Stop Losing Money to Disputes You Could Have Won.
You are thousands of miles away when something goes wrong with your cargo in Dakar. By the time you find out, the facts are already being disputed, the cost is already locked in: a buyer disputing quality or quantity, an insurer questioning a claim, additional costs have already been passed to you .
PFS gives you an independent, timestamped record of exactly what happened, so you have documented grounds to question unsupported claims, assess unexpected costs, and negotiate from facts rather than assumptions.
When commercial decisions are supported by independent evidence, you are in a stronger position to protect your revenue.No more managing a crisis from 4,000 miles away. No more absorbing a cost you were never able to see coming.
Shipping Isn't the Problem. Losing Your Commercial Position Is.
Most international shipments encounter questions at some stage. Documentation may be queried. Costs may increase. Delivery may be challenged. None of these automatically becomes a financial loss. The real loss begins when claims are made, responsibility is disputed and the exporter has no independent grounds to challenge what is being alleged.
From thousands of miles away, foreign exporters are often expected to respond to buyer claims, unexpected charges or disputed events using information provided by the very parties involved. Without an independent evidential record, commercial decisions are frequently made from assumptions rather than documented facts.
That is why relatively small operational issues can develop into significant commercial losses. The problem is not simply what happened to the shipment. It is whether you can independently demonstrate what actually happened once questions begin.
The situations below do not automatically cost exporters money. They become expensive when there is no independent basis to question what happened:
- Commercial claims you cannot effectively challenge because no independent evidence exists.
- Unexpected delays that trigger contractual penalties or damage customer relationships.
- A quantity or condition dispute your buyer raises, with nothing but your word to answer it.
- Commercial claims that depend entirely on someone else's version of events.
- Incomplete or incorrect documentation, discovered only once a customs query is already costing you
- A delivery delay your buyer uses to renegotiate terms you already agreed.
Every Cost Supported by Evidence. Every Claim Answered with Facts.
The strength of any commercial discussion depends on the quality of the evidence behind it. That evidence cannot be reconstructed weeks later from emails, phone calls and conflicting recollections. It has to be created while the shipment is moving, while inspections are taking place and while decisions are being made.
From the moment your vessel arrives until your cargo is released, PFS builds a single, independent, timestamped record of what actually happened.
That record is what gives you standing when a dispute happens. A cost is only yours to pay if it was genuinely yours to carry, and you can only argue that with something more than your word.
After every shipment, you receive a Completion Report: a full account of what happened, when, and why, built to be used in a negotiation, an insurance claim, or an audit, not filed away and forgotten.
What you get with PFS:
- Documentation reviewed before your vessel departs, so a customs query does not become a customs hold
- Presence at key operational events and inspections,so important events are recorded by someone working for you.
- Timestamped documentation created while events are occurring, so you can use it to answer a dispute, an insurance claim, or an audit
- A single Port Liaison Officer coordinating your case, so you are never arguing from a fragmented account
- A written Completion Report within 48 hours, delivered while it can still change the outcome of a dispute.
Your Existing Partners Move Cargo. PFS Protects Your Commercial Position.
PFS is not a freight forwarder, or a customs broker. You do not need to change how you already do business in Dakar.
Keep your freight forwarder. Keep your customs broker. PFS does not replace them, and does not compete with them.
Each has their own part of the process to protect, not yours.
What none of them give you is an independent record of what actually happened, produced by someone with no stake in how the story gets told.
That record becomes valuable whenever questions arise about costs, delays, inspections or responsibility, giving you documented grounds to assess claims and respond from facts rather than competing accounts.
What this means for you:
- Freight forwarders move your cargo. Customs brokers handle your formalities. Neither is positioned to give you proof when a dispute lands on your desk.
- When a claim is made, you are not relying on a conflicting account from someone with their own interests to protect. You have your own.
- PFS works exclusively for you. You have an independent, verifiable record before the blame-shifting even starts.
Your ability to challenge buyers claims, question unexpected costs, protect your margin, depends on what you can show, not what you can explain.
From Preparation to Proof.
Protecting the value of your sale doesn't begin when a buyer raises questions. By the time commercial questions begin, the most important events have already happened. PFS works during those moments.
Every PFS engagement follows the same structured process, helping exporters prepare to protect the agreed price, question unnecessary costs, challenge buyer claims and preserve the value of the sale they have already secured.
Step 1: Prepare
Step 2: Document
Step 3: Prove
When Your Shipment Carries Commercial Risk, PFS Is Built for You.
Every export shipment carries its own commercial exposure. Fresh produce may be challenged on quality or quantity. Industrial equipment may trigger disputes over condition or completeness. Manufacturing inputs may face valuation or compliance questions.
The cargo changes, but the commercial need is always the same: when questions arise, you need independent evidence rather than assumptions.
PFS is built for shipments where documentation, inspections or disputed events could influence payment, contractual obligations or future business relationships.
Whatever you export, our role remains the same: creating the independent evidential record that strengthens your commercial position if questions are later raised.
