GROUP PROFILE
Toga Freight Services Ltd was established in June 1978 by founders Mr Martin Gately and the late Mr Peter Toner, hence our name “Toga” being formed from a combination of part of the founders’ surnames.
Over 40 years since that day, we still trade within a few kilometres of our initial location, but now operate from our wholly owned 60,000 sq. foot distribution centre in JFK Park, in the industrial heartland of South Dublin.
Toga has enjoyed consistent natural growth over the years thanks to some very loyal and expanding customers but has also grown through acquisition. Shrewd deals together with a close eye on costs has ensured Toga has remained a profitable company for many years and has successfully weathered the economic changes that have shaped and developed Ireland.
In 2016 Toga completed the purchase of well respected and long-established Dublin based forwarders, AFL Freight Services Ltd which specialise in homewares distribution. The Managing Director of AFL, Mr Michael Kealy also joined the Board of Toga until his retirement in the summer of 2018.
TOGA FREIGHT SERVICES LTD
Toga Freight Services Ltd is a mature company that has embraced change and technology as it has become available. Now offering industry leading shipment tracking and electronic sharing of consignment data, Toga have invested heavily as required to maintain the high levels of information sharing and customer care that our valued clients have grown accustomed to.
Our loyal workforce in JFK Park is still headed up by founding Managing Director, Martin Gately and is assisted by fellow Directors: Muriel Corish (Finance), Robert Dickinson (Commercial) and Darragh Toner (Operations).
Despite operating in a global market with some of Ireland’s largest companies listed amongst our customers, the environment in JFK Park still has the feel of being a family business, indeed we often comment that joining the staff here is very much becoming a part of the “Toga Family”
A highly experienced operations team manage the daily throughput of up to 30 import trailers arriving from the UK and Europe and groupage containers arriving from the Far East and North America.
Our distribution and transit warehouse operate a split shift system from 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday with shorter operating hours on Saturday’s.
Toga’s core business is UK and European Road Freight imports, which accounts for over 80% of our traffic, but our overall profile is very extensive as described in more detail in other parts of this website.
TOGA CUSTOMS SERVICES LTD
Toga Customs Services was set up in 2004 to segregate a growing part of the business away from the main freight operations in JFK.
Operating from a plush office suite in Swords Business Park in North Dublin, just 3 kms from Dublin International Airport and 9 kms from Dublin International Ferry & Container Ports, Toga Customs Services is concentrated on high volume customs clearance operations.
The team of 16 dedicated professionals use cutting edge technology to facilitate the smooth clearances of up to 15,000 containers of goods entering the EU from Asia each month. Toga Customs Services complete more customs entries than any other Irish customs broker.
The division is led by Managing Director Mr Mark Herridge, who is one of Ireland’s leading authorities on customs clearance procedures from a logistics perspective.
Toga Customs Services currently manage import values of over €3.6 Billion annually.
Since Jan 1st 2021, when Brexit introduced the requirement for Customs Declarations between Great Britain and Ireland, Toga Customs Services has boosted staff and volumes and is now also the leader in customs services between Great Britain and Ireland, specialising in very high volume customers such as pallet and parcel carriers, E-Commerce companies and B2B mail carriers.
AWARDS & ACCREDITATIONS
IT
The Azyra Freight Software is a fully integrated package that includes finance, sales, CRM and operations together in one package. This allows a sales quote to become a booking, a prospect become a customer, an air import become a road delivery, and all costed, charged and invoiced from the same place facilitated by multiple modules.
For the client, online access is available to make bookings or to retrieve PODs via our website.
Higher volume clients and agents submit data by EDI via FTP links.
The advanced transport module in Azyra enables status information and tracking data to be shared in real time with the consignor. Individual “events and milestones” added by operators or drivers trigger status updates which are immediately visible to clients
PODs are obtained by driver’s PDAs and by getting paper dockets signed, the PDA PODs are available instantly online or by direct connection to the client through FTP links. The Toga delivery network in Ireland similarly connect to the servers in Dublin to share data files, PODs and manifests electronically. The result being that clients across the world can enjoy the fastest POD and tracking information available.
For our high-volume customs clearance activities, Toga Logistics Ltd use the industry leading “Thyme IT” solution. This package has been developed over 15 years and has resulted in one of the fastest systems available. We have now adapted the software in anticipation of the larger volumes that will be required after Brexit from 2021.
LOOKING FOR A CAREER?
Toga Group has a very low staff turnover rate but does hire regularly as we add to our portfolio of services and handle our steady growth.
Some of the positions we have regularly include:
- Counter-balance forklift operators/loaders
- Transport Planners
- International Import Operators
- Customer Service Operators
- Accounts administration staff
We also offer work experience opportunities and work placement positions. If you would like a career in international freight forwarding and logistics, please get in touch with us using the “Contact Us” section of this website.