Operations guide
Import shipment workflow: owned decisions from readiness to completion
A useful import workflow does more than display a vessel position. It shows the current milestone, the evidence required to complete it, the partner who owns the next response, and the fallback when that response does not arrive.
By Ayhan Karaca, Co-Founder · Updated: August 26, 2026
1. Readiness, booking, and stuffing
The importer creates the shipment and identifies the supplier, freight forwarder, and customs broker. The supplier confirms a readiness date. The forwarder then provides booking details such as stuffing date, port of loading, ETD, vessel, and shipping line when available.
At stuffing, the workflow records whether cargo was loaded, cancelled, or moved to a new date. A date change returns ownership to the booking/readiness step instead of pretending the old schedule remains valid.
- Track the requested response, expiry, follow-up count, and last outcome.
- Reset the relevant follow-up cycle when a partner supplies a valid pending or changed state.
- Escalate to the importer when configured attempts are exhausted.
Read the process map transcript
Stage one confirms readiness and ownership. Stage two records booking and stuffing evidence. Stage three collects shipping and customs documents. Stage four monitors sailing, ETA, and exceptions. Stage five completes clearance, cost evidence, and the operational handoff. Any missing or changed evidence routes back to its accountable owner before the next decision.
2. Shipping and customs documents
After stuffing, the working set can include HBL and ISF context, followed by commercial invoice and packing list collection. The customs broker remains the qualified party for filing and clearance decisions; Tyllus coordinates the request and stores the resulting evidence.
For US-bound ocean cargo, confirm current ISF requirements with CBP and your broker. A software milestone does not prove that a filing was timely, complete, or legally accepted.
3. Sailing, ETA, clearance, and completion
Once the shipment is sailing, teams monitor ETA and movement updates alongside documents and open actions. As arrival approaches, they review missing documents and the broker's clearance or hold status.
A released shipment may add CBP Form 7501 context, the customs broker invoice, and the freight forwarder invoice. Completion means the operating evidence is present and reviewed; it does not erase the need to retain records under the policy that applies to the importer.
| Decision | Supporting evidence | Owner | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respond to an ETA change | Carrier or forwarder update, previous ETA, and source timestamp | Logistics owner | ETA is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee |
| Resolve clearance state | Broker response and applicable entry evidence | Qualified customs owner | Tyllus coordinates; it does not make the customs decision |
| Close the shipment workflow | Required handoffs, documents, and accepted cost records | Importer operations owner | Completion does not replace the applicable retention policy |
Turn the sequence into an owned operating queue.
Compare this lifecycle with your actual partner handoffs and identify where the next action becomes invisible today.