Trans American Companies

What Trans American Companies does

Trans American Companies (legal entity: Trans American Customhouse Brokers, Inc.) is a North American customs brokerage and global logistics provider, founded in 1984 in Buffalo, NY, as an in-house customs broker for a large U.S. food processor and ranked among the top 20 of 3,000+ U.S. Customs brokers by annual clearances. The company provides integrated customs clearance services across U.S., Canada, and Mexico borders, holding licenses as a U.S. CBP Customs Broker, Canada CBSA-authorized broker, FMC OTI (NVOCC/OFF, license #020189NF), with C-TPAT and ISA program memberships. Service lines span customs documentation preparation, bond management, duty calculation, regulatory compliance, and trade facilitation, supported by wholly-owned subsidiaries TranSure Express LLC (freight brokerage) and TA Global Logistics (NVOCC and freight forwarding), plus an agent network of 152 offices globally.

The technology stack centers on the proprietary TRANSparency™ cloud-based supply chain visibility platform, with a deeper analytics tier (TRANSparency PRO™) delivering AI-assisted financial and exception-management dashboards for customs and transportation spend. Surrounding the platform is an ecosystem of registered-trade-mark tools: TRANSlink™ and TRANSlink Invoice Pro™ for documentation, TransTrak™ for shipment tracking, ClearBorder™ for PAPS/PARS pre-arrival status, EZ-EDI™ for document conversion, E-Customs Broker Kiosks™ at border crossings and client sites, Trade Data Guard™ for confidentiality, TRANSMex™ for Mexican XML filings, and TRANSURE LOAD™ as an inland TMS integrated with customs and forwarding systems. The Total Performance Guarantee program ties service-quality scoring (1-5) to automatic invoice credits below 5/5.

Revenue is generated through three streams: transaction-based customs brokerage fees, transaction-based global logistics fees (surface, ocean, air), and recurring subscription/analytics revenue from the TRANSparency platform. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with dedicated licensed-Customs-Broker Personal Account Managers per client, supplemented by client self-service portals and the kiosk network, with quote-based pricing tailored to importer volume and complexity. The company is privately held following the 2023 acquisition by EFL Global, with Mark McGovern as President, between 51 and 100 employees across Buffalo (HQ), Miami (FMC OTI), and Colombia.

Name

Trans American Companies

Legal name

Trans American Customhouse Brokers, Inc.

Website

https://tacustoms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Trans American Companies is a North American customs broker and logistics provider, licensed across U.S., Canada, and Mexico, serving moderate and high-volume importers with integrated customs clearance, freight forwarding, and the proprietary TRANSparency™ supply chain visibility platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations) (TLACAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance Management (TLAIANAD), Cross-Border Freight Brokerage (USMCA/EU, etc.) (TLADAMAN)

Keywords

• Customs brokerage services
• Global freight forwarding
• Supply chain visibility
• Trade compliance solutions
• Cross-border logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Customs Brokerage Services: Fees for customs clearance services across U.S., Canada, and Mexico including customs documentation preparation, bond management, duty calculation, and regulatory compliance services.
2. Global Logistics Services: Surface, ocean, and air transportation services including freight forwarding, port drayage, intermodal rail, and truckload services.
3. Technology Solutions: Supply chain visibility and consulting services including TRANSparency™ platform and related analytics tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Trans American Companies provides integrated Customs brokerage services across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, along with global logistics (surface, ocean, and air freight forwarding) for moderate and high-volume importers. Its offerings include regulatory compliance, customs documentation, duty calculation, bond preparation, and freight transportation, supported by proprietary supply chain visibility platforms (TRANSparency, TRANSlink, TransTrak) and a physical kiosk network at border crossings. Each client is assigned a licensed Customs Broker Personal Account Manager and benefits from a Total Performance Guarantee service-level scoring system.

Product overview

Trans American Companies is a customs brokerage and global logistics provider offering an integrated suite of services across North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico). The portfolio centers on three core pillars: Integrated Customs Services (customs clearance, compliance, documentation), Global Logistics (surface, ocean, air transportation), and Technology Solutions headlined by the TRANSparency™ platform. TRANSparency™ serves as the central supply chain intelligence platform, with advanced analytics modules including TRANSparency PRO™ for financial analytics and AI-powered optimization. Supporting proprietary tools include TRANSlink™ (documentation), TransTrak™ (tracking), ClearBorder™ (border status), and various client portals for billing, EDI, and reporting. The company ranks among the top 20 U.S. Customs brokers and was acquired by EFL Global in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TRANSparency: Breakthrough supply chain visibility tool that empowers C-level executives with knowledge needed to optimize outcomes, achieve goals and gain control of supply chains.
• TRANSlink
• ClearBorder
• TransTrak
• EZ-EDI
• E-Customs Broker Kiosk
• EZ-Report Writer
• TranSure Express LLC
• TA Global Logistics
• TRANS HEAVY
• CONCIERGE Plus

