Freight Forwarders

Orchestrate multi-modal logistics from a single platform

Freight forwarders live at the center of complex shipments — coordinating between shippers, couriers, airlines, and customs. CHRT gives you a single platform to manage all of it: build orders with multiple legs, assign different couriers to each leg, track cargo across ground and air, and keep every stakeholder informed.

What CHRT Does for Freight Forwarders

Build Complex, Multi-Leg Orders

CHRT’s order system was designed with freight forwarding in mind. Orders are composed of task groups — each representing a leg of the journey that can be assigned to a different courier and tracked independently.

A typical multi-modal order might look like:

  1. Ground pickup — local courier collects cargo from the shipper
  2. Airport transfer — courier delivers cargo to the departure airport
  3. Flight leg — cargo flies, with automatic flight status tracking
  4. Airport recovery — local courier at the destination picks up from the airport
  5. Final delivery — courier delivers to the end recipient

Each of these legs is a separate task group. You assign the right courier to each one, attach rate sheets, set flight info, and specify what documentation is required at every handoff.

Orders are built through a draft builder — you compose the order step by step, validate it, then stage it for execution. This works through the web UI, our API, or our SDKs.

NFO (Next Flight Out)

For time-critical shipments that need to move immediately by air:

  • A ground courier picks up the cargo and tenders it to the airline
  • The flight leg is tracked automatically through FlightAware integration
  • At the destination, a ground courier recovers the cargo and delivers it

CHRT tracks each phase independently, so you always know where the cargo is — on the ground, in the air, or in customs. Flight info is attached at the task group level, and status updates flow through notifications in real time.

OBC (On-Board Courier)

For the highest-value, most time-sensitive shipments, CHRT supports on-board courier service where a dedicated person accompanies the cargo door-to-door:

  • The courier picks up the cargo, drives to the airport, goes through security, boards the flight, lands, clears customs, recovers the cargo, and delivers it
  • CHRT tracks every step with granular status updates — from “courier arrived at airport” through “courier cleared customs” to “cargo delivered”
  • This provides continuous chain-of-custody visibility for organs, high-value items, sensitive documents, and anything else that demands hand-carry service

Manage Your Network

As a freight forwarder, your network is your business. CHRT helps you manage it:

  • Discover shippers and couriers — browse organizations on the platform, see their profiles, service areas, and capabilities
  • Establish connections — link with shippers who need forwarding services and couriers who can execute legs
  • Manage your team — control who in your organization can access what, and assign roles
  • Set up your profile — describe your specializations so partners can find you

Track Everything in Real Time

Once orders are in motion, CHRT gives you full visibility:

  • Order-level view — see the status of every order across your portfolio
  • Task group detail — drill into individual legs to see driver location, task progress, and documentation
  • Flight tracking — automatic status updates for air freight legs via FlightAware
  • Device tracking — attach CHRT tracker devices to cargo for independent GPS and temperature monitoring
  • Messages and files — attach notes and documents to task groups for coordination between parties

Notifications & Webhooks

CHRT’s notification system is built for multi-party operations:

  • Notification Groups — create groups for different teams (dispatch, ops, management) and subscribe them to relevant events on the right channels (email, SMS, push)
  • Ad Hoc Notifications — send tracking updates for specific orders to external contacts like the end recipient or the shipper’s customer
  • Webhooks — pipe events directly into your TMS or other systems for automated workflows

Key events you can subscribe to include order staged/completed/cancelled, courier assigned, driver assigned, task completed, flight info updated, invoice opened, and more.

Billing & Rate Sheets

CHRT manages the financial complexity of multi-party shipments:

  • Rate Sheets — define or receive pricing structures for different service types. Assign rate sheets to specific task groups so each leg of a shipment is priced correctly.
  • Line Item Groups — each task group gets a detailed cost breakdown showing base rates, mileage, surcharges, and any adjustments
  • Statements — aggregate line item groups into invoiceable units for each party
  • Stripe Connect — payment processing is built in, so funds flow between shippers, forwarders, and couriers through the platform

Cargo Types

CHRT supports a wide range of cargo classifications. When building orders, you specify the type for each cargo item, which drives handling requirements and pricing:

CategoryTypes
Medical & Healthcarepharmaceuticals, medical_devices, medical_supplies, lab_specimen, blood, organ, tissue
Industrialmanufacturing_equipment, aircraft_parts, spare_parts, electronics
Specializedhazardous_materials, perishable, frozen, chemicals, documents
Generalclothing, other, unspecified

Common Use Cases

Coordinate shipments of pharmaceuticals, organs, lab specimens, and medical devices with full cold chain visibility. CHRT supports temperature monitoring through tracker devices, requires photo and signature documentation at every handoff, and provides immediate alerts for exceptions. Ideal for medical logistics companies managing hospital-to-hospital and lab-to-lab shipments.

Manage NFO and OBC shipments with end-to-end tracking across ground and air. CHRT integrates with FlightAware for automatic flight status updates, lets you assign different ground couriers at origin and destination, and provides granular visibility into every phase of the journey.

Orchestrate complex supply chain movements involving multiple carriers, transport modes, and handoff points. CHRT’s task group model lets you break a shipment into independently managed legs, assign the right courier to each one, and track everything from a single dashboard.

Getting Started

  1. Create an account at chrt.com/sign-up
  2. Set up your forwarder profile — describe your capabilities and specializations
  3. Build your network — connect with shippers and couriers on the platform
  4. Create your first order — use the draft builder to compose a multi-leg shipment
  5. Monitor and manage — track orders, manage billing, and keep stakeholders informed

For API integration, our base URL is https://api.chrt.com. We offer SDKs in TypeScript, Java, and Swift, and full endpoint documentation in our API Reference.

Need help? Contact our support team.