Frankfurt - AST - Air Sea Truck Intl GmbH (Frankfurt, Head Office)
AST – Air Sea Truck International GmbH is a Frankfurt-based freight forwarding partner with a long-standing presence in international logistics, delivering multi-modal solutions across air, sea, and road transport. Headquartered near Frankfurt Airport, AST leverages a strategic location to manage time-sensitive shipments and to coordinate a broad global network of carriers, freight forwarders, and agents. With decades of experience and a proactive customer-centric approach, AST designs, executes, and optimizes end-to-end supply chains, tailored to the unique requirements of manufacturers, exporters, importers, and project cargo stewards. Their offering encompasses air freight, sea freight, and ground transportation, supported by value-added services such as on-board courier options, charters, aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support, and door-to-door delivery under DAP/DDP terms, ensuring end-to-end control and visibility for every shipment.
Founded in the early 1980s, AST has grown into a reliable international logistics partner through continuous development of its service portfolio and its global network. The company’s leadership and team have cultivated deep market knowledge by operating across diverse regions and industries, enabling them to anticipate regulatory considerations, capacity constraints, and pricing dynamics. This experience translates into consultative guidance for customers: AST helps assess market potential and risks, design compliant and efficient routes, and implement risk-managed logistics solutions that align with timelines, budgets, and regulatory requirements. Their emphasis on professional advisory support positions AST as a trusted facilitator for complex global supply chains.
A key strength of AST is its integrated air freight capability. The firm maintains a dedicated airfreight department positioned at Frankfurt’s Cargo City South, a hub location that enables rapid access to European and international routes, consolidate shipments, and manage cross-border movements with precision. This structure supports both standard and express airfreight services, ranging from routine shipments to time-critical consignments. In addition to scheduled airfreight, AST offers on-demand solutions such as charter services and AOG support, ensuring responsiveness for critical industries and urgent freight needs. The combination of an on-site airfreight team and global routing capabilities enables AST to optimize transit times, synchronize connections, and minimize handling and transfer risks for customers.
On the ocean side, AST’s sea freight offering covers the full spectrum of sea-based logistics. Their sea freight professionals plan and execute the entire transport chain, including door-to-door options, consolidations, full container loads, and specialized services for cargo with dimensional or handling constraints. By managing the end-to-end process—loading, ocean carriage, inland transport, and final delivery—AST helps customers realize reliable, cost-effective ocean solutions with transparency and control throughout the voyage. The company’s ocean operations are complemented by its ability to provide flexible LCL/LTL solutions as well as full-container services, accommodating both regular shipments and project cargo requirements.
In the realm of road transport, AST collaborates with long-standing partners to deliver international trucking services that complement their air and ocean offerings. The LKW-transporte capabilities enable timely delivery of shipments that require last-mile access or border-to-border movements, ensuring that clients’ cargo reaches its destination in a cost-efficient and predictable manner. This multi-modal approach enables AST to design seamless, door-to-door logistics plans that reduce transfer points, shorten lead times, and improve overall supply chain reliability.
Beyond the core transport modes, AST emphasizes a customer-first philosophy through tailored service design, proactive communications, and continuous process improvement. Their approach focuses on delivering qualified advisory services that help clients navigate the complexities of international trade, including documentation, regulatory compliance, insurance considerations, and risk management. By fostering a collaborative network of local and global partners, AST provides robust coverage across geographies, ensuring that customers receive consistent levels of service, regardless of destination.
AST’s market positioning is characterized by its longevity, sector familiarity, and a commitment to quality and reliability. With four decades of operational experience, the company has built a resilient network of carriers, shipping lines, airlines, and freight agents, enabling flexible collaboration and quick adaptation to changing market conditions. This depth of experience translates into predictable performance, which is particularly valuable for businesses that rely on dependable transit times and secure handling across borders.
From a platform perspective, AST aligns well with FreightCue’s mission as a global freight forwarder directory and communications hub. FreightCue users can benefit from AST’s diversified service portfolio—air, sea, and ground—with a clear value proposition for shippers seeking end-to-end logistics solutions. AST’s Frankfurt hub offers strategic access to European markets and international connections, making the organization a compelling candidate for inquiry-driven matches, price benchmarking, and collaboration opportunities among freight forwarders and shippers. The company’s emphasis on transparent, consultative engagement and its ability to tailor solutions to specific shipment profiles (from standard cargo to urgent or oversized items) align with FreightCue’s platform goals of enabling efficient quotes, collaborative pricing discussions, and credible partner reviews. In summary, AST presents a well-rounded, experienced, and service-focused partner with the capacity to manage complex, time-sensitive logistics across air, sea, and road networks, while delivering reliable performance and value for FreightCue’s global directory community.
