FAK (Freight All Kinds)

FAK, Freight All Kinds, is a rating convention: instead of describing each commodity precisely, freight is tendered under a generic mixed-goods label, historically to simplify LTL class ratings and contract pricing. On domestic U.S. freight it is unremarkable. On cross-border freight it collides with two realities that make commodity disclosure genuinely important.

First, security: Mexican carriers price and plan around what the cargo is, since commodity determines theft attractiveness, insurance conditions, escort requirements, and no-go corridors. A posting that hides the commodity reads as a mystery load. Second, compliance: customs classification (fracción arancelaria), hazmat determinations, and insurance coverage all require knowing what is actually in the trailer.

What this means when you move freight

The broker's dilemma is real: after theft incidents, shippers instinctively hide commodities. Across the border, an undescribed load reads as a red flag. US Customs does not accept "FAK" or "general cargo" on a truck's cargo manifest (19 CFR 123.92(d)(9)), and Mexico's Carta Porte requires a product key and description for every item. The carrier files that paperwork and answers for what's in the trailer, so carriers want to know what they're hauling before they quote. The workable middle ground is calibrated disclosure: describe the commodity category and characteristics honestly (packaged consumer goods, palletized auto parts, hydraulic pumps) without advertising brand names, values, or serial-level detail in public postings, and share full detail with the vetted carrier that wins the load, under the confidentiality a real vetting relationship supports. A network of verified carriers changes this calculus fundamentally, which is much of its point: disclosure feels safe when you know who is reading.