Transporting Cargo from Europe to the UK for a Small Busines

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and I am looking to gain some knowledge and advice from experienced truck drivers. I have recently started a small business where I want to buy chocolate from Europe and sell it in the UK. As of now, I plan to rent a 3.5-ton refrigerated van since it’s what I can drive with my current license. Start on a small scale and see if the idea works. However, my ultimate goal is to obtain my 18-ton truck license and transport the goods myself.

I am aware that I have a lot to learn about the details of transporting goods, and I’m hoping some of you can help me out with some of my questions. Firstly, being a UK citizen, do I need any special permission or work visa to drive cargo from the EU to the UK if I am not paying myself to do this?

Secondly, what are the necessary forms and documents I would need to ensure that my cargo goes through customs without any issues? Are there any specific customs requirements that I should be aware of?

Lastly, assuming that my business idea takes off, I will eventually need to hire a freelance trucker to do the runs. What is the typical cost for a reliable and trustworthy driver?

Please do not assume that I already know something when explaining. As mentioned before I am new to all of this so any advice or tips on how to go about this venture would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to add any other relevant information that might help me gain a better understanding of the business.

Thank you all in advance for your help and support.

2

If your main business is about buying/selling chocolate are you sure that transporting it yourself is going to be cost effective?
Don`t assume that doing it yourself is cheaper. A haulier will be earning on export as well as import loads, they will be pulling goods both ways so their costs will be split two ways. They will have expertise in all the docs necessary.

A work permit is probably the only thing you won`t need!

Running commercially over 2.5T in EU needs an O-Licence now. Rented, or own vehicle, you will need one.
Currently a tachograph isn`t needed, but there is speculation that might be introduced in the next few years.

Are you planning on doing one collection in Europe or many little ones? The admin for one carton is pretty much the same as for one truck load.
Each consignment will need export documentation, and each consignment will need to be cleared into the UK. The EU exporter will need to prepare documents for you. They will want to cover that cost if it is a small amount they are selling to you. Or find an agent in each of the countries you are buying in, to negotiate will the seller and do that paperwork for you.

Many small scale importers and exporters have given up or opened warehouses in the EU in the past few years.
This autumn there are due to be more UK import health checks for foodstuffs.
.
gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator
gov.uk/import-goods-into-uk

There are still some hauliers that will do small amounts in temp controlled vehicles, but some wont touch small consignments. Ten consignments on the vehicle, each with 4 different documents? One error and the whole lot is parked up. It aint easy.

Ed to add
Chocolate specific click through about what the vets might/might not need
food.gov.uk/business-guidan … fectionery

3

As Franglais has indicated, your small scale business idea has a lot of the problems of a large scale business and would not easily be economically viable.

You have a lot more homework to be done than can be supplied by TN, so if you’re serious about your idea you need to be talking to people experienced with importing, not from a collective made up mostly of drivers.

4

Franglais:
If your main business is about buying/selling chocolate are you sure that transporting it yourself is going to be cost effective?
Don`t assume that doing it yourself is cheaper. A haulier will be earning on export as well as import loads, they will be pulling goods both ways so their costs will be split two ways. They will have expertise in all the docs necessary.

A work permit is probably the only thing you won`t need!

Running commercially over 2.5T in EU needs an O-Licence now. Rented, or own vehicle, you will need one.
Currently a tachograph isn`t needed, but there is speculation that might be introduced in the next few years.

Are you planning on doing one collection in Europe or many little ones? The admin for one carton is pretty much the same as for one truck load.
Each consignment will need export documentation, and each consignment will need to be cleared into the UK. The EU exporter will need to prepare documents for you. They will want to cover that cost if it is a small amount they are selling to you. Or find an agent in each of the countries you are buying in, to negotiate will the seller and do that paperwork for you.

