Three packages, one client moving forward.
One client, three stages, not three separate services. Most companies who work with Cargo Compass move through all three over time — find where you are below.
Evaluate. Activate. Operate.
The natural progression for most clients, whether you move through all three or stop at one.
Is an FTZ right for us?
We're approved. Now what?
Keep us compliant.
Which package is right for you?
Most companies know which of these three situations they're in. If you don't, the audit call sorts it out.
Feasibility & Activation
Best if you don't have a zone yet and need a real number before committing to anything.
Best for- You suspect an FTZ could help but haven't seen the math on your own volume
- You want an honest recommendation, including a no
- You need full activation support if the answer is yes
Newly Activated Zone
Best if you have board approval or an activation date and need the operational side built.
Best for- CBP wants inventory controls and written procedures
- Your WMS handles inventory but not zone status
- You need hands-on guidance through your first months live
Outsourced FTZ Administrator
Best if your zone is running but nobody owns compliance day-to-day.
Best for- The person who understood the system left
- Reconciliation season is coming and nobody's prepared
- You need ongoing oversight, not a one-time fix
Feasibility & Activation
You suspect an FTZ could help, but nobody's shown you a number on your own volume.
- FTZ Fundamentals Session: A half-day session covering zone types, the regulatory framework, and how the program applies to your operation.
- Benefits Analysis: Built from twelve months of your own entry summaries, not a generic calculator.
- Honest Recommendation: A clear number, including whether you clear the threshold where a zone pays for itself.
- Full Activation Support: From application through approval, if the answer is yes.
What you walk away withA number, a recommendation, and either a path to activation or a clear reason not to.
Newly Activated Zone
CBP wants inventory controls, written procedures, and a facility that survives a walkthrough.
- Written Procedures: Covering admission, transfer, removal, and status determination.
- System Setup & Training: Inventory control and recordkeeping system configuration, plus training for your team.
- Recordkeeping Standards: Retention policy, audit trail, and physical security requirements, documented and in place.
- Hands-On Guidance: Through your first months of live operation, filing questions and troubleshooting.
What you walk away withProcedures CBP recognizes, a system that actually tracks zone status, and a team that knows how to run it.
Outsourced FTZ Administrator
The one person who understood the system left, or reconciliation season is coming, and the certification has your name on it now.
- Ongoing System Oversight: Entries reviewed and errors caught early, before they become a reconciliation problem.
- Admission Processing Support: Continuous status determination management, handled as part of the routine.
- Reconciliation-Ready Reporting: Monthly, so annual reconciliation isn't a scramble.
- Single Point of Contact: For CBP, coordinated with your broker of record.
What you walk away withRecords that stay reconciliation-ready without a scramble, and one person who owns it.
Compliance doesn't stop after activation.
Status determinations, reconciliation, the audit trail — every stage after activation still needs oversight. That's where most zones quietly fall behind.
Explore Ongoing Support →Before we get to work.
Straight answers to the questions FTZ operators ask us most.
Do you file our CBP entries?
No. Cargo Compass is not a licensed customs broker and does not file entries directly. We manage the inventory records, status determinations, and reporting your zone runs on; your broker of record handles filing, and we coordinate directly with them.
Not sure which package fits us?
That's exactly what the audit call sorts out. Most companies know which of the three situations they're in, but if you don't, tell us where you stand and we'll tell you honestly — including if the answer is none of the above.
Do we have to work with you long-term?
No. Some clients only need Feasibility & Activation and never come back. Others move through all three packages over a few years as their zone matures. There's no bundling requirement either way.
Do you provide legal advice?
No. Cargo Compass provides FTZ operational and compliance consulting, not legal advice, customs brokerage, or freight services. If your situation needs a lawyer, we'll tell you when it's time to loop one in.
How is this different from what our broker or WMS vendor already does?
A customs broker files your entries; they don't build your inventory control system or write your procedures. A WMS tracks inventory, but most weren't built to track zone status, which is a different and more specific requirement. Cargo Compass sits in the gap between the two.
Ready to find out where you stand?
Every engagement starts the same way: a straight answer before you commit to anything, not a sales pitch.
Start a Conversation →