[seymore_12]

Excellent question to which there is no easy answer.

There is no site available that can give a price for which you are sufficiently sure you are getting competitive rate for which the shipment will be actually performed in the time needed. None. Closest you can get is inquire via some of the ocean carriers, 4PL sites, but you have to do this carrier by carrier and yet often you don't get comprehensive number.

Pricing in this industry is extremely opaque, indices quoted here are for the most part rough estimations, representing someone's hopes and dreams.

[Animats]

Huh.

There's a YC startup, "Flexport", which was supposed to disrupt that. Their pitch: "Flexport is the end-to-end platform for global trade. Book, track and deliver freight shipments from factory floor to customer door." But if you go to their site, you don't see a price list. You get "Hi there ! Click here for a quote or to chat with sales." Same as other freight forwarders.