Enterprise import teams
Tyllus for import teams moving 10 to 100+ containers a month
Tyllus is import operations software for importers whose teams move roughly 10 to 100+ ocean containers a month into the United States or Mexico. Each shipment runs its own step-by-step import workflow of up to 11 steps, so partner requests, reminders, document checks and ETA re-timing happen automatically and more containers do not mean more chasing. Purchasing, logistics, finance and management work in one shared shipment record.
Updated: October 3, 2026
Why does container volume break spreadsheet-and-email operations?
A spreadsheet and an inbox can hold a handful of containers. As volume grows, every container adds its own emails to the supplier, the freight forwarder and the customs broker, its own documents spread across threads, and its own ETA that changes after the sheet was last updated.
The work grows with each container while the team stays the same size. Requests slip, the customs broker receives incomplete documents close to arrival, and finance rebuilds landed cost by hand after the invoices arrive.
How does Tyllus scale with your container volume?
Tyllus automates the repeating work of every shipment, so adding containers does not add chasing work. US shipments run an 11-step import workflow (Mexico shipments skip the ISF step), and 9 of the 11 US steps send the right partner a request on their own.
Bulk tools handle the rest: shipments and tracking containers come in from your spreadsheets, and shipments, tracking lists, orders and reports go out to Excel or CSV.
- Partner requests and reminders: the supplier, freight forwarder or customs broker receives each request automatically, followed by reminder rounds until they answer.
- Silence handling: if a partner stays silent, Tyllus warns your team and the step waits for your decision; “Not ready yet” answers are asked again the next day.
- Document checks: a missing-documents check runs 5 days before ETA and a final documents check runs after arrival.
- ETA re-timing: when an ETA changes, the customs request to the broker (7 days before ETA), both document checks and the forwarder invoice request move with it.
- Daily ETAs: containers on 11 ocean carriers are tracked automatically and re-checked every day; for any other line, the Tyllus team checks the ETA for you.
- Delayed flag: a shipment is marked Delayed as soon as its ETA has passed without a confirmed arrival, so nobody has to spot it by hand.
| Work at 100 containers a month | Manual effort today | In Tyllus |
|---|---|---|
| Getting cargo-ready dates and booking details | A separate email and reminder chain for every container | Requests and reminder rounds go out from each shipment automatically |
| Collecting invoices, packing lists and house bills of lading | Attachments searched across inbox threads | Partners upload through a secure link and Tyllus reads the documents |
| Keeping ETAs current | Checking carrier websites one container at a time | ETAs re-checked daily for 11 carriers; the Tyllus team checks any other line |
| Preparing the customs broker | Chasing missing documents days before arrival | Customs request 7 days before ETA and a missing-documents check 5 days before ETA |
| Building landed cost | Re-typing invoice amounts into a spreadsheet | Costs created from the commercial invoice, forwarder invoice, 7501 and broker invoice |
| Seeing what needs attention | Asking colleagues for status updates | Dashboard focus cards plus filters for delayed shipments and missing documents |
How do teams work together in Tyllus?
Purchasing, logistics, finance and management work in the same shipment record instead of separate spreadsheets. Purchasing raises the purchase order, logistics runs the shipment, finance reviews costs built from the documents, and management follows the whole portfolio from one dashboard.
- Three roles: Owner, Admin and Member. Admins manage workspace settings, invitations, members and partners.
- Colleagues join by email invitation; invitations expire after 7 days.
- One click turns a purchase order into a shipment and carries over the supplier, equipment and dates.
- Every shipment keeps an activity history, including each material ETA change, and the dashboard shows recent activity across the workspace.
- Dashboard focus cards show what is in transit, arriving soon, needing attention and waiting on documents.
- Management sees total spend, container volume by month and partner and trade-lane analysis on the Reports page.
How do partners take part without accounts?
Suppliers, freight forwarders and customs brokers never need a Tyllus account. Each request arrives by email with a secure link tied to one shipment and one request, so a partner can confirm a date, upload a document or report a delay in one step.
Partner organisations can have groups, with a primary recipient and copied colleagues, so the right people at a large forwarder or broker see every request.
- Suppliers set the cargo-ready date, confirm stuffing and upload shipping documents.
- Freight forwarders confirm the booking, submit master bill of lading and container numbers, confirm arrival or report a delay with a reason, and upload their invoice.
- Customs brokers confirm ISF filing and customs clearance status: cleared, in progress, on hold with a reason, not started or not cleared. For Mexico imports, they confirm the pedimento is validated and paid and the goods are released.
- Expired links can request a fresh link, and automatic emails can be paused for any shipment.
How is workspace data protected?
Every workspace is private and separated from every other workspace. Each request is checked against the signed-in user's workspace and role, and sensitive actions such as changing membership or deleting records are limited to authorised roles.
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, backups are managed and redundant, and workspace data is never sold or published. Partner and share links are limited to one request or shipment and expire. The Tyllus security page describes each control, and a data processing agreement is available.
How does Ask Tyllus AI help a larger team?
Ask Tyllus AI answers plain-language questions about shipments, costs, customs, documents and tracking, and it can look across up to 1,000 shipments to answer. A manager can ask which shipments are delayed or still waiting on documents without building a report first.
Ask Tyllus AI reads and summarizes. It does not change data on its own, so every update to a shipment is still made by a person on your team.
How does a team get started?
A team can start on its own through self-serve sign-up or begin with an optional 15-minute setup call with the Tyllus team. No integrations are needed to start, and partners join only when a step needs them.
Read the six starting steps
Book an optional 15-minute setup call with the Tyllus team. Create the workspace through self-serve sign-up and two-step onboarding. Import your shipment or tracking spreadsheet in any column layout. Invite purchasing, logistics and finance colleagues as Admins or Members. Add your suppliers, freight forwarders and customs brokers. Run the first shipments while requests, reminders, tracking and document checks start on their own.
Bring your import team onto one shipment record.
Talk to the Tyllus team about your volume, partners and spreadsheets, and book a 15-minute setup call. Or create a workspace and start on your own.