Export freight from the US: air and ocean, priced live from your door
Live export prices out of the US: two pallets by air from Chicago to Frankfurt ran $813 to $2,486, a 40 foot high cube from Los Angeles to Sydney $2,625 to $4,848, and two pallets by sea from Los Angeles to Manchester from $564 on Warp’s captures through October 28, 2026. Every price starts with a truck at your US door, and you see every line before you book, with no forwarder login.
By Troy Lester, Co-Founder & CRO
Live all-inclusive rates
How much is air freight from the US to Australia?
Los Angeles to Sydney ran $1,572 to $5,963 for two pallets at 544 kg (1,200 lb) on Warp’s October 28, 2026 capture, about $2.89 to $10.96 per kilogram, 7 to 18 days, airport or full door by tier.
How much is sea freight from the US to Australia?
A 40 foot high cube from Los Angeles to Sydney ran $2,625 to $4,848 carrying 15,876 kg (35,000 lb) on Warp’s October 28, 2026 capture, 24 to 25 days, port or full door by tier. Two pallets at 544 kg (1,200 lb) in a shared container ran $841 to $1,651, 31 to 75 days, port or full door by tier.
How much does it cost to ship freight from the US to Germany?
By air, Chicago to Frankfurt ran $813 to $2,486 for two pallets at 544 kg (1,200 lb) on Warp’s October 28, 2026 capture, about $1.49 to $4.57 per kilogram, 6 to 12 days, airport or full door by tier. German addresses price live by postal code, so type the consignee’s postcode and the quote searches the flight and the delivery together.
Warp customers
US export prices, dated and real
Every number below is a real production quote from Warp’s live rate engine, with its capture date and service scope on the row. Rates move with sailings, flights and fuel; the card above prices your exact lane in about a minute.
| Mode | Lane | Load | Live quote | Transit | Scope | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL | Los Angeles to Sydney | 40'HC, 15,876 kg (35,000 lb) | $2,625 to $4,848 | 24 to 25 days | Port or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Ocean FCL | Newark, NJ to Felixstowe, UK | 40'HC, 15,876 kg (35,000 lb) | $1,827 to $3,493 | 14 to 45 days | Port or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Ocean LCL | Los Angeles to Sydney | 2 pallets, 544 kg (1,200 lb) | $841 to $1,651 | 31 to 75 days | Port or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Ocean LCL | Los Angeles to Manchester, UK | 2 pallets, 544 kg (1,200 lb) | $564 to $1,778 | 31 to 60 days | Port or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Air | Chicago to Frankfurt | 2 pallets, 544 kg (1,200 lb) | $813 to $2,486 | 6 to 12 days | Airport or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Air | Los Angeles to Sydney | 2 pallets, 544 kg (1,200 lb) | $1,572 to $5,963 | 7 to 18 days | Airport or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Air | Los Angeles to Manchester, UK | 2 pallets, 544 kg (1,200 lb) | $1,477 to $2,186 | 7 to 10 days | Airport or full door by tier | Oct 28, 2026 |
Per kilogram on these captures: a full 40 foot high cube moved freight for $0.12 to $0.31, pallets in a shared container for $1.04 to $3.27, and air for $1.49 to $10.96.
What the price leaves for the destination
When an export price ends at a door abroad, the destination customs entry is itemized in it, as it is on every full door tier captured here. One thing stays out of every export price:
- Duty, import tax and any local import fees are billed to the importer of record after arrival.
Get your number
The steps of a US export
Price and book first: type your US ZIP and the destination, and the live quote returns tiered prices by sea and air; you lock one online.
On every tier captured here, a truck collects at your door and takes the freight to the port or airport.
Before it sails or flies, the exporter, or an agent it authorizes, files the Electronic Export Information (EEI) in AES when any one Schedule B line on the shipment is worth more than $2,500 or the goods need an export license, and a commercial invoice and packing list travel with the freight.
The crossing ran 24 to 25 days by sea from Los Angeles to Sydney and 6 to 12 days by air from Chicago to Frankfurt, by tier.
