Chat with us
If you have questions about a shipment, our services or logistics in general.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there any cost for signing up to Twill?
Signing up and using the Twill platform is free and no charges will be made until a booking has been placed. Get started now.
- Does Twill offer customs clearance in every country?
We have experts in more than 150 countries we operate in and offer customs clearance for over 300 ports around the globe. For more information, check out our dedicated customs clearance page.
You can verify directly during booking if we have an instant price, otherwise, you can reach out to twillsupport@maersk.com for further questions.
- What is Bill of Lading or Sea Waybill?
There are two main Bill of Lading (BOL) types that are being used universally in shipping:
The Bill of Lading is the primary document used in sea transport. The buyer (also referred to as the "consignee") must present the Bill of Lading to receive the cargo. The Bill of Lading is a physical document, except when a shipment uses Telex Release, where the Bill of Lading is sent digitally. A Bill of Lading functions as a contract of carriage, a transport goods receipt, and a document entitling its holder to the ownership of the cargo.
The Sea Waybill is the second most used document used in sea transport. With the Sea Waybill, the supplier (also referred to as the "shipper") releases ownership of the cargo to the buyer (also referred to as the "consignee") immediately. The buyer can pick up the cargo without presenting a document proving ownership. A Sea Waybill is proof of a contract of carriage and a transport goods receipt, but it does not entitle its holder to cargo ownership.
- What are shipping instructions?
Shipping Instructions, or SI, is a document that provides detailed specifications of a shipment, like a container number, seal number, exact number of packages, HS code of the commodity, etc.
The instructions in the document are used to create your Bill of Lading or Sea Waybill which is the main legal transportation document used in shipping.- What will happen when I add a new buyer or supplier to my company profile?
When you create your partner under the company profiles they will not be notified of your action. However, if you then choose to select a certain buyer or supplier for your booking, they will be notified automatically that you have chosen them to play a role in your bookings. They may then be asked to sign up on Twill to perform certain actions. This will make sure the shipment goes smoothly and creates transparency for you in terms of seeing various deadlines, actions and statuses.