- Food & Agricultural Products
- Industrial Equipment & Machinery
- Manufacturing Inputs
- Consumer Goods (FMCG)
- Chemicals & Fertilisers
- Metals, Steel & Construction Materials
Because Trust Should Be Based on Evidence, Not Promises.
01
You Do Not Pay for Someone Else's Mistake.
Unexpected costs should never become your responsibility simply because nobody can independently explain what happened. PFS creates an independent, timestamped evidential record showing where responsibility actually lies. That means additional costs are far less likely to be passed to you simply because nobody can prove otherwise.You do not pay for a mistake that was never yours.
02
You Are Not Defenceless in a Dispute.
When a buyer or a counterparty disputes your cargo, the strength of your position depends on what you can prove. PFS gives you a contemporaneous, independent account of what happened. That puts you in a far stronger position when your version of events needs to be defended. You respond with documented facts that strengthen your commercial position, not assumptions or conflicting recollections.You have PROOF to put on the table.
03
You Get the Proof Before It's Too Late
A dispute does not wait for you to gather evidence after the fact. Within 48 hours of your cargo's release, PFS delivers a full written record of what happened.
You have the information you need while discussions with buyers, insurers or partners are still active. By the time a dispute happens, you already have what you need to answer it.
04
We Work Only for You
Freight forwarders move cargo. Customs brokers manage formalities. Terminals handle port operations. Each has their own responsibilities and interests. PFS has only one. We work exclusively for the foreign exporter, creating an independent account of what happened without having to defend the actions or decisions of any other party. Our responsibility is to protect your commercial position, and yours alone. When questions arise, you deserve someone whose only job is to represent your interests. That is exactly what PFS does.
05
The Same Professional Standard. Every Shipment.
PFS was built on discipline developed through years of regulatory and enforcement work in the UK. Every PFS engagement follows the same structured methodology, regardless of the cargo, the parties involved or the outcome of the shipment.
That standard has been adapted specifically to how Dakar port actually operates. You get the rigour of a compliance-driven market, you receive the same professional standard on every shipment, through consistency, not improvisation.
06
Local Knowledge. International Standards.
PFS was founded by a Senegalese national who understands both the operational reality of Dakar and the expectations of international exporters. We work confidently with local stakeholders while communicating clearly in English, French and Wolof, using the reporting standards global businesses expect. You do not have to bridge the operational, language or cultural gap yourself.
PFS works exclusively for the exporters, focusing only on protecting their interest. We help them avoid financial losses that might otherwise be accepted simply because they have no evidence.
Everything You Need to Know Before Your Next Shipment
Choosing an independent evidential partner is an important commercial decision. These are the questions foreign exporters most often ask before appointing PFS, and the answers that help them decide with confidence.
Does PFS replace my freight forwarder or customs broker?
No. PFS is not a replacement. Your freight forwarder moves your cargo. Your customs broker handles your paperwork. Each performs a different operational role, and keep doing exactly what they already do.
PFS works alongside your existing logistics partners, independently documenting what happens to your cargo so you have an independent evidential record that none of them is responsible for producing.
Think of PFS as your independent representative on the ground in Dakar. We give you evidence you can use if something goes wrong.
You do not choose between PFS and your forwarder. You keep the partners you already trust while gaining independent documentation when commercial questions arise.
Does PFS work for my buyer, my insurer, or anyone else involved in my shipment?
No. PFS works exclusively for the exporter who appoints us. We are independent of buyers, freight forwarders, customs brokers, shipping lines, insurers.
We have no commercial relationship with anyone in the Dakar port ecosystem, and no reason to shade what we document in anyone else’s favour.
Our only job is to give you an independent, timestamped record of what happened to your shipment, not to represent the interests of any other party.That record is yours to use In any dispute.
We do not take sides. We do not protect anyone’s interests but yours.You receive evidence created solely to protect your commercial position.
Why can't my freight forwarder provide the same protection?
Freight forwarders are responsible for moving your cargo, not producing an independent record for you if something goes wrong, not creating evidence you can use in a dispute.
A forwarder depends on the same local actors they would need to hold accountable. They cannot document failures without damaging their relationships.
If a dispute involves your forwarder’s own handling, or a party they work closely with, they are not a neutral source of evidence.
PFS is independent. We do not depend on anyone in the port ecosystem. That independence allows us to create a separate evidential record that is not tied to the commercial interests of any operational party.
Your forwarder gives you logistics. PFS gives you proof.
When questions arise, you are not relying on explanations. You are relying on independently documented facts.
When exactly do I receive the Completion Report, and what does it contain?
You receive your Completion Report within 48 hours of your cargo’s release. It contains:
- A complete, documented chronology of every step from vessel arrival to release
- Timestamped records of every action
- The documents reviewed
- Significant operational events
- All the evidence gathered throughout the engagement
- Identification of every actor involved
- Documentation of any exceptions or delays and their cause
- Evidence from any customs inspection your cargo was selected for
- Proof you can use for insurance claims, audits, or disputes
It is not a summary. It is a complete, verifiable record you can point to if something goes wrong.
You receive a structured record while commercial discussions are still active, not weeks after decisions have already been made.
Can your Completion Report be used to challenge unexpected costs?
Yes. That is its primary purpose.
Unexpected charges arrive after the damage is done. Without evidence, you pay. With evidence, you can challenge.
PFS provides an independently documented record of what occurred during the shipment.
it gives you documented grounds to question unsupported claims and assess whether unexpected costs are justified.
The report is your evidence, not a ruling, so it strengthens your position rather than deciding the outcome for you.
With it, you are in a stronger position to challenge costs with evidence instead of assumptions.
How does PFS actually help me when a buyer disputes my cargo?
When a buyer raises questions about quantity, condition or handling, the discussion often depends on what can be demonstrated, not simply what each side says happened.
PFS provides an independent evidential record created while the shipment was moving, allowing you to respond with documented facts rather than relying on memory or second-hand accounts.
When a buyer disputes your cargo:
- They have a story
- You have a story
- The one with evidence wins
PFS gives you a timestamped, independent record of exactly what happened. You are not arguing from memory against someone else’s account. You are arguing from proof.
You protect your revenue. You protect your relationship with your buyer. You stop losing money to disputes you could have won.
With PFS, The discussion shifts from competing opinions to verifiable evidence.
What happens if nothing goes wrong with my shipment?
Then your shipment proceeds as planned, and you still receive a complete evidential record confirming what happened.
A clean shipment with no exceptions is documented the same way as one that runs into a problem, so you have a record on file even if you never need to use it.
Most shipments never become formal disputes, but when questions do arise, the value of independent evidence depends on it having been created before those questions were asked.
Like insurance, its value lies in being there before you need it.
How quickly can PFS start working on my next shipment?
For a first engagement, PFS typically needs about 5-7 working days notice before your vessel departs, so documentation can be reviewed and your evidential record can begin from the earliest stages of the shipment.
Once your engagement is confirmed, PFS issues a unique case reference, assigns a dedicated Port Liaison Officer and begins preparing for the shipment’s arrival.
If your cargo is already in transit, contact us as soon as possible. Depending on the stage of the shipment, PFS may still be able to provide meaningful evidential support.
The earlier the appointment, the stronger and more complete your evidential record becomes.
What does PFS cost, and how is it priced?
PFS charges a fixed Professional Engagement Fee for each shipment.
Every engagement is scoped before work begins and priced according to the operational complexity of the assignment, not the value of your cargo.
Factors such as the number of containers, cargo characteristics, and the level of evidential support required determine the appropriate engagement.
Our pricing is built around three principles:
- Predictable: You know the cost before you commit.
- Transparent: No percentages. No commissions. No hidden charges.
- Independent: Our fees are never linked to the value of your cargo or the outcome of a dispute.
Your fee is agreed in advance, with no percentages, no surprises, no commissions or hidden charges, before your shipment arrives in Dakar.
You know exactly what independent evidential support will cost before your shipment arrives, allowing you to protect your commercial position with complete pricing certainty.
Why should I trust PFS with my cargo?
Because PFS is not asking you to trust promises. We are asking you to trust a disciplined, independent methodology.
Founded by a Senegalese national with twenty years of experience in UK regulatory and civil enforcement environments, PFS combines international standards of documentation with operational execution on the ground in Dakar.
We are physically present in Dakar. PFS is independent from every actor in the port ecosystem. We do not depend on the people we document.
You are not dealing with a local company without international standards.
You gain an independent partner whose only role is to establish what actually happened when it matters most.
Two Exporters. Two Shipments. Two Very Different Outcomes.
The port process does not change based on who you are. What changes is whether an unexpected cost is one you can challenge, or one you simply have to pay.
That difference is not luck.
An unexpected charge arrives with nothing to contest it, so you pay in full.
A commercial deduction is accepted because you cannot independently challenge it.
A buyer asks for a discount, and you have little evidence to push back with.
A dispute costs you time and money to fight, with no proof on your side.
An unexpected charge can be challenged against a documented record, not just your word.
A commercial deduction can be assessed against the facts before you agree to it.
A buyer's discount request is met with documented facts, not assumptions.
A dispute is countered with proof, not just your account against theirs.
Start Your Next Shipment With Confidence.
Tell us about your shipment and we'll recommend the appropriate engagement before your cargo arrives in Dakar. Every enquiry is reviewed directly by PFS and handled in confidence.
- contact@portflowsenegal.com
- Ngor-Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
- +221 78 739 9494
Protect Your Commercial Position Before Questions Are Asked.
Every shipment reaches a point where decisions are made based on the information available. The earlier you get in touch, the more we can do for your next shipment, and the less likely you are to find out about a problem after it has already cost you money.
Your next shipment deserves more than updates and assumptions. Appoint PFS before your cargo arrives in Dakar and receive the independent evidential record that strengthens your position if commercial questions arise.
Call Us 24/7
+ 221 78 7399494