AI for freight forwarders: type the data once
Between the shipping line, customs, the carrier and the client, the same container number ends up copied by hand four times. We use artificial intelligence to automate the part of the shipment file that doesn't need judgment: reading the documentation, matching it and leaving it ready for whoever actually decides and signs. We do it from Barcelona as an AI agency for businesses, with recognition in Forbes España and the Cámara de Comercio de España.
Updated on by Elek Cunill
The same data, typed four times.
A freight forwarder lives on coordinating between the shipping line, customs, the carrier and the client, and each one sends its document in its own format. The container number, the weight and the tariff heading end up copied by hand into the booking, the shipment file, the customs instruction and the invoice. Every copy is an hour nobody bills for, and one more chance to get it wrong.
Where we come in at a freight forwarder
Four fronts of the back office of an international freight forwarding agency. It's the same method we apply to the rest of the sector in AI for logistics and transport, applied to shipment file operations.
Shipment file documentation
Bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, CMR consignment note and certificates arrive by email. The AI reads them, extracts the fields and cross-checks them against each other, flagging when the packing list weight doesn't match the B/L.
From hours to minutesQuotes
The client's request arrives in a handwritten email. It gets interpreted, cross-checked against your current rates and surcharges, and the quote is left ready for you to review and send.
Reply the same dayArrival notices and status
The client asks when it's arriving and whether it's cleared customs yet. An assistant answers with the shipment file's real status at any hour and escalates to a person whatever needs judgment.
24/7, even in AugustInvoicing and collections
Invoices with disbursements, surcharges and third-party costs that need to be matched before issuing, and then chased. We automate reconciliation, reminders and the internal alert when something falls behind schedule.
Fewer days to get paid
Where we draw the line
At a freight forwarder there are acts that carry a signature and responsibility behind them, and those don't get automated: the customs declaration is filed by the authorized representative, a doubtful tariff classification is decided by a person, and the booking with the shipping line is confirmed by whoever answers for it. The AI prepares, checks and flags; it doesn't sign.
We say this upfront because it's the first question anyone who knows the trade will ask, and because a provider who promises that AI "clears customs" is describing something that doesn't exist.
Why it reaches production
| With DelegaloAI | The pilot that goes nowhere | |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Connected to your email, your shipment file software and your bank | A standalone tool that doesn't talk to anything |
| Where it fits in | Through the shipment file and documentation, which is where the hours go | Through a website chatbot, which is the path of least resistance |
| Difficult documents | Confidence threshold and human review queue | Gives you a made-up figure with complete confidence |
| Responsibility | What carries a signature is always signed by a person | Promises to automate procedures that require authorization |
Who it's for
- Ocean, air and road freight forwarders with between 5 and 50 people.
- Customs brokers with a transit department and a lot of incoming documents.
- Operators who handle consolidated cargo (groupage) and have to match documentation from several providers per shipment.
- Companies about to hire someone just to type and file paperwork.
- Anyone who's already tried a generic OCR tool and ended up reviewing everything by hand anyway.
How we set it up
We start with a free 30-minute diagnosis of your real operation: where the shipment file comes in, who touches it, how many times the same data gets copied, and where it gets stuck. From that comes a single process, the one eating the most hours, and we automate it on top of your current tools. We test it with your real shipment files, leave it running, and measure the hours recovered. Only then do we move on to the next one.
Related services: invoice and document OCR, WhatsApp chatbot, commercial automation · Process automation and, if you also move trade fair equipment, trade fair and event logistics.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI file the customs declaration (DUA) or clear customs?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't know the process. The declaration is filed and signed by an authorized customs broker, and that responsibility isn't delegated to a model. What is automated is everything before that: reading the commercial invoice, the packing list and the bill of lading, extracting the data, cross-checking it between documents, and leaving the shipment file ready so the person who signs only has to review and file it.
Does it integrate with my freight forwarding software?
We work with what you already have. If your program has an API or allows imports, it connects; if not, we automate the part that lives in email, in Excel and in shared folders just the same, which is usually where the lost hours are. The starting point is never to switch you to different software.
What happens when a document arrives badly scanned or in an unusual language?
It gets set aside. The system flags the confidence of every field it extracts, and anything below the threshold goes to a human review queue, with the document alongside it so it can be checked in two seconds. It's better for 10% to go through a person than for a wrong figure to slip cleanly into the shipment file and show up three weeks later on an invoice.
How long does it take to get it running?
It depends on the process, but the first one is usually in production in weeks, not quarters, because we target a single bottleneck and leave the rest alone. The projects that take a year are the ones that start by changing the whole system; that's exactly the path we don't take.
How much does it cost to automate a freight forwarder's back office?
The initial diagnosis is free: 30 minutes on your real operation to tell you which process is worth automating first and how many hours you'll get back. From there the quote is fixed and in writing based on scope, covering implementation of that specific case, with a monthly fee only if you want ongoing maintenance.
Half an hour on your shipment files
A 30-minute call to work out how many times the same data gets typed in your operation and what can be taken off the table first. No commitment.
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