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What is American Shipping?
American Shipping Company is a U.S. customs broker and freight forwarder that also offers logistics operations, trucking, warehousing, cargo insurance, compliance support, and shipment visibility tools. It presents itself as a single provider for companies that import and export, with services available as an all-inclusive solution or individually.
Its main service areas, based on the site, include:
- Customs entry and brokerage
- International freight forwarding
- Trucking and cartage
- Warehousing and distribution
- Cargo insurance
- Compliance and data/document services
- Online tracking, reporting, and supply chain analytics
The company says it was founded in 1899 and now operates through several related companies, including American Shipping Company, Inc., American International Cargo Service Inc., American Cartage & Distribution, and American International Cargo Service (Asia) Ltd. That structure suggests a focus on coordinating both domestic and international shipping rather than handling only one leg.
Who it is for
American Shipping appears best suited to businesses with recurring import/export needs — especially those that want customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and domestic transport handled through one relationship. It may also appeal to logistics or supply chain teams that need reporting and tracking across carriers and ports.
If you are comparing providers, a practical next step is to ask whether you need a full-service customs broker and forwarder or only one piece, such as customs entry or trucking. Ask each provider to quote the same shipment and to explain who handles exceptions like customs holds, port congestion, or rerouting.
How do I get a quote for customs brokerage or freight forwarding services?
You get a quote by requesting one directly through the company's website or by contacting their team; American Shipping puts "Get a Quote" calls to action throughout its homepage and offers a full suite of customs brokerage, freight forwarding, logistics, trucking, warehousing and related services that can be bought as an all-inclusive solution or à la carte.
American Shipping
What to have ready before you ask
A useful quote depends on accurate shipment details. Prepare:
- Origin and destination (port, airport or door address)
- Commodity and approximate value
- Weight, dimensions, number of packages or containers
- Mode: ocean, air, truck or a combination
- Timeline and any special handling, insurance or compliance needs
- Whether you want customs brokerage only or a bundled service
A practical next step
If your shipment is straightforward, ask for both a customs-brokerage-only quote and a freight-forwarding quote so you can compare the cost of separate providers against one integrated service. If you ship regularly, mention your monthly or annual volume, because that is what usually moves pricing and service options.
How to decide
Choose a customs broker for entry filing, duty and compliance questions. Choose a freight forwarder for moving goods across borders and arranging carriers. If you want one point of contact and shipment visibility, look for a provider that does both — American Shipping describes its services as complementary and available individually or as a seamless solution, and it highlights tracking and analytics tools for monitoring shipments.
What is the process for customs entry and clearance for imports?
Customs entry and clearance for imports is a regulated, document-heavy sequence. The licensed customs broker files the entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the importer's behalf, then coordinates release, duty payment and any follow-up. American Shipping lists Customs Entry as one of its core services alongside freight forwarding, trucking, warehousing and compliance — useful if you want one provider to handle the shipment and the paperwork rather than splitting them.
The typical sequence looks like this:
- Documents and classification. The importer supplies the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, and any certificates (e.g., origin, FDA, USDA). The broker classifies goods under an HTS code, which determines duty rate and whether other agencies have a say.
- Entry filing. The broker transmits the entry data to CBP, usually before or on arrival. This may be a formal entry or an informal entry for low-value shipments, and it may be paired with a customs bond.
- Arrival and release. CBP reviews the filing and may inspect, x-ray or hold the cargo. Once released, the freight can move — this is where a provider with its own trucking or warehousing arm can shorten the gap between release and delivery.
- Duty, taxes and fees. The importer pays estimated duties, merchandise processing fees and any other charges. Liquidation (CBP's final determination) can take months, and refunds or bills follow from there.
- Post-entry and compliance. Recordkeeping, post-entry amendments, protests, and audits of valuation, origin or classification claims.
Where importers get stuck
- Classification disputes and valuation questions, especially with related-party transactions.
- PGA holds: FDA, EPA, FCC, DOT and similar agencies can stop a release even after CBP is satisfied.
- Missing or inconsistent documents, which cause exams, storage charges and demurrage.
- Origin claims (USMCA, GSP) that require documentation the supplier never provided.
Practical next step
Before your first shipment, ask a prospective broker three questions: who is the licensed broker of record, how do they handle PGA holds, and what does their tracking give you? American Shipping advertises shipment visibility and analytics tools (AmeriReports, Ameriweb) and publishes client comments about transit-time reporting and inbound forecasting — for example, Jennifer at Sur-Seal describes using an "Ocean Carrier Transit Times with delivery" report to spot congestion patterns, and Kyle at Chicken of the Sea mentions improved DC forecasting. Those are customer observations, not independent tests; treat them as claims to verify by asking for a live demo of the reports you would actually receive.
For official baseline rules, start with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule at U.S. International Trade Commission. If your goods are food, drugs or devices, check U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prior notice and registration requirements before booking freight — those obligations sit with the importer, not the broker.
Which services does American Shipping offer for international freight and trucking?
American Shipping offers both international freight and trucking as part of an integrated logistics suite, and either can be used on its own or combined with the rest. According to its site, the service lineup includes customs brokerage, freight forwarding, logistics operations, trucking and warehousing, customs entry, cargo insurance, compliance, and document imaging, plus shipment visibility and analytics tools.
