Fewer hand-offs, one accountable partner
Our own air waybills, in-house customs teams and a trusted network under our brand, coordinated from one desk.
Fewer hand-offs. Fewer delays. One responsible partner.
A typical international air shipment passes through three or four companies before it is released. Each hand-off adds cost, data errors and finger-pointing. We keep the shipment in one file and with one desk.
Typical forwarder chain 4+ parties
- 01Your forwarder takes the booking
- ↓ hands over to a consolidator
- 02Consolidator issues the air waybill
- ↓ hands over to a destination agent
- 03Agent receives the cargo
- ↓ hands over to a customs broker
- 04Broker clears customs
Each party has its own systems, cut-off times and contacts. Questions travel back down the chain.
Ziem Logistics One shipment file
- 01Booking and document pre-check
- 02Air waybill issued by us
- 03Customs entry prepared by us
- 04Clearance by our team or the Ziem network
- 05Release and delivery to your door
One shipment file, one point of contact and one company accountable to you from origin to release.
You always know who handles your cargo
Many forwarders pass shipments through several agents and networks. You never really know how many companies are involved. We work the other way round: maximum control, as few hand-overs as possible, direct contact with you.
Direct airline access
We book directly with the airlines and issue our own air waybills. No consolidator, no co-loader, no unknown parties between your cargo and the aircraft.
No agents, no agent business
We do not hand your shipment to local agents, and we do not work as an agent for other forwarders. We work directly for shippers and consignees.
Independent by choice
We have deliberately stayed out of the large logistics networks. That keeps us fast, transparent and accountable to you for the long term.
Trusted partners only where needed
Where we cannot do it ourselves, we use a small number of long-standing, vetted partners for road transport and customs, under our control and our procedures.
From enquiry to release in four steps
We check documents and classification before the cargo moves. Most customs delays come from problems that could have been found at origin.
Brief & documents
You share shipment details, commercial invoice and packing list. We confirm routing, transit time and costs.
Classification & pre-check
We verify HS codes, origin, valuation and permits, and flag anything that could stop the shipment at the border.
Air waybill & uplift
We issue the air waybill, book capacity and send advance data so the destination entry can be prepared before the flight lands.
Clearance & release
The declaration is filed, duties and taxes are settled on your behalf if required, and the cargo is released for delivery.
Who clears your goods in each market
We are open about how customs clearance works in each market.
In-house
Our own customs team prepares and files every declaration.
Ziem network
Partner teams clear under the Ziem Logistics brand, using our procedures and our shipment data.
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer? Email ops@ziem-logistics.com or call +49 40 57290280.
What is a shipment file?
The shipment file holds all data and documents for one shipment: booking, air waybill, invoices, customs entry and delivery. Everyone involved works with the same data.
Who is my contact during a shipment?
One Ziem Logistics team, from booking to release. You do not have to coordinate between forwarder, consolidator, agent and broker.
How do you avoid customs delays?
We check classification, valuation, origin, registrations and permits before departure, and we pre-lodge the import entry where possible.
What happens in markets without in-house clearance?
In those markets, partner teams in the Ziem network clear under our brand and to our procedures. You still deal only with Ziem Logistics.
Tell us about your shipment
Send us the lane, the goods and the timeline. We reply within one business day. For urgent cargo, call us directly.