Port and airport tiers end there; full door tiers clear customs at the destination and deliver to the consignee.
Air export or ocean export
From Los Angeles to Sydney, air ran $2.89 to $10.96 per kilogram against $0.17 to $0.31 for a full container by sea, and it arrived in 7 to 18 days where the container took 24 to 25 days.
Fly samples, spares and launch stock; send the rest by sea.
Why export air can cost less than import air
Most US air lanes carry more freight in than out, so space on the way out often sells for less.
Chicago to Frankfurt ran $1.49 per kilogram at its cheapest tier on Warp’s Oct 28, 2026 capture; Frankfurt to Chicago ran $5.64 on the Oct 28, 2026 capture, about 3.8 times as much coming in.
A full container, a shared container, or pallets by air
A 40 foot high cube holds about 20 pallet positions and ran from $2,625 from Los Angeles to Sydney.
For a few pallets, shared container space priced by the pallet is usually the cheaper buy: two pallets ran from $564 to Manchester and $841 to Sydney.
The live quote prices each option for the same lane, so the choice is a comparison, not a guess.
Where an export can go
The captures here run to Australia, Germany and the UK.
Type a destination port, airport, postal code or city into the card and the live quote searches the routes to it in about a minute; the UK and much of Europe price by postal code.
Frequently asked questions
What paperwork does a US export need?
A commercial invoice and a packing list travel with every export, and the carrier issues the bill of lading or air waybill.
The exporter, or an agent it authorizes, files the Electronic Export Information (EEI) in AES when any one Schedule B line on the shipment is worth more than $2,500 or the goods need an export license.
The destination may ask for more, such as a certificate of origin to claim a trade agreement rate.
Who pays duty on a US export?
In most sales, the importer of record at the destination: duty and import tax there are billed after arrival. Under DDP (delivered duty paid) the US seller has agreed to pay them instead.
The Incoterm on the sale decides who books and pays each leg.
How long does it take to export freight from the US?
On Warp’s captures, a container ran 24 to 25 days from Los Angeles to Sydney and 14 to 45 days from New Jersey to Felixstowe; two pallets by air ran 6 to 12 days from Chicago to Frankfurt and 7 to 18 days from Los Angeles to Sydney, by tier.
Do I need a freight forwarder to export from the US?
Not to get a price or to book. Warp prices exports live from a US ZIP with no forwarder login: tiered rates locked online, booking confirmed the same day.
Can I export a few pallets instead of a full container?
Yes.
Shared container space and air both price by the pallet: two pallets from Los Angeles to Manchester ran from $564 by sea, about $1.04 per kilogram, and two pallets from Chicago to Frankfurt from $813 by air.
About the Warp freight network
More about the Warp freight network
Warp is the open source freight network: the tech is free and the network is open. We run Warp LTL, our own carrier, Warp FTL, cargo van, box truck and fulfillment ourselves, with every major LTL carrier, parcel, ocean, air and drayage plugged in beside them. Our driver app rides on every truck and our warehouse app runs every cross-dock, so an open network of 38,000+ carriers behaves like one carrier you control. Warp is licensed by the FMCSA as a property broker and freight forwarder, and runs the network itself: instant rates, live tracking, 70+ cross-dock facilities, 14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks, 80%+ US LTL zip-to-zip coverage and nationwide FTL, box truck and cargo van.
The network is supported by 24,000+ vetted FTL carriers.
Unlike traditional brokers, Warp uses AI to match the right vehicle to every load based on weight, dimensions, urgency, and cost targets. Cross-dock operations reduce transit time by eliminating unnecessary terminal transfers.
Pool distribution and zone-skipping programs help enterprise shippers lower per-unit delivery costs while maintaining tight appointment windows.
Self-serve shippers can quote, compare, and book freight online in under two minutes. Enterprise accounts get dedicated capacity planning, committed rate programs, and a named operations team. Every shipment includes scan-level visibility from pickup through final delivery.
