How Petrowax gained more transparency on costs with Twill’s ease of booking

Executive summary

Petrowax: Specialised in importing paraffin and other supplies

Petrowax was founded in 1996 in Mexico City. The company is mainly importing paraffin, micro paraffin and supplies related to the candle market. Paraffin wax is a white or colourless soft solid used as a lubricant and for other applications. It is commonly processed in industries such as medicine therapeutic, agriculture and cosmetics. Petrowax is using paraffin to develop supplies for the food, construction, hardware and plumbing industries.

The challenges

Container delays, hidden shipping costs and slow customer service

Before using Twill, Petrowax dealt with multiple challenges while using different providers in China:

1. Container delays: The company faced constant container delays for its cargo and storage issues as forwarders failed to maintain strong communication – or coordinate with suppliers and carriers.

2. Hidden charges: Moreover, a lack of transparency from their provider meant Petrowax often experienced extra costs and higher product prices than anticipated when booking cargo. And through their provider, the company lacked the oversight of where their ocean freight costs were being spent – and how competitive their costs were.

3. A slow response from customer service: With delays mounting and hidden charges occurring, the final difficulties arose from a slow response from customer services. In the fast-moving world of logistics, slow responses meant late information for the shipping process, only increasing delays and hidden costs.

All of that resulted in problems for Petrowax at the beginning of 2020. The company faced revenue losses due to container delays and searched for another logistics service.

The logistics solution

Twill’s ease of booking

Through their experiences with previous providers, Petrowax believed logistics and shipping was a complex and difficult process. But then they discovered Twill and were surprised about the transparent pricing and the possibility of getting daily rates and monthly-fixed rates for their frequent routes. Jose highlights: “We stabilised our supply chain because of Twill’s clear rates, without any hidden costs”.

The Twill platform put Petrowax on the path to smoother logistics, with greater control. And on top of that, the company benefitted from Twill’s loading priority, an equipment and space prioritisation for their freight. This improved the company’s supply chain throughout the challenges of the Covid-19-pandemic. And Petrowax won more clients in the national market as the company could better estimate delivery times and dates when shipping to Mexico.

Moreover, the company found another gamechanger: Twill’s 24/7 customer service, which helped them when they had questions. Jose elaborates: “We are convinced of Twill’s service because the team is aware of our needs – and we can see that they are always working to improve the platform, to enhance our experience while using it; making our logistics experience better each time.”

Container shipping with Twill

Instant prices and schedules at a glance

With the support of the Twill team, Petrowax was able to master the challenging situation in no more than three weeks without wasting much time. The company appreciates Twill because the platform works similar to buying an airplane ticket because with Twill Petrowax can book cargo in advance up to 3-4 weeks and make better supply forecasts for their production.

Getting transparent schedules and instant prices at a glance also means for Petrowax that once making the booking, the company can determine the cost of their product without having to worry that the transportation cost changes afterwards.

Now, Petrowax is booking multiple services via Twill: the company started with sea freight and different options such as door-to-door, port-to-port and port-to-door. Then, they also purchased customs processes at the origin.

The result

A logistics partnership for a stable supply chain

By using Twill, Petrowax achieved excellent results and saved costs at the same time, as Jose outlines: “For our main route we have achieved a cost saving between 20% and 30% depending on the month we are shipping. The advantage with Twill is that we can have an integrated service, and we can book multiple shipping options with only one logistics service.” Joining Twill has enabled Petrowax to expand its activities since 2020 and grow its business – moving from an average of 4 containers shipped each month to 50.

Considering these numbers, the company is very satisfied with Twill. Thinking ahead, Petrowax sees Twill as their trusted logistics partner as Jose concludes: “We will continue working with Twill because it is an excellent logistics service to ensure the operation of our supply chain."