American Shipping
For international freight, the relevant pieces are:
- International freight forwarding — arranging the movement of goods across borders.
- Customs brokerage and customs entry — clearing imports and exports through customs.
- Cargo insurance — covering goods while in transit.
- Compliance support — helping keep shipments within import/export rules.
- Shipment visibility and analytics — online track-and-trace and supply chain reporting.
For trucking, the site lists trucking and warehousing alongside its logistics operations, with American Cartage & Distribution as one of the affiliated companies handling that side.
A practical way to decide: if your shipment crosses a border, you likely need freight forwarding plus customs brokerage; if it only moves domestically after arrival, trucking and warehousing are the relevant services. The site presents these as complementary, so a shipper moving goods from an overseas origin to a domestic warehouse could use forwarding, customs entry, trucking, and warehousing together rather than coordinating separate providers.
How can I track my shipment and access supply chain analytics through AmeriSystems?
Shipment tracking and analytics are handled through AmeriSystems, the web-based portal from American Shipping Company. According to the site, it offers "Track & Trace Online, Anytime" plus "custom shipment tracking and supply chain analysis," and the company describes the tools as user-friendly supply chain visibility and analytics. If you are a customer, the practical route is to log into AmeriSystems and look for the tracking or reports area, or ask your account contact to set up portal access and the reports you need.
What the tools cover, based on the site
- Shipment visibility: Online track and trace for your shipments.
- Analytics: Supply chain analysis and reporting, including a report named "Ocean Carrier Transit Times with delivery," which follows a shipment from sail date to delivery date.
- Custom reporting: Reports can be customized and automated, then emailed to internal and external teams.
- Related services: Customs entry, international freight, trucking, cargo insurance, compliance, a data center, and document imaging — useful context because tracking data often sits alongside customs and freight milestones.
Whose experience this reflects
The page quotes customers, so treat these as their observations, not neutral tests:
- Jennifer at Sur-Seal said end-to-end transparency helped her team lower costs such as port storage and reroute freight when congestion patterns appeared; she specifically cited the Ocean Carrier Transit Times report for spotting longer transit times.
- Kyle at Chicken of the Sea Int'l said AmeriSystems improved inbound weekly distribution-center forecasting, helping plan labor and avoid network cost.
- A third client said Ameriweb and AmeriReports are used daily and that automated emailed reports improved 3PL efficiency.
My practical read: the value here is less about watching a single box and more about pattern-finding — transit-time trends, port congestion, and DC forecasting. If you only need a one-off "where is my container" check, a basic carrier tracking page may be enough. If you manage recurring inbound freight, the analytics and automated reports are the reason to use the portal.
A useful next step
Write down the decisions you want the data to support — for example, "reroute when a port shows a congestion pattern" or "adjust warehouse labor based on inbound forecasts" — then ask your American Shipping contact which AmeriSystems reports map to those decisions and how to get them emailed on a schedule.
For general context on U.S. customs and trade data, official resources such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection can help you interpret entry and compliance information.
What are the benefits of cargo insurance and compliance support for importers and exporters?
Cargo insurance and compliance support protect two different kinds of loss: the value of your goods while they move, and your legal right to keep importing or exporting without delays, penalties or seizures. For an importer or exporter, they are less about convenience and more about avoiding a single incident that wipes out the margin on many shipments.
Cargo insurance covers physical loss or damage in transit — the gap left by carrier liability, which is usually limited by weight or package rather than the actual value of your freight. If you ship high-value, fragile, temperature-sensitive or consolidated cargo, insurance is often the difference between a recovered claim and a write-off.
Compliance support covers the paperwork and regulatory side: classification, valuation, origin, licensing, and the customs entry itself. Mistakes here rarely stay small. They can trigger holds, exams, storage fees, penalties or lost import privileges, even when the goods arrive perfectly intact.
H3 When each one matters most
- Cargo insurance is the priority when: your goods are expensive relative to their weight, you use multiple carriers or transshipment, or you cannot absorb a total loss.
- Compliance support is the priority when: you import regulated products, claim preferential duty treatment, use duty drawback, or ship across several borders with changing rules.
- Both matter when: you run a recurring supply chain where one delayed or seized shipment disrupts production or customer commitments.
H3 How they differ in practice
| Need | Cargo insurance | Compliance support |
|---|---|---|
| Problem it solves | Loss or damage to goods | Regulatory errors and customs delays |
| Typical trigger | Accident, handling damage, theft, water damage | Misclassification, missing documents, wrong origin |
| Main benefit | Financial recovery | Predictable clearance and lower penalty risk |
| Who feels the pain without it | The owner of the goods | The importer of record and its broker |
A customs broker and freight forwarder such as American Shipping typically bundles these with entry filing, freight, trucking and warehousing, so a shipment is covered and cleared through one coordinated process rather than several vendors. That integration is the practical benefit: fewer handoffs between the party handling your cargo and the party handling your compliance.
H3 A practical next step
Before your next shipment, list your top three products by value and ask two questions: what would a total loss cost us, and what would a two-week customs hold cost us? If either answer is painful, get a written quote that separates cargo insurance from compliance and entry services, so you can see what you are actually paying for each.
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