
US reciprocal tariffs by origin country.
CBM Calculator
Cubic meter volume to decide FCL vs LCL.
Pallet Calculator
Pallet configuration, carton stacking, load optimization.
DIM Weight Calculator
Dimensional weight for UPS, FedEx, and Amazon.
Freight Class Calculator
NMFC class from dimensions and weight for LTL quotes.
Density Calculator
Pounds per cubic foot for LTL class and pricing.
Freight guides
Best Freight Forwarders for Amazon FBA
Ranked list for sellers shipping from China and other origins.
Amazon Inbound Placement Fees
What the fee is, how it is calculated, and how Middle Mile consolidation removes it.
LTL Freight Shipping Explained
How LTL works, what it costs, and when Amazon sellers should use it.
Amazon Meltable Inventory Guide
Meltable handling, seasonal FBA restrictions, storage alternatives.
Amazon IXD and Cross Dock
How IXD and RXD cross-dock routing affects inbound placement.
FCA vs DAP Incoterms
Who pays what, and which term suits FBA imports.
What do brands get after moving freight to AMZ Prep?
Four accounts, four different freight problems. None of them is a parcel brand.
50+ FTLs and multiple LTLs weekly across Amazon, D2C, and B2B. TMS integration, real-time tracking, weekly freight reviews.
30% YoY growthRegional carrier partnerships on LTL lanes from South Carolina and Texas. Live tracking in Relay on every load.
Rate shopped across 35+ carriers per load
Temperature-controlled chocolate from Canada to US Amazon FCs. PARS/PAPS customs pre-clearance, New Jersey hub consolidation before FBA delivery.
Cold chain held origin to Amazon
Dedicated full truckloads for oversized sleep technology, with appointment scheduling and proof-of-delivery tracking on every load.
Oversized, appointment-booked
The Meltable Season Survival Guide
How brands ship chocolate, gummies, and protein bars all summer without product damage. Co-created with Smartscout, Cartograph, and Cartology.
Download the PlaybookWhat is included in an AMZ Prep freight quote?
Ocean and air freight
FCL and LCL booking, air booking, factory pickup coordination, and international transit tracking in Relay.
Customs and duties
US and Canada customs clearance, ISF filing for ocean imports, HTS classification, CUSMA, PARS/PAPS pre-clearance at the border, duty calculation and payment.
Domestic and cross-border trucking
FTL, LTL, expedited, reefer, and flatbed rate-shopped across 35+ carriers, with the dock appointment booked before pickup.
Prep and delivery
Receiving, FNSKU labeling and FBA prep, retail routing-guide prep, and appointment-booked delivery to Amazon FCs, Walmart and retailer DCs, Vendor Central inbound docks, and your own warehouses.
Freight services FAQ
AMZ Prep books the Amazon dock appointment before the truck leaves and runs daily lanes to every fulfillment center. Inventory moved on Middle Mile checks in within 2 to 4 days of pickup. The quoted date and the live status sit side by side in Relay.
Ocean freight (FCL and LCL), air freight, full truckload, less than truckload, expedited, reefer, flatbed, and cross-border trucking between the US and Canada. Ocean FCL runs 25 to 35 days China to US port, air 3 to 7 days airport to airport, domestic FTL and LTL 1 to 5 days. All rates are custom quoted and change daily.
All of them. Amazon FBA is the highest-volume lane, but the same program delivers to Walmart WFS and Walmart DCs, Target, Costco, Nordstrom, and other retailer distribution centers under each retailer's routing guide and appointment rules, to TikTok Shop and marketplace warehouses, and to your own DTC fulfillment nodes. Retail deliveries run through our B2B fulfillment team with EDI and ASN compliance built in.
Yes. Ocean and air imports include ISF filing (ocean), US or Canadian customs clearance, HTS classification, duty calculation, and payment. US-Canada truck crossings move on PARS/PAPS pre-clearance filed before the truck reaches the border, and goods that qualify under CUSMA clear at preferential duty in either direction.
Carriers add peak season surcharges across the market from October through January. They apply to every shipper, not to one provider. AMZ Prep publishes each carrier's surcharge and dates each October and passes them through at cost.
Yes. AMZ Prep delivers 1P purchase-order freight to Amazon's inbound docks with routing-guide compliance, advance ship notice, and appointment booking. The Vendor Central team handles carton labeling and chargeback prevention before the load ships.
Middle Mile Plus is AMZ Prep's middle mile service for freight that ships on pallets rather than in cartons, including oversized and temperature-controlled goods on reefer equipment. It uses the same daily, appointment-booked lanes into Amazon and retailer distribution centers as standard Middle Mile.
Yes. AMZ Prep runs FDA-registered cold storage in Toronto, Salt Lake City, and Dothan with frozen, refrigerated, and ambient zones, reefer freight between facilities and to retailers, and Middle Mile Plus into Amazon so meltables check in cold. The Meltable Season Playbook covers summer shipping.
Ocean LCL accepts shipments from 1 CBM. Domestic LTL starts at 1 pallet. There is no minimum for air freight quotes. Full container loads are available in 20ft and 40ft.
Yes. Freight into AMZ Prep is received, counted, and prepped to Amazon specifications (FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, bundling, shipment plan creation) before it moves to the assigned fulfillment center on Middle Mile.
Tell us where it is coming from and when you need it there
Origin, product, destination, and date. You get one all-in quote covering freight, customs, prep, and appointment-booked delivery within 24 hours.