Warp operates across the contiguous United States with regional density in the Southeast, Texas, Midwest, and Northeast corridors, and West Coast and Southwest coverage from Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.
Warp operates 70+ cross-dock facilities across the US, with named markets including Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, New York, Savannah, Orlando, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Columbus, Denver, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Los Angeles. They support faster transfers and fewer touches on recurring lanes.
Freight modes and vehicle types
| Mode | Max payload | Max cube | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | 3,500 lbs | 400 cu ft | Time-sensitive, last-mile, light pallets |
| Box truck | 10,000 lbs | 1,500 cu ft | Regional distribution, no dock required |
| LTL | Per-pallet | Shared trailer | Lower per-pallet cost via cross-dock routing |
| Dry van / FTL | 42,000+ lbs | Full 53-ft trailer | High-volume lanes, recurring programs |
Cargo vans handle loads up to 3,500 pounds and 400 cubic feet, ideal for time-sensitive deliveries, last-mile retail replenishment, and lightweight palletized freight.
Box trucks carry up to 10,000 pounds and 1,500 cubic feet, fitting most regional distribution and store delivery needs without requiring a loading dock.
Dry vans and full truckloads move 42,000+ pounds for high-volume lanes and recurring programs. LTL shipments share trailer space on optimized routes through Warp cross-docks, reducing per-pallet cost by consolidating multiple shippers on the same vehicle.
Warp does not default every shipment to a 53-foot trailer. The AI engine evaluates load weight, cube, delivery window, and cost to recommend the right vehicle. Shippers see all available mode options with live pricing in one comparison screen before booking.
Cross-dock operations
Cross-docking at Warp facilities keeps freight moving instead of storing it: inbound freight is sorted and transferred directly to outbound vehicles, typically within hours. When inventory does need to sit, Warp's fulfillment centers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New Jersey hold it inside the same network, with same day delivery within 30 miles of each.
This reduces dwell time, lowers damage risk, and compresses delivery windows. Warp cross-docks support pallet-in, pallet-out operations with scan-level tracking at every handoff point.
- Atlanta — Southeast retail flow
- Chicago — Midwest manufacturing and replenishment
- Houston — Texas industrial distribution
- New York — dense Northeast delivery
Facility locations are selected for corridor density: Atlanta handles Southeast retail flow, Chicago serves Midwest manufacturing and replenishment, Houston covers Texas industrial distribution, and New York supports dense Northeast delivery. Each facility operates on appointment-based scheduling to prevent congestion and maintain throughput consistency.
Enterprise freight programs
Enterprise shippers get committed rate programs, dedicated account management, and custom SLA design. Warp builds lane-by-lane rate structures that account for volume commitments, seasonal variation, and mode flexibility. Operations teams monitor shipment execution daily and intervene proactively when exceptions occur.
Self-serve freight quoting
Shippers enter origin and destination, load details, and delivery requirements to see live rates across all available modes. Quotes include estimated transit time, vehicle type, and total cost.
Booking takes one click. After booking, shippers track every shipment with real-time GPS location, milestone updates, and proof of delivery documentation.
Industries and use cases
Retail shippers use Warp for store replenishment programs that deliver to hundreds of locations per week on tight appointment windows. Apparel brands use zone skipping to bypass regional parcel sortation and reduce per-unit delivery cost.
Food and beverage companies rely on time-definite delivery for perishable goods. Manufacturing operations use Warp for inbound vendor consolidation, combining multiple supplier shipments into fewer, fuller loads through cross-dock facilities.
Distribution companies use pool distribution to serve multiple delivery points from a single origin, splitting full truckloads at cross-docks into smaller last-mile vehicles.
Urgent freight recovery covers emergency capacity needs when primary carriers fail or demand spikes unexpectedly. Middle-mile optimization reduces cost and transit time on the longest segment of multi-leg shipments.
Ready to ship?
Get instant rates or talk to our team about a custom freight program.
By Troy Lester