Ocean carriers act as ocean freight forwarders

Many of the major ship lines can handle all of the duties of ocean freight forwarding and specialize in dealing with various countries and ports.

I recommend: Contact the carriers directly and see what ocean forwarding  services they provide.  For example Atlantic Container Lines (ACL) provides all of the services necessary if you're shipping  to Europe. For worldwide ocean forwarding service, including to Europe, the Far East, the Middle East , South America and South Africa, check out Evergreen. Orient Overseas Containerline (OOCL) serves the Far East and Middle Eastern countries, and Hanjin serves Central and Eastern Europe, the Far East and the Mediterranean.

Use an independent ocean freight broker or forwarder

There are tons of qualified freight forwarders that specialize in shipping goods by sea.

I recommend: The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America provides a listing of all of its member throughout the U.S., all of which have to maintain high standards to retain their memberships. A few if the larger forwarders include The American Companies, Blue Water, and Diversified Freight Logistics.

Become familiar with the forwarder's operation

Know what tools your freight forwarder is using to book and track your cargo. Ask him how he books cargo and what transportation companies he uses. If shipments are containerized, can he offer you less-than-containerload (LCL) service, where you share space in a container with another shipper?

I recommend: Freight forwarding services may use research tools such as The Port Import Export Reporting Service (PIERS). They may also utilize links to individual ship line tracking services, such as those offered by Atlantic Container Lines and American President Lines.