Freight Forwarder in Orlando, Florida
With no container port in Orlando, FL, Platton brings your Asia and Europe cargo through the Florida port that fits each shipment, working as an Orlando freight forwarder specialized in imports. Central Florida importers have three coastal ports within trucking distance: PortMiami for LatAm and Caribbean cargo, JAXPORT for East Coast container services, and Port Tampa Bay for Gulf-side freight. Containers clear customs at the Florida port of entry, then move inland by drayage or CSX intermodal rail to Greater Orlando. For time-critical cargo, MCO provides a direct air freight option to Central Florida.
Freight Forwarder Services in Orlando
Orlando Inland Freight: CSX Intermodal and MCO Air Cargo
CSX is the primary Class I railroad serving Central Florida. The CSX Winter Haven Intermodal facility, southwest of Orlando, is the main rail ramp for container moves from East Coast and Gulf ports. Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) provides regional coverage along the eastern corridor and connects to the national network at Jacksonville, but CSX carries the primary intermodal volume into the Orlando metro.
Drayage from the Florida ports and the Winter Haven ramp reaches Greater Orlando on I-4 and the local toll roads.
Port routing follows the trade lane. PortMiami, roughly 230 miles south, handles Latin American and Caribbean origins. JAXPORT, about 140 miles north, serves East Coast sailings from Asia and Europe and offers direct CSX intermodal connections to Winter Haven. Port Tampa Bay covers Gulf-side cargo where Tampa rates or schedules are favorable. Platton evaluates all three for every Orlando shipment.
MCO handles pharma, medical, and high-value consumer goods that cannot wait for ocean. Platton arranges standard air consolidation and expedited options into MCO from Asia and Europe.
Industries Platton Serves Through Orlando
Central Florida supports a concentrated consumer base, a growing e-commerce fulfillment sector, and specialized supply chains that require precise timing. Importers in these sectors book their freight with Platton:
E-commerce and retail fulfillment inbound to Central Florida distribution centers
Theme park and hospitality supply chain: specialty goods, fixtures, and consumables for the Orlando hospitality corridor
Consumer goods for Central Florida and statewide distribution
Electronics and gaming hardware for tech and entertainment companies
Pharmaceutical and medical products via MCO air cargo, serving hospitals and life sciences businesses in the region
Food and beverage imports, including perishables routed through PortMiami or MCO cold chain
Why Importers Choose Platton as Their Orlando Freight Forwarder
Orlando's freight advantage is three-port flexibility. PortMiami for LCL consolidation, JAXPORT for East Coast container services, Port Tampa Bay for Gulf-side freight. Platton selects the routing that fits the origin, the cargo type, and the schedule. A China-origin FCL on an East Coast service goes through Jacksonville. Consolidated LCL loads use the PortMiami LCL network. That decision is built into the quote. Whichever port wins, the price reflects competitive rates Platton negotiates with the major carriers, with no hidden fees.
For air, MCO capacity means Central Florida shippers have a local gateway rather than rerouting through Miami or Atlanta. Platton books the flight into MCO and the truck from the airport. The quote covers the ocean or air leg and drayage or intermodal delivery to Greater Orlando.
Platton's AI-driven cargo management platform shows which of the three ports your container is booked into, and real-time container tracking on that box runs until delivery in Greater Orlando.
Member of WCA, JCtrans and NCBFAA
US offices in Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Savannah
Weekly sailings from Asia and Europe with Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Evergreen and Hapag-Lloyd
Live quotes with every charge named before you book
Drayage from 42 US ports and rail ramps, with 93% same-day port pickup
Orlando Freight Forwarders: Frequently Asked Questions
Orlando importers benefit from three coastal port options within trucking distance of Central Florida. PortMiami, about 230 miles south, offers the deepest LCL consolidation network. JAXPORT, about 140 miles north, handles East Coast services from Asia and Europe and connects directly to CSX intermodal at Winter Haven for an efficient inland leg. Port Tampa Bay, about 85 miles southwest, is the closest of the three to Orlando. Platton selects the port that fits the origin, cargo type, and schedule, with the comparison shown in the quote.
Transit from main Chinese load ports to Orlando typically runs 32 to 42 days on the ocean-plus-rail combination via JAXPORT: roughly 30 to 38 days ocean transit through the Panama Canal to JAXPORT, one to three days customs clearance, and one to two days CSX intermodal rail to Winter Haven plus short final drayage to Orlando. Via PortMiami plus northbound truck transit to Orlando, the total lands in a similar range. For time-critical replenishment, air freight via MCO runs three to seven days from most Asian origins to an Orlando delivery address.
It depends on the mode. Release happens at the Florida port where the container lands (PortMiami, JAXPORT or Port Tampa Bay), and from there a truck to Orlando or the CSX train to Winter Haven takes over. On flights into MCO, the release comes at Orlando International Airport, and clean documents typically keep it to one to three days.
Yes, Platton does. Amazon operates fulfillment centers across Central Florida, with FBA warehouses in the Orlando metro and the surrounding Polk County corridor reachable by short drayage from CSX Winter Haven Intermodal or by direct truck from PortMiami, JAXPORT, or Port Tampa Bay.
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Platton Freight Forwarder Pages for Other Cities
Platton handles freight forwarding through every major US gateway. Explore other locations: