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Customs software · Freight forwarding

Customs Software for Freight Forwarders

Bring customs filing in-house and closer to the shipment workflow. Your team already collects much of the information a declaration needs, and CDUK turns those shipment documents and reusable details into customs filings you prepare, check and submit yourselves. Expect faster clearance preparation, one clear view of every filing and a lower cost per declaration, with our UK team behind you.

  • GB CDS, ENS & ICS2
  • Transit & GMR
  • AI document processing
  • Port connectivity
Book a freight workflow demo
  • Drop in your shippers’ documentsInvoices, packing lists and transport documents are read into a draft your team reviews. No re-keying.
  • Decide where your documents differBoth values sit side by side. The document value is used unless your team picks the template’s.
  • A guided, ICS2-specific wizardFive steps with the master and house consignment data ICS2 asks for, filled from your documents.
  • Catch errors early, then submit the ICS2Every missing ICS2 field is listed by section. Jump to it, fix it, then submit your declaration.

In a nutshell

Freight forwarders sit between the booking and the border. Customs Declarations UK (CDUK) lets your own team file customs declarations, so the handover between freight operations and customs is a single, visible workflow: GB import and export declarations through the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), safety and security filings (GB ENS and EU ICS2), transit through NCTS and crossing references (GMR and French ELO) for road freight, all in one account.

AI document processing (IDP) reads invoices, packing lists and transport documents into a draft your team reviews. Saved parties, templates, declaration cloning and CSV or Excel upload mean repeat consignments start from a strong first draft. Every response is visible next to the filing it belongs to.

You file directly with HMRC and pay only per declaration, with no monthly fee and no minimum volume. Bookings, rates and transport operations stay in the systems you already use, and our UK team provides onboarding and training.

Why it matters

One shipment. Several responsibilities.

A booking confirmation, an invoice and a packing list serve different purposes, and they may describe the same consignment differently. CDUK helps your team catch those differences while the draft is being prepared, long before a departure cut-off puts a vehicle at risk.

  • Extract, then reconcile

    Use AI document processing to pull the relevant information from invoices and transport documents into a reviewable draft. Where documents disagree, conflicting values are shown side by side so your operator picks the right one. Nothing is re-typed.

  • Complete what transport paperwork cannot

    Classification, origin, valuation and procedure are customs details that transport documents alone do not carry. CDUK guides and checks them with UK Tariff and commodity code lookup and requirements mapping, so your team completes and verifies them before the declaration goes any further.

  • Find problems before the cut-off

    A discrepancy found while preparing the draft costs a quick correction. Real-time validation surfaces it early, so you avoid the delayed vehicle. Notifications of customs responses keep your team informed once the goods are moving.

By mode

Support the way your freight moves

Each mode brings a different mix of filings, all in one CDUK account. Pick the tab for the freight you run to see how your team prepares, submits and tracks each filing.

Air and sea cargo

  • GB CDS
  • CSP connection

Prepare GB CDS declarations for inventory-linked movements using CDUK's connections with the UK Community System Providers (CSPs): CNS, MCP/Destin8 and CCS-UK. Tell us the airport or port and we set up the lane with you. Your team files directly and sees every response next to the declaration.

  • Declarations built from the invoice, transport document and saved records
  • The CSP serving the port or airport connects your clearance, set up with our team
  • Tell us the ICS2 air dataset you need and we will confirm it for your lane

Tell us the airport or port, CSP and declaration type and we will build the demonstration around your lane.

GB import and export declarations
Handover

Make the handover explicit

Agree three things for each lane: who prepares the data, who submits each filing, and who tells the driver or handling agent what happens next. CDUK gives your team the filing tools and customs responses, while your operations team coordinates the physical movement.

Suggested operating process
  • Commercial invoiceParties, goods, values
  • Packing listPackages, marks, weights
  • Transport documentCarrier, route, consignee

  1. Collect and check the shipment data

    Gather documents, spot discrepancies and chase missing information while the booking is still flexible, with document extraction doing the typing. Operations and customs work from the same draft.

  2. Prepare, review and submit

    Complete classification, origin, valuation and procedure with guided checks, submit each filing directly to HMRC and follow the response. Your customs desk reviews a structured draft instead of keying data.

  3. Tell the driver or agent what happens next

    Pass on the right references and any inspection or presentation instructions, keeping each reference distinct. The references sit in the same account as the declarations behind them, so instructions stay accurate.

A suggested way of organising the work, which you can adapt to your own team.

Why a transport record is not enough

What each document tells you, and what it cannot

A transport record alone is not a complete customs declaration. This table shows what each document contributes and what the customs data still needs, which is where CDUK guides your team.

