Charlotte, NC - Radiant/Distribution by Air (Radiant/Distribution by Air, Charlotte, NC)
Distribution By Air (DBA) is a seasoned North American freight forwarding and logistics provider with a long-standing history dating back to 1978. Operating across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, DBA delivers international and domestic forwarding and logistics solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of shippers in a dynamic global market. The company supports a broad range of freight movements through a diversified structure that includes core divisions Adcom Worldwide, Airgroup, and Distribution By Air, enabling a wide geographic footprint and a flexible service portfolio. With a robust team of professionals—reported to total over 1,300—DBA emphasizes service consistency, operational resilience, and scalable capabilities to manage complex supply chains across multiple modes of transportation. The organization positions itself as a full-service partner for businesses seeking reliable freight forwarding, customs compliance, and end-to-end logistics support in North America and beyond.
DBA’s licensing and compliance framework underpins its ability to navigate the regulatory landscape that governs international trade. The company holds essential credentials that are critical to risk management and service integrity, including IATA accreditation for air cargo operations and FMC licensing for NVOCC and OTI activities. It also maintains compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requirements and C-TPAT security standards, reflecting a commitment to security and regulatory alignment. Additional certifications such as ITAR for defense-related shipments, ISO 9004, and SmartWay further reinforce a focus on quality management, continuous improvement, and environmental stewardship. This combination of licensing and certifications positions DBA to handle a wide range of goods—from standard commercial shipments to time-sensitive, regulated, or high-security cargo—while maintaining traceability and accountability throughout the supply chain.
DBA’s service approach centers on multi-modal solutions tailored to the freight forwarding needs of global businesses. The company emphasizes the ability to design and execute integrated transportation plans that leverage multiple modes—air, land, and other appropriate channels—to optimize transit times, costs, and service levels. This multimodal perspective is complemented by a commitment to end-to-end logistics, including international air and domestic forwarding, customs clearance oversight, and value-added services that help customers manage documentation, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation. By aligning mode selection with shipment characteristics, DBA aims to deliver reliable on-time performance and predictable cost structures, even in markets characterized by volatility or disruption.
A key strength of DBA is its North American footprint, underpinned by a network of locations that enables proximity to customers, suppliers, and cross-border flows. The breadth of coverage supports efficient consolidation, deconsolidation, and coordinated door-to-door solutions across the region. The company’s experience in cross-border transportation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico positions it to address the complexities of regional trade agreements, import/export controls, tariff classifications, and duty/tax management with a coherent and compliant approach. In addition to core forwarding services, DBA offers warehousing and distribution capabilities, enabling customers to manage inventory, order fulfillment, and value-added configuration in strategic locations to support regional and global supply chains.
To support day-to-day operations and customer enablement, DBA provides a suite of online tools and resources designed to empower shippers, suppliers, and partners. The company’s digital offerings include shipment tracking and status visibility, a shopper-friendly interface that enables rapid access to tracking information, and access to a range of calculators and forms that streamline logistics planning. For example, shipper-facing tools such as freight class density calculators and mileage calculators are available to assist with rate assessment, routing choices, and cost estimation. The availability of forms and documentation resources helps customers prepare and submit required paperwork in a timely and compliant manner, reducing administrative burdens and supporting smoother handoffs across supply chain stages.
DBA maintains an active communications program to keep customers and stakeholders informed about industry dynamics and market developments. The company’s news and industry insights, showcased on its site, include periodic Freight Market Updates that synthesize current events affecting freight markets, capacity, and regulatory landscapes. These updates help customers anticipate shifts in supply and demand, adjust logistics strategies, and stay ahead of potential disruptions. By sharing timely perspectives on market conditions, DBA demonstrates a proactive approach to risk management and continuous improvement, which are essential for maintaining reliability in complex supply chains.
From a customer experience perspective, Distribution By Air emphasizes reliability, responsiveness, and compliance as core operating principles. The combination of regional reach, diversified service capabilities, and strong regulatory credentials positions DBA as a credible partner for shippers seeking to optimize global freight flows while maintaining governance and control over their supply chains. The company’s emphasis on multi-modal solutions, cross-border expertise, and digital enablement aligns with the evolving expectations of modern logistics buyers who demand visibility, flexibility, and proactive issue resolution. In addition, DBA’s compliance-oriented posture—notably with ITAR, ISO standards, and SmartWay—reassures customers that sensitive shipments, environmental considerations, and quality objectives are managed with due diligence and governance.
For shippers evaluating a freight forwarder on Freightcue, Distribution By Air presents a compelling value proposition: a mature, North American-centric forwarder with international reach, a scalable operations model, and a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and service quality. Freightcue users can expect to leverage DBA’s broad modal capabilities, cross-border expertise, and logistics toolkit to design cost-efficient, time-definite transportation solutions. The platform’s ability to post inquiries, compare quotes, and facilitate direct quotes between freight forwarders aligns with DBA’s customer-centric service philosophy, enabling faster decision cycles and improved pricing transparency. DBA’s established presence across North America, coupled with its multilingual, multi-modal approach and access to a comprehensive set of logistics tools, makes it a viable candidate for shippers seeking reliability and predictability in both routine and high-stakes shipments. By integrating with Freightcue, DBA can enhance its visibility to global buyers, demonstrate its credentials and certifications, and capture inquiries from diverse industries that require compliant, multi-modal logistics support. In essence, DBA embodies the type of seasoned, capability-rich partner that Freightcue users aim to connect with when building resilient, scalable supply chains for today’s global marketplace.
In summary, Distribution By Air (DBA) stands as a mature, compliance-driven, multi-modal freight forwarder and logistics provider with deep North American roots and a global outlook. Its broad service spectrum—from international forwarding and customs clearance to warehousing, distribution, and value-added logistics—addresses the end-to-end needs of modern supply chains. With a robust licensing portfolio, a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and sustainability, and a digital toolkit that supports planning and execution, DBA offers a reliable platform for shippers seeking predictable performance and responsive service. For Freightcue, DBA represents a high-potential partner profile: a well-established forwarder with the scale, expertise, and tools to handle complex shipments across borders, while delivering value through transparent communications, robust compliance, and a client-focused service approach. This aligns with Freightcue’s objective of connecting global shippers with credible, capable freight forwarders and facilitating competitive, well-informed freight quotation conversations.
