AiDeliv reverse auctions cut ocean freight to USD $0.65

AiDeliv says early usage data from its reverse-auction freight marketplace show ocean shipping rates averaging USD $0.65 per kilogram for small importers, compared with USD $1.20-1.50 per kilogram previously paid by users through freight forwarders.

The company said it has processed more than 1,500 auctions since launch and has about 450 shipments in transit. It also reported a record-low winning bid of USD 0.31 per kilogram on a single China-to-US shipment during what it described as off-peak consolidation.

AiDeliv operates a marketplace that runs timed reverse auctions. Shippers post cargo details, and carriers bid prices down over a set period. The company said auctions typically finish in 12 hours, compared with an industry norm of three to seven days for quoted rates.

Pricing claims

AiDeliv said the average winning rate across its first 1,500 auctions was USD 0.65 per kilogram on Delivered Duty Paid terms. It said the figure reflects an all-in landed price that includes customs and final delivery.

"After three months of closed beta and one month of public operation, we have processed over 1,500 auctions with approximately 450 shipments currently in transit. This is not promotional pricing-it is a systematic repricing of how small businesses access ocean freight," said Vitalii Savryha, Founder, AiDeliv.

AiDeliv's model focuses on small and medium-sized importers, including Amazon sellers. The company positions the approach against tariff-related cost swings and changes to customs thresholds. It said small importers face tighter cash flow as trade rules shift and charges change after goods ship.

AiDeliv said it only offers DDP. Under that approach, the shipper sees a landed cost up front. AiDeliv said each bid covers freight, customs clearance and brokerage, import duties and taxes, final delivery to a warehouse or fulfilment centre, and insurance up to the invoice value, with a maximum of USD$100,000.

Auctions model

The company compared its approach to traditional freight forwarding, in which shippers receive static quotes and often deal with multiple parties across countries and time zones. AiDeliv said its system connects shippers directly with carriers and aggregates demand from multiple small shippers into consolidated volumes.

In AiDeliv auctions, the company said verified carriers submit progressively lower bids. It said each new offer must undercut the previous bid by a meaningful amount. Shippers can accept a bid before the auction ends or wait for the final price.

"There is no secret strategy. The auction itself is the strategy. When carriers compete in real time for your cargo, the market finds the true price. By cutting out intermediaries across multiple time zones, we compress what traditionally takes freight forwarders three to seven days into a 12-hour transparent process," said Savryha.

AiDeliv said most competitive bids appear within the first three hours. It said shippers can end the auction and proceed with booking once they see an acceptable price.

Tariff pressure

AiDeliv linked its DDP approach to rising import costs and uncertainty. The company said it "locks in" all-inclusive rates that account for duties immediately, reducing unexpected customs bills.

"We are not just lowering shipping costs," said Savryha. "We are keeping cross-border trade viable for the little guy in 2026."

Technology and vetting

AiDeliv said its reverse auction system runs on patent-pending technology, with a US application filed in December 2025. The company also said it uses machine learning to screen carriers before they can bid. It said the screening considers route history, customs performance, and damage rates.

AiDeliv described the process as an automated vetting step. It said the step maintains speed while filtering participating carriers.

Example shipment

The company recently provided a comparison of disposable medical products shipped to an Amazon fulfilment centre. It described a shipment of 1,172 kilograms and 7.03 cubic metres, with 100 cartons.

AiDeliv said the shipper's Amazon Partner Carrier quoted USD $1,287. It said the winning reverse-auction bid came in at USD $816, which it described as a 37% reduction on that shipment.

"This is not a cherry-picked example," said Savryha. "This is what happens when carriers compete for your cargo instead of giving you a take-it-or-leave-it quote."

Routes and background

AiDeliv said it covers ocean and air freight. It said it specialises in routes from China, Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia into the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

The company said Savryha previously built ARDI Express to 96,000 square feet of warehouse operations across California and New Jersey, with USD $8 million in annual revenue. AiDeliv said Savryha completed executive programmes at Stanford Graduate School of Business and Harvard Business School.

AiDeliv said it will continue to publish pricing data through its platform dashboard and expects more shipments to move through its auction process as additional small importers and carriers join the marketplace.