Hold rates down from 30% to sub 1% due to streamlined customs technology
Hurricane Commerce is part of a unique strategic partnership with Pro Carrier, the eCommerce logistics expert, and customs software specialist AEB SE, bolstering cross-border logistics and significantly reducing hold rates for online retailers with improved customs processes.
The collaboration between the three companies combines the best in shipping and delivery, data and technology, and customs management processes and has been developed in response to the heightened restrictions and checks introduced at borders for UK distributors shipping into the EU and those sending products into the UK. The new partnership has already resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of parcels held at Customs for Pro Carrier’s eCommerce retail customers.
This new partnership builds on Pro Carrier’s work with Hurricane over the past 18 months, providing accurate client data, cleansed utilising Hurricane technology, to enable Pro Carrier to meet delivery service level agreements without delays. The integrated system allows Pro Carrier to share the live progress of customs clearances in one system – central to the success of eCommerce businesses and further underpinning the success of its B2B and B2C offerings.
This is the first time that Pro Carrier has also partnered with AEB utilising its technology to drive efficiency in customs clearances, resulting in quick, easy custom engagement for retailers across Europe. This has enabled Pro Carrier to provide clients with an unmatched assurance of their product arriving on time and in full.
By collaborating with Hurricane and AEB, Pro Carrier has gone from having 30% of parcels held in peak 2021 to sub 1% in peak 2022. This has given customers confidence and assurance that their products will arrive on time.
Following a successful Peak in 2021, Pro Carrier incorporated a B2B clearance offering while streamlining and maintaining a B2C technical system in an easy-to-use platform developed with Hurricane’s technology. This helped overcome the issue of Customs blockages for high-volume customers – and ensure packages reached the final-mile delivery partners in line with delivery agreements.
Ahead of November’s Peak in 2022, Pro Carrier enhanced its carrier platform further so retailers could better manage and track its Customs processes across Europe by incorporating an additional offering using AEB’s customs management platform.
Pro Carrier, Hurricane and AEB will be developing their unique partnership with future collaborative initiatives utilising the technology and data driven approach to Customs clearance, providing opportunities for retail customers to scale businesses and move into new countries and markets.
Guy Fischer, managing director, Pro Carrier, said:
“Pro Carrier’s partnership with Hurricane and AEB is already creating huge advantages for clients sending products into the EU. Going from 30% of parcels held in Peak 2021 to sub 1% in Peak 2022 is a testament to the combination of clean, accurate data vetted by Hurricane and the streamlined technical management system from AEB. At Pro Carrier, we’re performing above the market standard for Customs clearances – something other providers struggle to offer.”
Following this immediate and significant success, we’re looking forward to rolling out further initiatives this year which have only been made possible through our partnership with Hurricane and AEB.”
Martyn Noble, chairman and CEO, Hurricane said:
“Strengthening our existing relationship with Pro Carrier, and working closely with AEB, has combined individual expertise to develop an end-to-end process for retailers – making it more streamlined and fit for purpose. Using Artificial Intelligence, we can play a key role in ensuring products move through Customs clearance as quickly as possible.”
“Due to this partnership and the implementation of these systems, Pro Carrier now has access to a continually updated and accurate data set to track parcels and capture the volume of customs holds in each destination country. In 2022, Pro Carrier saw just 0.12% of parcels held in Customs throughout the busiest period of the year.”
Geoff Taylor, managing director, AEB, said:
“We’re very proud of our work with Pro Carrier and Hurricane. Our partnership has resulted in a unique integrated system which manages Customs clearance data and tracks Customs progress across European borders and is already having a significant impact for Pro Carrier’s retail clients. The AI data cleansing, made possible through Hurricane, was invaluable and enabled AEB to automate customs clearance. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in the future through our combined expertise.”
