“You need to understand customs and you need to be on top of everything; we’re getting the best of both worlds with Getlink Customs Services and CustomsPro.”
Background
Founded in Italy in 1992, Trans World Shipping (TWS) is an international freight forwarder providing road, air and sea freight services. After expanding into the UK in 2002, the company now employs 35 people at its UK operation in Basildon, Essex.
TWS specialises in supporting globally recognised luxury fashion brands, where reliability, consistency and tailored service are essential. Its UK operations primarily manage imports from Italy, alongside exports from UK manufacturers into Italy and the wider EU.
The challenge
Brexit introduced customs declarations for goods moving between the UK and EU, significantly increasing the administrative requirements for TWS.
With limited need for customs clearance before Brexit, TWS needed a simple, scalable solution that could handle growing declaration volumes without requiring extensive customs training or additional internal resources.
The priority was to automate as much of the process as possible while maintaining the speed and high service standards its customers expected.
The solution
As an existing customer since 2011, TWS turned to Getlink Customs Services and implemented CustomsPro to manage its post-Brexit customs requirements.
The intuitive platform enabled the TWS team to prepare customs declarations without the extensive training associated with traditional customs software, while retaining access to experienced customs specialists whenever support was needed.
As declaration volumes increased, TWS moved from manual portal entry to a fully integrated API solution. Working with RenturApp, customer data in different formats could be automatically converted, extracted and transferred directly into CustomsPro – removing the need for manual data entry.
This combination of automation and customs expertise allowed TWS to focus its resources on its core business of moving freight.
Results
Today, TWS processes up to 1,000 customs declarations per month through CustomsPro, with declarations automatically submitted through the API.
The solution has enabled TWS to:
- Automate high-volume declarations, significantly reducing manual data entry.
- Manage customs efficiently with a small team, with just four employees involved in customs processes at its UK operation.
- Integrate customer data directly into CustomsPro, regardless of the original file format.
- Maintain 24/7 operations, with expert support available whenever questions or issues arise.
- Keep goods moving efficiently, while maintaining the high service standards expected by its luxury fashion customers.
By combining automation with round-the-clock customs expertise, Getlink Customs Services gives TWS the flexibility to manage high declaration volumes without having to build a large customs operation in-house.
“The system’s intuitive design means we can onboard new team members in no time. It’s been a gamechanger for us.”
David Diaz, Customs Specialist, Jaylo