Brexit and the demise of the U.K. van transport sector

On 1 January 2021, the EU applied third-country customs to goods imported from the U.K. to the EU,

This was a big moment for rhe transport sector for vans . 1/ For many years - long before I and many others were doing the job we knew nothing else . Apart from jobs to Switzerland and Norway where they have VAT borders - trade was free flowing and there was no paperwork to complete - minus a CMR and a sales invoice .

New rules come in for any van over 2.5T from 20/05/25
You’ll basically have the same rules as a HGV
You’ll also have new biometrics in and out
You’ll also have customs issues at the border both in the U.K. and EU
What was once an easy way to send goods .. is about to end Any van sending commercial goods for hire and reward will need an O licence and transport manager . You’ll then have customs issues like we see now - and in October you’ll have biometrics on the border . It’s like North Korea

So I left sevington after 6 hours last night .

The physical examination is almost designed to be intimidating . They escort you to a huge metal shed whenever two inspectors guide you in . The shutters then come down and you are told to wait in a cornered off area 1/ I guess it was about 20 minutes until two border force officials come from a side entrance - they make no contact with you . They don’t speak .

You then watch as they start the “physical examination” almost worried you’ve done something wrong . When you haven’t .

2/

Last night I was sent back to the U.K. by the douane for “incorrect paperwork” .
Below just to help those who called me thick or not knowing my job this is what we’re up against since brexit . I’m not going to say who I work for but let’s say it keeps an entire operation working This is the french interpretation for what I carry . It fell on deaf ears and I was warned not to try to come back until I had paperwork - but couldn’t tell me exactly what I needed . So I’m now stuck waiting to see if the agent can help .

Remember all those years ago when I said brexit would mean an end to taking multiple jobs out to Europe and bringing 2/3/4 jobs back to the U.K. ?

Well it’s happening - it’s such a risk now-one incorrect declaration would hold everything up-two people i know have jacked it in You have to be lucky now - find a wait and return or someone who is willing to pay you round trip money on a one way job . Costs up - brexit paperwork - delays - possible waiting time for incorrect declarations , it all adds up to make a job a hell of a lot more expensive

Car parts
Anyone else having issues sourcing parts ? I can’t get an exhaust for one car and told 6 weeks as … no one willing to send to the U.K. anymore and they have to find new suppliers willing to . To be fair it’s not as if we could see it coming but it’s very frustrating I’m about to order one from Germany and get it sent to France . Such is the idiocy of brexit

Did you know .. 23% of all fruit and veg comes from Almeria province . It’s top 10 destinations for export are within Europe . Europe tops the top ten destinations for exports from the Andalusian fruit and vegetable sector abroad. So I asked a question to someone in almeria .. The first country is Germany, with 1,359 million, 30.7% of the total and an advance of 13% compared to the period from January to June 2021; followed by France, with 675 million, 15.3% of the total and a rise of 7.2%.

BREXIT UPDATE THIS IS NOW OFFICIAL, ALL HOUSEHOLD MOVES MUST BE CLEARED BY T1.
Afternoon, as of today French Customs have stopped allowing smart clearances. Meaning, every single household removal must travel on a T1 bond and must be discharged in the destination country. This means if anyone wants a small item taking to the continent it’ll need full customs clearance plus any duty to be paid .

Morocco will supply the EU first over the U.K. - why? Have a look at this . Leaving the European Union has left us outside looking in - we now have no food . And if we do it’s substandard . Anyone want to say it’s not brexit related ? policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relat… It’s well worth reading - the EU buys 2.5 billion in agri food . It provides political and financial assistance to Morocco - therefor the EU will have priority over any exports .

In the end Brexit will be good for the country, there will be a transition period, but ultimately it will be for the best. From the MD of Europa who supported brexit . Going well isn’t it

https://twitter.com/transinfoeng1/status/1622577954537541634

This aged well … businessleader.co.uk/im-in-favour-o…

My first tweet for a while . Im currently broken down in France . Word of advice . Don’t break down on the continent and expect to get back to the U.K. . I’ll list my experience below ( and I’m still here ) 👇and yes the B word is a big factor .. Axle blew north of Beauvais yesterday lunchtime . Rang European breakdown told to wait 2 hours for recovery to a garage . This is where it gets interesting ..

Incase you were wondering why I’ve gone a bit quiet it’s because I have decided to pretty much quit what I’ve been doing for over 10 years- Express European transport . A number of reasons . And this is 💯 % honest and to the point .. 1) my accident . I’ll be honest I don’t enjoy the job anymore . I feel more relaxed now im not really driving .

This isn’t a new problem

The queues were there in December

They came back a week into January - the quietest month of the year

They subsided for a few weeks

They came back in March with a vengeance-and they show no signs of going

bbc.co.uk/news/business-… One word explains all of this sorry mess . Brexit . Since full customs controls came in on 01/01/22 the queues have been there . Remember January ? They were bad in what is the quietest month of the year

Seeing as I’m back I guess I’ll have to talk about the absolute MAYHEM getting out of the U.K. . Don’t let the government let you believe it’s solely the ferries fault .. it really isn’t . GVMS - government own customs portal has been down for a WEEK This is one part of GVMS - it’s down . A week today it went down . I had a job booked to paris I had to cancel as you cannot board the train / ferry without it

At dover - the 17:25 is docking and there’s a passenger bus waiting .. you’d like to think it may be for Ukrainian refugees . Let’s see how many board it anyone want to hazard a guess as to how many may have boarded ?

Vans are now being turned away at dover docks carrying aid for minimal value on commercial invoices - by the BRITS - not the french . They are enforcing the law 101% on humanitarian aid . Miffed and dumbfounded is an understatement @POFerriesFR8

Absolutely unforgivable there is no bilateral agreement yet between U.K./FR/NL in regards to humanitarian aid-there’s a lot of high end essential gear stuck in the U.K. unable to leave. It’s simply unforgivable. There needs to be an exemption now . I don’t see it coming though Unfortunately- a lot of things like medical equipment / food / medicines etc simply can’t leave because of customs formalities - need agent in U.K. and destination country . Those who have no knowledge wouldn’t have a clue - then there’s the GVMS . Shitshow

This is the completely unnecessary bull**** a driver now needs to do to bring goods into the U.K. - and all the paperwork is arranged by the agent and the importer . If your a small / medium business and hand to do this I feel for you . Makes be bloody angry 👇

Just to clarify why the queues in and out of ports happen :

It is not french customs
The french regulate the traffic into dover as it’s the first point of call

The queues happen at check in because to get your boarding pass you need to submit your :

GVMS
T1 export MRN 1/2 To ... civilian staff working for the ferry companies

This takes 10-20 mins per truck

Great eh

For anyone using the sixfold app-it is pretty accurate . Look at the waiting times in the European Union. There aren’t any V the waiting times getting to folkestone and Dover . CU&SM V 3rd country entry into EU . Was always going to happen ! EU into EU no delays

The staff at dover and Calais who work for the ferry operators essentially control and make brexit work- staff who have had no pay rise or recognition for all the extra work they do booking in commercial traffic.they are essentially doing the job a customs agent should be doing I asked the poor women in the booth at Calais today - she was stressed out and explained it’s non stop booking in trucks - she said they must scan the T1 / GMR / check the goods against the import declaration. I honestly don’t know how they do it day in day out . It’s non stop