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22 answers across five topic areas — from how our freight modes work to what drives your rate and how our technology platform functions.

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Select a category to jump directly to those questions, or scroll through all five topic areas below. Every answer is written to be direct — no boilerplate, no filler.

General
5 questions
Services & Routes
5 questions
Customs & Compliance
4 questions
Billing & Pricing
4 questions
Technology & Tracking
4 questions
01 General 5 questions

Meridax is a freight forwarder and logistics operator specialising in road, air, and sea freight for businesses moving goods internationally. We handle the full logistics chain — booking, customs clearance, documentation, insurance brokerage, and delivery — and provide a technology platform for shipment visibility throughout. We are not a carrier; we work with a vetted network of carriers to move your cargo on the best available capacity.

We operate across 52 countries. Our core European road network covers all EU member states plus Norway, Switzerland, and the Western Balkans. Air freight services extend to all major commercial aviation markets globally. Sea freight routes cover all major port pairs. For a specific origin-destination pair, contact our team and we will confirm coverage and lead time before you commit.

We are a licensed freight forwarder with our own warehousing and final-mile capabilities. We do not operate our own truck fleet or aircraft. Instead, we act as your logistics intelligence layer — selecting the best carrier for each shipment from our vetted network, managing the booking and documentation, and holding accountability throughout. You deal with Meridax. We deal with the carriers.

Our client base spans mid-market manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, e-commerce operators, and enterprise importers and exporters. We work with businesses shipping from a few pallets per month up to clients running dedicated lane contracts with daily movements. We do not have a minimum shipment size, but our services are optimised for businesses that ship regularly rather than one-off senders.

Submit a quote request through our contact page with your cargo details, origin, destination, and target shipment date. Our team will respond with a rate and proposed routing within two business hours. If the quote suits you, we issue a booking confirmation and assign an account manager who handles all subsequent communication. There is no obligation until you confirm a booking.
02 Services & Routes 5 questions

We support four modes: road freight (FTL and LTL), air freight (standard and express), sea freight (FCL, LCL, and reefer), and bonded warehousing. For complex shipments, we arrange multi-modal routing — for example, road to port followed by sea freight, with customs managed at the port of departure. Our team designs the routing based on your cargo, deadline, and cost targets.

Yes. Door-to-door is our standard service model for European road shipments and for international air freight. For sea freight, we quote door-to-port as default but can extend to door-to-door with destination last-mile if the receiving country is within our partner network. We will confirm door-to-door availability for your specific destination at quote stage.

Yes. For road freight, we consolidate LTL (Less than Truckload) shipments into our regular groupage services departing Hamburg on fixed weekly schedules. For sea freight, we offer LCL (Less than Container Load) on all major trade lanes with consolidation managed at our Hamburg hub. LCL transit times are typically 3 to 5 days longer than FCL due to consolidation and deconsolidation at origin and destination.

Yes, subject to classification. We handle ADR-classified road freight, IATA Dangerous Goods by air, and IMDG-classified sea freight. Class 1 (explosives) and Class 7 (radioactive) require pre-authorisation and are handled only on a case-by-case basis. Provide your UN number, packaging group, and quantity at quote stage and we will confirm compliance requirements and available carriers.

Road freight within the EU: 1 to 5 business days depending on distance. Air freight: 1 to 3 days to most international destinations. Sea freight: 14 to 35 days port-to-port depending on trade lane. These are indicative. Actual transit depends on carrier schedules, customs clearance times, and destination infrastructure. Your quote will include the specific estimated transit for your lane.
03 Customs & Compliance 4 questions

Yes. Standard import and export customs clearance is included in all international shipment quotes. Our in-house customs team holds licences for EU import and export declarations. For third-country clearance, we work with licensed customs brokers at the destination. We prepare all required documentation and file on your behalf. You receive a copy of all customs entries as part of your shipment documentation package.

For standard commercial shipments: a commercial invoice, packing list, and — for sea freight — a bill of lading instruction. Additional documents required vary by commodity and destination: certificates of origin, phytosanitary certificates, EUR.1 movement certificates, or product safety declarations may apply. We provide a documentation checklist for your specific shipment after booking confirmation so nothing is missed.

Import duties and VAT are payable by the importer of record in the destination country. We calculate estimated duties at quote stage based on HS code, commodity value, and applicable trade agreements. Actual duties are settled with the customs authority on your behalf and invoiced to you at cost with no mark-up. For clients with EORI numbers and deferred payment accounts, we can file against your account directly.

Yes. Meridax holds GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certification for the handling and transportation of pharmaceutical and life science products. Our cold chain services include temperature-controlled vehicles, validated packaging, continuous data logging, and chain-of-custody documentation. GDP qualification applies to our Hamburg warehouse operations and our selected carrier partners for pharmaceutical lanes. Certificates are available on request.
04 Billing & Pricing 4 questions

Pricing is based on four factors: cargo specification (weight, dimensions, commodity, hazmat class), origin and destination, timing and urgency, and compliance requirements. Each freight mode has its own rate calculation methodology — road freight uses lane-based pricing per pallet or per kg, air freight uses chargeable weight (the higher of actual vs volumetric), and sea freight is priced per TEU or CBM. See our Pricing page for a full breakdown by service mode.

Yes. Clients with predictable volumes on defined lanes can negotiate quarterly or annual contract rates. Contract pricing is typically 8 to 18 percent lower than equivalent spot rates and includes guaranteed capacity on your core lanes. To qualify, we review your shipping history over the prior 90 days and model your expected lane profile. Speak to your account manager to initiate a contract review.

Our quotes are all-in where possible. Carrier surcharges (fuel adjustment, peak season, emergency bunker) are applied at cost and listed explicitly in every quote document. We do not add handling margins to carrier surcharges. The only items that can change post-quote are carrier surcharges imposed outside our control — we notify you immediately if these arise before the shipment departs.

New clients start on 14-day net payment terms. Established accounts with a consistent payment record are extended to 30-day net as standard. We accept SEPA bank transfer and SWIFT. Credit card payments are available for spot bookings under €5,000. Invoices are issued in EUR. Multi-currency billing in USD or GBP is available for high-volume international accounts on request.
05 Technology & Tracking 4 questions

Yes. Every shipment booked with Meridax is tracked through our visibility portal from booking confirmation to final delivery. You receive a unique tracking reference at booking. Road freight shows GPS position updates every 15 minutes. Air freight tracking pulls live updates from airline cargo manifests. Sea freight shows vessel position, ETA at port of discharge, and customs clearance status. Email and SMS milestone alerts are available on request.

Yes. We offer REST API integration for shipment booking, status polling, and document retrieval. Current certified integrations include SAP S/4HANA, Oracle SCM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Infor WMS. Custom API connections are scoped as a paid integration project. EDI (EDIFACT / X12) is supported for clients on legacy ERP systems. Contact our technology team for integration documentation and sandbox access.

Our client portal provides real-time shipment tracking, document management, quote history, and analytics dashboards. The analytics module shows lane performance, on-time delivery rates, average transit vs quoted transit, cost per kg by mode, and exception event history. Dashboards are configurable by user role and exportable to PDF and CSV. Access is included for all clients with no additional licence fee.

Report any discrepancy or damage through the portal within 7 days of delivery confirmation. Attach photographic evidence and your delivery receipt. Your account manager will acknowledge within 4 business hours and initiate the carrier claim process. Claims are tracked in the portal and updated at each stage. For urgent or high-value claims, call our operations desk directly to expedite the process.