Cargotrans Breaks the Headcount Barrier in Customs Brokerage with Reform

Cargotrans deployed Reform to automate CargoWise workflows, eliminate manual data entry, and scale its customs brokerage operations without adding headcount.

The Problem: Growth Was Limited by Manual Work

For Cargotrans, demand for customs brokerage was accelerating, but their workflow wasn’t built to scale with it. Every shipment required brokers to manually review commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, and customer emails, then key that data into CargoWise. While manageable at lower volumes, this process became a bottleneck as tariff complexity increased and shipment volume grew.

Complex 7501 and 3461 files could take up to 14 hours to complete. Even standard entries required significant manual effort, leaving highly trained brokers spending most of their time on repetitive data extraction instead of compliance and exception handling. As volumes surged, the team faced a structural constraint: growth required proportional hiring. “The information was already in the documents. We just needed a smarter way to use it,” explains Dominic Azzinnari, VP of Technology at CargoTrans.

The Solution: From Manual Entry to AI-Powered Customs Workflows

Cargotrans partnered with Reform to implement AI-powered customs clearance automation directly into their CargoWise workflows. Instead of building entries line-by-line, Reform:

• Ingests full shipment packets (emails, invoices, packing lists, BOLs)
• Performs automated data extraction from customs and freight forms
• Structures data for seamless CargoWise integration
• Prepares entries for rapid broker review and transmission

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What used to take hours now happens in minutes. As Dominic puts it, “I remember watching one of our first automations process a shipment that would have taken hours, sometimes a full day. Seeing it complete in minutes was a genuine jaw-drop moment.”

Just as importantly, the platform is approachable enough for non-technical users to build and refine automations themselves, unlocking continuous improvement from the people closest to the work. “Six months ago, our brokers were heads down in documents all day. Today, that work happens automatically. Their focus is on exceptions, compliance, and client support,” says Dominic.

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The Result: Breaking the Link Between Volume and Headcount

By deploying Reform, Cargotrans didn’t just improve efficiency, they changed the economics. For the first time, growth was no longer tied to hiring, fundamentally shifting unit economics so revenue can scale without a corresponding increase in cost.

Processing times dropped dramatically: standard entries are now completed 75–80% faster, while complex files have been reduced from up to 14 hours to under an hour. Many entries can now be transmitted in under 5 minutes.

With automation handling document processing, Cargotrans can absorb significantly more volume without adding staff. Existing teams handle higher throughput, reducing cost per entry, accelerating billing cycles, and improving margins as revenue grows faster than costs.

At the same time, brokers have shifted their focus to compliance and advisory work, enabling Cargotrans to take on more complex, higher-value customers while delivering faster, more predictable service. The impact extends beyond operations. Because the platform is accessible to non-technical users, brokers are now actively building new automations themselves, driving continuous improvement from within.

With Reform, Cargotrans has transformed customs brokerage from a labor-constrained process into a scalable, AI-driven operation—one that grows with demand and turns efficiency into a lasting competitive advantage.

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