How it works
The complete guide to shipping with Elk Cargo — the six-step journey from Guangzhou to Ghana, what it costs, what every tracking status means, and how to pay your bill.
STEP 01
Browse the containers currently loading and see the live rate per CBM. Describe what you're shipping and we classify it automatically — clothes and general goods, electronics, or special-care items like batteries and liquids — so you know your price before you commit to anything.
Your goods fall into one of four rate classes — Standard, Electronics & Fragile, Special Care, or Restricted — based on what you tell us you're shipping. If a shipment mixes categories, the whole shipment bills at the highest class present.
STEP 02
Fill in your name, phone number, and where in Ghana your goods should end up — area, landmark directions, and an exact GPS pin if you can share your location. We generate a tracking number and a QR-code label to print or screenshot and attach to your cargo.
What you'll need
Full name
Phone number
we call this number before delivery
Year of birth
Area / town
e.g. Kasoa, Tema Community 18
Directions & landmark
e.g. behind the blue kiosk after the old barrier
Description of goods
shows your estimated rate as you type
Exact GPS pin
OPTIONALone tap on “Use my current location”
Ghana Post GPS code
OPTIONALskip it if you don't know it
Submitting gives you a tracking number and a QR-code shipping label you can save as an image or print. Attach it to every carton.
STEP 03
Your label shows our Guangzhou warehouse address. Deliver your goods there yourself, or have your supplier ship directly — our team receives and logs every package against your tracking number as it arrives.
Your label carries our Guangzhou warehouse address. Drop your goods off yourself, or have your supplier ship them there with the label attached — every package is logged against your tracking number as it arrives. Sea freight takes 35–50 days; air freight 5–10 days.
STEP 04
Once your cargo is in the warehouse, we measure the actual volume and finalize your bill at the confirmed rate for your goods category. You'll see the exact figure — no surprises — before your container departs.
Your bill is measured CBM × your category's rate, with a 0.1 CBM minimum. It appears on your tracking page in USD with the Ghana cedi equivalent.
STEP 05
From the moment your container is on board, you get SMS updates and can check live status any time — shipped, arrived in Ghana, cleared and inventoried, out for delivery — all against your tracking number.
STEP 06
Our delivery team uses the landmark directions and GPS pin you provided — not just a postal code — to find you. If anything's unclear, we call the number on file before heading out.
Rates & billing
Freight is priced per CBM (cubic metre), and the rate depends on what your goods are. We classify them automatically from your description.
| Category | Rate per CBM | Typical goods |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $260 USD | Clothes, shoes, bags, furniture and general dry goods |
| Electronics & Fragile | $300 USD | Electronics, appliances, machines, ceramics, tiles and glass |
| Special Care | $350 USD | Battery goods, food & supplements, cosmetics and liquids |
| Restricted | $400 USD | Raw batteries and paint at 1 CBM or more |
Standard
$260/CBM
Clothes, shoes, bags, furniture and general dry goods
Electronics & Fragile
$300/CBM
Electronics, appliances, machines, ceramics, tiles and glass
Special Care
$350/CBM
Battery goods, food & supplements, cosmetics and liquids
Restricted
$400/CBM
Raw batteries and paint at 1 CBM or more
How billing works
Minimum billable volume is 0.1 CBM — smaller parcels bill as 0.1.
Mixed cargo bills at the highest rate class in the shipment.
Raw batteries and paint at 1 CBM or more escalate to the Restricted rate.
E-bikes, motorbikes and scooters are quoted per piece — message us on WhatsApp for a price.
All rates in USD per CBM with a 0.1 CBM minimum. Your tracking page shows the Ghana cedi equivalent.
Tracking statuses
Your tracking page shows one of these statuses at every point in the journey. Here's how to read them.
Before we receive your goods
Request submitted
You've described your goods and asked to ship with us — we have your request.
Label issued
Your tracking number and QR shipping label are ready to attach to your cargo.
Client contacted
Our team has reached out to confirm your shipment details.
Client request confirmed
Everything's confirmed — we're expecting your goods at the warehouse.
Once your package is with us
Shipped to Ghana
Your package is on the vessel and sailing for Ghana.
Arrived in Ghana
The container has landed at the port in Ghana.
Cleared & inventoried
Customs is done and your package is checked into our local depot.
Ready for delivery
Your package is ready — delivery is being scheduled.
Out for delivery
A driver has your package and is on the way to your address.
Delivered
Your package has been handed over. All done!
Payments
Your bill lives on your tracking page — in USD with the cedi equivalent — and updates from unpaid to partially paid to paid as payments land.
Pay your bill in Ghana cedis by MTN Mobile Money or Alipay, then message us on WhatsApp with your tracking number and the transaction reference so we can confirm receipt.
Any figure shown before the warehouse measures your cargo — including one derived from your packing list — is indicative. Your final bill is set once we measure.
ELK CARGO
Travel coordination, freight shipping, and supply chain consulting. From China to your door.