Illustrative example
Document or recordWhat it usually tells youWhat CDUK platform extracts for you
Booking confirmationParties, routing, planned dates, equipmentGoods classification, value, origin or customs procedure
Commercial invoiceSeller, buyer, goods descriptions, values, terms of saleWeights and packaging as shipped, origin evidence, procedure
Packing listPackages, marks, weights and dimensions per lineValue, tariff treatment, origin
Transport document (bill of lading, air waybill, CMR)Carrier, consignor, consignee, packages, gross weight, routeCustoms value, classification, origin
Saved party or goods recordReusable details from earlier workWhether today's shipment has the same facts

CMR is the road consignment note. CDUK brings the missing customs data together in one declaration, with guided checks on origin, valuation and procedure.

Illustrative example

When the booking and the invoice disagree

A discrepancy is far cheaper to resolve at the draft stage. IDP lays the conflicting values out together, and your operator chooses which one the declaration should carry.

Cross-document check

Same consignment, different stories.

The booking, invoice and packing list rarely agree on every field. Seeing them side by side turns a hunt through attachments into a single decision. Once chosen, the value flows into the draft, so each correction is made once.

  • Header and goods-line conflicts flagged across all uploaded documents
  • The operator picks the value, so nothing is assumed silently
  • Missing customs details are completed before the draft is created
Reuse where it makes sense

Information can be shared. Declarations still differ.

Each declaration has its own requirements, so CDUK speeds up preparation through reuse while keeping every difference between shipments visible. Every changed field is highlighted, so nothing is carried over by accident.

  • Start repeat work from saved parties and cloned declarations, saving re-keying
  • Use document extraction where the source is an invoice or transport document
  • Use CSV or Excel bulk upload when shipment data is already structured
  • Connect your ERP or TMS via API, scoped with us when volume justifies it
Getting started

Bring one lane live, then the next

Treat each lane as its own small project, with our UK team supporting you throughout. Start with the lane that matters most, then extend across the rest of your freight.

  1. Pick a lane

    Choose a lane that runs regularly, and note the port or airport, CSP and declaration type. We set up the connections with you, and no port badge is needed for GVMS movements or export declarations.

  2. Walk a real shipment

    Take one shipment through the platform with us, from documents to submission, so everyone sees the real handover. You can judge the workflow on your own freight.

  3. Onboard and train

    Create your account, which is activated instantly, and complete the setup needed to file directly with HMRC. Our onboarding and training bring the people who prepare and review up to speed.

  4. Add lanes and integration

    Extend to more lanes, then add a system connection as volume grows. Pay as you go or agree a subscription on the pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions from freight forwarders.

Can we manage CDS and safety and security together?

Yes. CDUK offers GB CDS, GB ENS and EU ICS2 alongside transit and border-reference services, all in one account. Select the combination appropriate to the movement and file them together. One set of parties and documents serves every filing.

Does CDUK replace our freight management system?

No, it complements it. CDUK is where your team files customs, while bookings, freight rates and transport operations stay in your existing systems. Data exchange with your ERP, TMS or WMS is scoped with us around the workflow you need.

Can you show our port workflow?

Yes. Tell us the port or airport, the CSP and the declaration type, and we will build the demonstration around your lane. During onboarding we set up the connection with you, and no port badge is needed for GVMS movements or export declarations.

Is air-cargo clearance the same as ICS2 for air?

They are separate filings. CDUK's CSP connections support GB CDS clearance at inventory-linked ports and airports, and ICS2 for air is confirmed per dataset and lane. Tell us the ICS2 air dataset you need and we will confirm it for your lane. ICS2 for your other modes is filed in the same account at up to £4 per declaration.

Who files the ENS on a consolidated load?

It depends on the parties and the movement. Agree per lane who provides master and house-level information and who submits each filing, then prepare and submit them in CDUK so none is missed or duplicated. Our team can help you set up the pattern for each lane.

Does a GMR or ELO replace the declarations?

No. A GMR supports the GVMS crossing and a French ELO supports the smart-border process, and both sit on top of the declarations you file with CDUK. When the declaration is filed with us, GMR creation is free and ELO is free with fair usage.

Can we import data from our own systems?

Yes. Use CSV or Excel bulk upload when the data is already structured. For an ERP or TMS connection, we scope the API integration with you when recurring volume justifies it, so your data flows straight into the declaration.

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Walk Through a Shipment With Us

Tell us the lane, the port or airport and the filings involved. We will show the workflow around your actual freight operation, and the time and cost your team saves by filing its own declarations. Book a walkthrough, or register and file your first declaration today with no monthly fee and no minimum volume.

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