We are a freight forwarder, trucking and 3PL company from Chicago. One team books your cargo, clears customs and delivers it, by sea, air and road.
1180 W Fulton Market, Chicago
In 2008, James Carter started Shipvora in Chicago with two trucks and one warehouse. The promise was simple: answer the phone, tell the truth and deliver on time.
Our first customers were local shops that needed freight moved at short notice. They stayed because one person handled each job from start to finish. Word spread, and so did our routes.
Today 640 people work in six hubs on four continents. We ship by sea, air and road for 3,200 businesses, and each one still has one named coordinator and one clear price.
“We never tried to be the biggest forwarder. We want to be the one you call first, because we pick up and we tell you the truth.”
Founder and CEO
Each stop on this road added a hub, a license or a new way to serve our shippers.
Shipvora opens in Chicago with two trucks, one warehouse and a phone that shippers can always reach.
Our own licensed brokers start to file entries, so customs work stays in house.
Our first hub outside the U.S. becomes the gateway for shippers who trade with Europe.
Our own teams now load and check cargo at two of the busiest ports in the world.
An FDA-registered cold store opens for food and medicine that must stay cool.
Two new hubs open lanes to South America, the Middle East and Africa.
Six hubs on four continents, and the same promise as day one: one team, clear prices, straight answers.
They are printed on the wall of every hub. We use them to hire, to train and to decide what to do when a load goes wrong.
We tell you the real transit time, the real price and the real problem. Good news or bad, you hear it from us first.
Sales, customs, trucks and warehouse work in one company. Your coordinator can walk over and fix things.
Every load follows the same checklist, from the seal number at pickup to the signature at delivery.
Trained people, insured cargo and safe equipment. We treat your freight the way we treat our own.
Team size in 2026. Review score for 2025.
In six hubs on four continents
Through our hubs and partners
Checked by our own team
From 1,200+ shipper reviews
Our leaders started on the floor: in the yard, on the phones or behind the wheel. They still work a shift at a hub every quarter.
Our licenses and audits protect your cargo and your money. Ask your coordinator for copies at any time.
Licensed by the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission as an ocean transportation intermediary.
Our licensed brokers file your entries with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A member of the U.S. customs program that keeps trade supply chains secure.
An outside auditor checks our quality system every year.
Call the desk or send us your load details. You get one named coordinator from the first quote to the last invoice.
