Introduction to Freight Forwarding
Your first confident step into New Zealand's freight, logistics and supply chain industry. Start from zero and finish able to follow a shipment door to door and speak the language of the trade.
Built to cover five registered unit standards
This is more than a knowledge course. Every chapter is mapped to the exact outcomes of five NZQA unit standards from the freight forwarding domain, worth 20 credits at Levels 2 and 3.
Terms and types of transport services
The everyday language of freight forwarding: sea, air, road and container terms and abbreviations, plus the ship and aircraft types used to carry different cargo.
Authorities, legislation and documentation
The international and New Zealand authorities that govern trade, the key legal requirements and penalties, and the documents that move with every shipment.
Dangerous goods as a freight forwarder
Checking shipments for dangerous goods, the nine classes, the rules that apply by mode, the declarations required, and who is responsible along the chain.
Comparing the transport sectors
The advantages and disadvantages of moving goods by road, rail, air and sea, and how to justify the right sector for a given cargo.
Payment methods in international trade
Cash in advance, documentary credit, documentary collection and open account: the risks, the documents and the process to effect payment under UCP 600 and URC 522.
20 credits, one course
Standard-setting body: Transport Industry Skills Board. CMR reference 0014. Available grade: Achieved.
From factory door to final delivery
Every idea is taught against real freight moving through real ports, terminals and aircraft, so the language of the industry sticks.
Learn the content, then prove it
The course teaches everything you need, then an optional assessment pathway lets you gather the evidence for each unit standard. Complete the evidence workbooks and, on a successful moderated result, gain the credits.
Learner evidence workbooks
A dedicated workbook for each standard, with a worked exemplar so you know exactly what a good answer looks like.
Evidence in the lesson
Assessment tasks sit next to the lessons that teach them, so you build your evidence as you learn rather than in one long test.
Moderated to NZQA best practice
Assessor packs, marking schedules and pre-moderation follow NZQA guidance so results stand up to scrutiny.
Downloadable learner guide
A full study companion PDF covering every lesson, so you can revise away from the screen and walk into assessment prepared.
Credits are awarded on a successful, moderated assessment result. Talk to Capability Solutions about the assessment option for your team or class.
Seven chapters, factory door to final delivery
Each chapter builds on the last and finishes with a short knowledge check, then a final assessment brings the whole journey together.
The Big Picture
What a freight forwarder actually does, their core functions, and the New Zealand context of imports, exports and compliance.
How Goods Move
Sea, air, road, rail and coastal freight, how ports work, and how to choose the right mode for any shipment.
What Moves and How It Is Packed
Cargo types from perishable to high value, plus containers and unit load devices, from 20ft boxes to air ULDs.
The Paperwork
The core trade documents, a first look at Incoterms, and the payment methods and letters of credit that settle a deal.
Borders and Compliance
NZ Customs, biosecurity and MPI, and freight security across air and sea, with the forwarder's role at each step.
Managing Risk
Marine and cargo insurance, and how dangerous goods are classified, declared, packed and segregated safely.
Putting It Together
The full shipment recapped door to door, then a final assessment to confirm everything has landed.
Quizzes and final assessment
A knowledge check every chapter at 80% to pass, resits allowed, with model answers revealed on completion.
Follow one shipment, all the way
A single real world consignment, a pallet of garments leaving a Hamilton clothing brand for a buyer in Berlin, threads through every chapter. You always meet a new concept against a story you already know.
Each chapter advances the same shipment one stage further, so by the end you have watched a real order travel from factory floor to a customer's door.
What you will walk away with
By the end you can hold your own in a freight forwarding office and understand the language of the industry.
Speak the language of freight, from FCL and LCL to Incoterms, Bills of Lading and HS codes.
Understand the full journey a shipment takes and who is responsible at each step.
Read the key documents and know what each one is for and when it is needed.
Navigate New Zealand borders with a working grasp of Customs, biosecurity and MPI rules.
Handle dangerous goods knowledge with confidence, from the nine classes to the declarations.
Talk confidently in an interview or a new freight, logistics or supply chain role.
Made for people new to freight
School leavers
Exploring a career in logistics and supply chain who want a real, recognised head start.
Career changers
Moving into freight, shipping or supply chain and needing the fundamentals fast.
Operations and support staff
Customer service, sales and admin teams who want to understand how shipping really works.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need any experience to start?
No. The course assumes you are starting from zero. Every term is explained in plain language the first time it appears, so it is ideal for school leavers, career changers and support staff who are new to freight.
Which unit standards does it cover?
It is built to cover five registered NZQA unit standards from the freight forwarding domain: US 21803, US 21804, US 27305, US 13230 and US 13252, worth 20 credits in total at Levels 2 and 3.
Do I earn the credits automatically?
The lessons give you the knowledge. Credits are awarded through the separate assessment pathway: you complete the evidence workbooks and, on a successful moderated result, gain the credits. Get in touch about the assessment option for your team or class.
How long does it take?
It is completely self paced. You can move through it in a few focused sessions or spread it out over a couple of weeks, and return to any lesson whenever you like.
Is it specific to New Zealand?
The compliance content covers New Zealand Customs, biosecurity and MPI, so it is directly useful here. The core freight, shipping and documentation concepts apply to international trade anywhere in the world.
Will there be a test?
Yes. Each chapter has a short knowledge check, and there is a final assessment at the end so you can confirm everything has landed before you finish.
Walk in already speaking the language
Finish able to follow a shipment end to end, read the documents and talk with confidence in a freight, logistics or supply chain role.
Start your freight forwarding career today
Enrol through the school and take your first confident step into one of New Zealand's most important industries.
Enrol nowSelf paced · Beginner friendly · Aligned to five NZQA unit standards · 20 credits covered