International freight can seem daunting for small and mid-sized businesses. Unlike many multinational corporations, which may move thousands of containers per month, you may ship only a handful. Yet you face the same complexities: port congestion, customs compliance, carrier selection, and unpredictable transit times.

The good news is that, with a little insider knowledge, your small businesses can gain some of the global shipping advantages that your biggest competitors enjoy. Below are practical small business shipping tips and real-world insights to help smaller businesses optimize freight shipping between the U.S. and Europe.

Understand Your Freight Basics

Before booking a shipment, small businesses should have a clear understanding of the basics of international freight, including freight modes and incoterms.

Which freight mode should I choose?

Shipping via Full Container Load (FCL) is ideal when your goods fill most or all of a container. It’s cheaper and FCL minimizes touch points for faster transit times and less damage. However, FCL may not be an option for smaller companies who lack the volume to fill a container.  

In such cases, Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipping may be a more suitable solution. LCL consolidates multiple shippers’ cargo in a single container, offering cost savings for low-volume shippers. Transit time can be longer with LCL because of the required cargo consolidation/deconsolidation at origin and destination. But it’s typically the most cost-effective solution for small business shipping.

For more detail, read our article on the advantages of LCL shipping. 

Air Freight is the costliest freight mode and is typically reserved for urgent freight. If your freight needs to get somewhere fast, at any cost, air might seem the obvious choice. But for some ocean routes, like Hamburg to Montreal, ocean routing takes just a few days more than an air shipment from Europe to North America, assuming a delay-free trip. The right freight forwarder can compare options and advise you. 

What are Incoterms and How do they Impact a Shipper’s Responsibility?

Understanding the terms of sale in your buying agreement — most commonly Free On Board (FOB) or Ex Works (EXW) — clarifies who is responsible for transport, insurance, and customs clearance. For instance, under EXW, the seller is only responsible for loading the container and readying it for pickup by the buyer. From that point on, the buyer assumes responsibility. 

Under FOB, the seller is responsible for everything up to when the container is loaded aboard the ship, at which point the buyer takes over. An important wrinkle with FOB: in the event there is any issue with the container or the goods between origin and port, the seller has to pursue a claim with the trucking firm for loss or damage. In EXW, that responsibility falls to the buyer.

There are 11 different terms of sale. We go in depth on the topic of Incoterms in this blog post.

“Depending on the terms of sale, we may handle door-to-door delivery or just the ocean freight portion,” said Andrew Rozek of NVOCC I.C.E. Transport, noting that small businesses often overlook the details of their particular terms of sale. “Customers need to know exactly what’s included so there are no surprises.”

Download our free ebook, “International Shipping for Small Businesses”

Plan and Forecast Your Volume

Small businesses often book shipments reactively, leading to higher costs or missed sailing opportunities. Here’s a good small business shipping tip: proactive planning, even on a modest scale, can dramatically improve reliability and cost effectiveness.

Small Business Shipping Tips for Forecasting:

• Track quarterly or monthly shipment volumes to secure space on competitive sailings.
• Communicate projected volumes to your freight forwarder so they can reserve containers in advance. Carriers like steady, predictable freight.
• Know your seasonal fluctuations. Peak congestion can make carriers shift sailing rotations, depending on demand.

During periods of high demand, booking without a forecast can mean waiting weeks for the next available vessel. Even if a customer wants to ship urgently, without accurate data on cargo readiness or a reliable forecast, the freight forwarder can’t guarantee the best sailings. Planning ahead ensures preparedness.

Leverage NVOCCs to Gain Buying Power

Small shippers rarely have the volume to negotiate directly with ocean carriers. Fortunately, consolidation through a Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) or freight forwarder levels the playing field. These experienced logistics providers offer competitive rates because they negotiate rates with carriers using their aggregate freight volume from all their customers. You’re simply capitalizing on that negotiating leverage.

For example, a machinery exporter in New Jersey sending a single 20-foot container per month to Germany significantly reduces its costs by booking through an NVOCC with solid volumes in this lane. The forwarder secures attractive rates and manages the paperwork, essentially giving small businesses the buying power of a much large corporation.

“If a small shipper tries to book directly with a carrier, they rarely save money,” Rozek explained.  “Plus, the shipper still needs a forwarder to handle documentation. Consolidation through an NVOCC gives them both savings and peace of mind.”

Choose the Right Port Pairings

Port selection influences both cost and transit time. While proximity is convenient, sometimes another U.S. or European port offers faster service or lower charges. This is another area where a knowledgeable freight forwarder or NVOCC can provide money-saving and time-saving advice. Just a couple of examples:

• When shipping to Hamburg or Bremerhaven, the Port of Baltimore provides very strong RO/RO and container capacity for machinery, vehicles, and industrial equipment.
• The Charleston-to-Antwerp lane can be a great choice when shipping from the U.S. to Benelux and Northern France markets, often avoiding congestion at New York/New Jersey terminals.

Working with a forwarder who monitors vessel reliability and port congestion can allow small businesses to pivot when schedules change. They evaluate vessel schedules and port conditions continuously, helping shippers balance cost and speed. 

For instance, Rozek said one customer normally shipped containers from Louisville by rail to Norfolk for ocean shipment to Dublin. But they shifted to faster service by routing rail transit through Chicago to Halifax, and then over the ocean to Dublin. This saved a week and a half or more in transit time because it was a direct shipment, whereas containers out of Norfolk go to Rotterdam and then via transshipment to Dublin. 

But such decisions need regular monitoring from a knowledgeable freight forwarding partner. 

“Recently this same company was going to ship via Halifax, but there was a space issue on the vessel,” he explained. “The earliest it could get to Dublin would have been just one day earlier than the vessel going from Norfolk. In that case, it made no sense to pay more for the more expedited route.”

Optimize Drayage and Inland Transport

Almost every international shipment relies on trucking at both ends. Even when rail handles the long-distance portion, trucks are needed to move cargo to and from terminals. For smaller companies, securing reliable trucking services can be challenging, particularly when capacity is limited or when shipments involve specialized requirements. Heavy, oversize, hazardous, or refrigerated freight carriers have the right equipment, trained personnel, and legal authority, but there is a limited number of them.

A practical approach is to cultivate strong relationships with a core set of trusted trucking companies. But this takes time and smaller companies typically lack the resources to build these relationships. 

A better option to securing dependable trucking capacity is to forge a strategic partnership with a freight forwarder that already has these carrier relationships in place. You benefit by extension, gaining access to trucks, lanes, and expertise that would be difficult to arrange independently. For small businesses, leveraging these relationships and demonstrating reliability can make the difference between shipments that move smoothly and those delayed by a capacity crunch.

Customs and Documentation on Both Sides of the Atlantic

For small businesses importing or exporting between the U.S. and Europe, customs clearance can feel like the most intimidating part of international shipping. Yet with the right partners and preparation, it doesn’t have to be. The key is to rely on a licensed customs broker and a trusted freight forwarder or NVOCC to handle compliance, filings, and carrier coordination.

When trading across the Atlantic, even small oversights can create big headaches. A simple error in your Harmonized System (HS) code can cause you to overpay duties or even trigger fines for underpayment. Missing the Import Security Filing (ISF) deadline can cost up to $5,000. And if customs on either end randomly selects your container for inspection, you could face hundreds of dollars in added drayage and exam fees.

For overstretched small business teams, those risks can quickly outweigh any perceived savings from managing clearance in house.

That’s where expert partners come in. A customs broker ensures your documentation, tariff codes, and filings are accurate and on time. They also represent you directly with customs agencies, helping prevent costly mistakes.

Avoid the “All-In” Carrier Trap

Many small shippers assume that using a carrier’s all-in service — from pickup to final customer delivery — simplifies shipping. In reality, this approach can increase costs and reduce flexibility:

• Carriers prioritize large accounts, sometimes pushing their smaller customers to later sailings.
• Inland charges and terminal handling may be marked up without clear cost transparency
• Even minor adjustments to delivery often incur fees, such as BOL amendments.

It’s only natural that ocean lines give special white-glove treatment to major shippers booking tens or hundreds of thousands of TEUs annually. They get the best sailings, their phone calls are always answered, and a truck always shows up at their docks.

This is why it makes sense for SMB’s to book truck transportation through a broker or a freight forwarder who can manages the door-to-door shipment. Ocean carriers provide excellent service across the water. But a forwarder or NVOCC with all the right connections and relationships can secure the ground transportation and warehousing you need when you need it, while communicating and managing all the details and giving you peace of mind.

Choosing the Right Logistics Partner

Selecting the right freight forwarder or NVOCC is one of the most important decisions a small business can make when shipping internationally. Focus on finding a partner with the expertise and flexibility to guide you through the complexities of international freight.

Look for someone with a proven track record and years of experience in transatlantic shipping. Your logistics partner should be able to accommodate a variety of shipment types, including FCL, LCL, air freight, and partial shipments, tailoring solutions to your specific needs.

Importantly, the forwarder should take a consultative approach, asking the right questions to understand what matters most to your business: cost, speed, or reliability. As a small business, it’s likely that you don’t have the in-house knowledge to manage the complex details of international freight shipping, including customs brokerage and trade compliance. That’s why your choice of a small business shipping partner is highly strategic.

“As a freight forwarder that specializes in shipping for small and mid-sized businesses, I.C.E. Transport essentially acts as the shipper’s in-house logistics team, keeping bookings aligned with cargo readiness and port availability,” Rozek said. “We coach clients on what makes sense for their shipment – it’s not one-size-fits-all. This ensures that every decision aligns with your business priorities, giving you confidence that your cargo will move efficiently and safely across the Atlantic.”

Final Thoughts on Small Business Shipping

Shipping internationally between the U.S. and Europe doesn’t need to be intimidating. With careful planning and the right partners, and by following these small business shipping tips, SMBs can achieve the same reliability and cost efficiency as the big players.

At I.C.E. Transport, we help small businesses succeed by combining deep international freight expertise with personalized service. Ready to simplify your import/export shipping between  Europe and the U.S.? Contact I.C.E. Transport today to learn how we can optimize your international freight and keep your goods moving smoothly.