Freight Industry Specialists

Albacore was formed in 1992 by two freight industry employees with the aim of providing IT services to freight industry customers.

More than 95% of our current customer base operates within the freight industry. Our ethos remains to provide unlimited and inclusive support services to our customers at fixed annual prices that include an onsite presence from our own engineers.

Companies operating in the freight industry have unique requirements that generic IT providers don’t understand. The penalty for missing a deadline due to poor configuration of a system or an unplanned outage is very significant – our customers can’t delay the departure or arrival of a container ship or a flight because a workstation decided to do Windows updates or the IT guy was at lunch!

Computers are the primary “tool of the trade” for almost all business types, but the freight industry is particularly reliant on systems and connectivity. Without their IT our customers quickly cease to operate entirely. Delays or faults cause a loss of external reputation in a business by their customer, and this is often the most costly consequence of a fault. Albacore take the time to document customer systems and share knowledge between our engineers to ensure that problems are identified, escalated and rectified appropriately. We have sophisticated monitoring systems in place that alert our team and we use automation as well as engineer led actions to provide pro-active fixes.

Some of our oldest customers are international airlines and they have always required 24/7 support, so Albacore operated a “on call” support service from early in our history. More than 30 years later, the Internet and accessibility to remote working has shifted working patterns dramatically and we now offer 24/7 support to more than 15% of our customer base.

We understand and assist our customers with navigation of the complex landscape of providers who are required to provide a customs clearance service as an agent or broker. The UK is unique in the existence of Community Systems Providers (CSP). These providers control inventory functions at various ports and airports and interface with HMRC to allow clearance systems to operate. Each CSP has their own tariffs and connection methods so it’s important to choose carefully. We have contacts within each CSP and are able to consult with our customers and help them make the right choices in this complex and specialist area.

We also assist our customers with achieving various accreditations such as Authorised Economic Operator (AEO). On the IT side, this accreditation requires demonstration of ongoing management of security and regular maintenance of many IT services including a watertight backup strategy, all of which we provide within our portfolio.

Albacore is a founder member of the Association of Freight Software Suppliers (AFSS). The association was established to provide access to businesses seeking a freight related products and services. We attend weekly meetings of the AFSS which helps us publicise freight industry news and keep our fingers on the pulse of the industry for the good of our customers. We are also BIFA associate members and our commitment to the industry is underscored by our sponsorship of a category at their annual award ceremony for the last 13 years.

We’ve built relationships with all freight industry software providers and our customers benefit from our knowledge, from specifying appropriate hardware and basic troubleshooting to complete installation and configuration of the products.

All our knowledge and skills are delivered via our helpdesk staffed by our support and engineering, administration and sales teams from our Southampton HQ.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements. Whether you are a startup or a corporation we have solutions that can improve your IT.