Products and services

• Integrated Customs Services Customs clearance services for U.S., Canada, and Mexico. As a top-20 U.S. Customs broker, Trans American provides regulatory compliance, security protocols, duty calculation, bond preparation, documentation management, and trade facilitation across all North American borders for moderate and high-volume importers.
• Global Logistics Comprehensive logistics services covering Surface (Port Drayage, Intermodal Rail, Truckload), Ocean (LCL/FCL, NVOCC, Transload), and Air freight forwarding, supported by a global agent network spanning 152 offices and solid partnerships with worldwide ocean carriers.
• TRANSparency Breakthrough cloud-based supply chain visibility tool empowering C-level executives with end-to-end visibility and control over shipment information flow across the global supply chain, including real-time KPI benchmarking, automated exception management, and proactive notification of supply chain events.
• TRANSparency PRO Advanced version of TRANSparency with AI-enhanced financial analytics dashboards providing real-time visibility of Customs and Transportation SPENDS, Import Tax, Duty, and Broker spend analytics, special Customs Duty treatment (USMCA, CUSMA, SIMA), container detention/demurrage/storage charges, and cause identification for expenses.
• TRANSMex Platform to file complete Mexican Border XML file EDI paperless Customs clearances for shipments entering Mexico through official border-crossing processes.
• TRANSURE LOAD Proprietary Inland Transportation and Drayage Transportation Management System (TMS) that feeds directly from Trans American's Customs and Freight Forwarding systems with seamless data integrations for inland logistics execution.
• CONCIERGE Plus Ocean Freight Management service providing end-to-end oversight from Purchase Order to Proof of Delivery for ocean shipments.
• TRANS HEAVY

Quantifiable outcome

• Below average supply chain performance increases costs an average of 9% per year
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature14 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ocean Carriers (Global Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSolid partnerships with trusted worldwide ocean carriers. Agent network spans 152 offices globally providing maximum flexibility, innovative solutions, local expertise and competitive rates. Access to each vessel alliance with varying transit times.
• ITS Next Generation SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for U.S. Customs filings and software upgrades providing sturdier security for Trans American's systems.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreOthersLicensed Customs Broker operating under CBP authority. C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) member. Pilot Customs Broker for CBMA credit process testing.
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)coreOthersLicensed Customs Broker for Canada. First Canadian Customs Broker to require all IORs to comply with CARM 2020 project.
• Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA)minorOthersProfessional affiliation for freight forwarding services.
• National Customs Brokers & Forwarders of America (NCBFAA)minorOthersProfessional industry association membership.
• Canadian Society of Customs Brokers (CSCB)minorOthersProfessional industry association membership for Canadian operations.
• Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)coreOthersC-TPAT member program providing security benefits and priority processing for members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Livingston International: Large North American customs broker and trade compliance specialist with deep Canadian and U.S. cross-border operations; directly comparable tri-national franchise and high-volume importer focus.
• A.N. Deringer: U.S.-based customs broker and freight forwarder offering integrated customs clearance, trade compliance, and logistics across North America — directly comparable mid-market customs brokerage positioning.
• Cole International: Canadian-headquartered customs broker and trade services provider with cross-border North American operations; comparable service portfolio for cross-border importers.
• Farrow: Cross-border customs broker and logistics provider specializing in U.S./Canada/Mexico trade; comparable tri-national integrated service model and high-touch account management.

Broad incumbents

• UPS Supply Chain Solutions Customs Brokerage: Global integrator's customs brokerage division offering clearance services at scale; broader portfolio and network, overlapping with Trans American's customs service offering.
• FedEx Trade Services: FedEx's customs brokerage and trade services arm; large incumbent with international breadth providing customs clearance alongside express transportation services.
• Expeditors International: Global asset-light freight forwarder with customs brokerage embedded in its international logistics services; comparable customs capabilities as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with significant customs brokerage operations; comparable customs capability within a global logistics platform.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Digital-first freight forwarder layering technology onto customs and cross-border logistics; emerging competitor targeting the same mid-to-high volume importer segment with a software-led model.

Others

• EFL Global: Trans American's parent company since 2023 and a global supply chain and logistics solutions provider; comparable international freight forwarding and customs service capabilities from which Trans American was acquired.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/mark-b-mcgovern-9a68527

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trans American Companies