Many small scale importers and exporters have given up or opened warehouses in the EU in the past few years.
This autumn there are due to be more UK import health checks for foodstuffs.
.
gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator
gov.uk/import-goods-into-uk

There are still some hauliers that will do small amounts in temp controlled vehicles, but some wont touch small consignments. Ten consignments on the vehicle, each with 4 different documents? One error and the whole lot is parked up. It aint easy.

Ed to add
Chocolate specific click through about what the vets might/might not need
food.gov.uk/business-guidan … fectionery

Thank you for your response. Some very good information here.

You are right. I was assuming it would cost me less to do it myself. Well that and I would like to do it myself to learn. Experience is the best teacher after all. If you would not mind telling me the best way to go about figuring out the cost? I have tried to get an answer from various logistics websites but it seems that me sending in a question only gets me on their mailing list and no real answers. So here is a hypothetical situation.

I want to bring in about 4 pallets of chocolate. Lets say snickers for example. There are 24 bars in a box (50g per snicker). There are 308 boxes per pallet. Lets assume 100g for the box housing the 24 bars. ((24 x 50) + 100) x 308 = 400kg. A rough estimate for the pallets weight. Now if I was to do as you suggested and get a hauler to help me out. Roughly what are we looking at as a cost. Assuming the load is coming from Belgium to a warehouse close to London. It would be amazing to get some solid numbers here. This is by far my biggest blind spot.

I will be looking into getting an O-licence. That is an amazing bit of information right there. Thank you for that.

I will be going through those links you sent just as soon as I get some real sleep. I am working on LA time right now so very little sleep over the last few weeks. That and my little one was throwing up all of last night. Any new information I try and absorb right now is just going in the one ear and out the other.

If you where me. Trying to do what I have outlined. What would you suggest being the best/cost effective way of going about this?

Thank you for your time. I owe you a beer!

5

Zac_A:
As Franglais has indicated, your small scale business idea has a lot of the problems of a large scale business and would not easily be economically viable.

You have a lot more homework to be done than can be supplied by TN, so if you’re serious about your idea you need to be talking to people experienced with importing, not from a collective made up mostly of drivers.

You are right. Thank you. Any chance you might be able to point me in the correct direction of somewhere I might be able to ask?

6

Maybe contact a few temp controlled hauliers?
Say you are in the early stages of setting up a job and want an estimate for (as you suggest) 4 plts Belgium to London. Id suggest that you ask for their advice on the paperwork involved. They wont want to be held ransom by an outsider getting that wrong.

They might come back with some figures for you. They might not be very interested.

Good luck.

Edit to add:
If it is “common or garden” chocolate such “Snickers” do you really need temp controlled transport?
In high summer or depth of winter sure, but the rest of the year isnt ambient OK? I dont know the regs on this.
Ambient would be cheaper and easier.

7

Franglais:
If it is “common or garden” chocolate such “Snickers” do you really need temp controlled transport?
In high summer or depth of winter sure, but the rest of the year isnt ambient OK? I dont know the regs on this.
Ambient would be cheaper and easier.

If it is “common or garden” chocolate such as Snickers, I wouldn’t even bother on such a small scale as a 4 pallet load.
If it’s very high quality Belgian Chocolate, with a niche market, then that could work economically.
Common or garden chocolate is moved in full trailer/container loads, for economy of scale. One set of paperwork, for one consignment of 20+ tonnes.

Specialist Belgian Chocolate, for a specialist niche market, in small quantities.
There would be less interest from the big logistics companies, so less competition I would think. It would be too much hassle for a small profit margin for them.
Multi small consignments, each needing their own full set of paperwork. As was said, one missed tick box or other error on one set of paperwork will cause a delay for the whole load.
You’ll want to be familiar with all the required paperwork before you start, so you can hopefully spot an error and get it corrected before you even leave the manufacturers premises.
An occasional short delay for a consignment of specialist goods wouldn’t be a major problem. But too frequently and you could be looking at a poor reliability score, even if the source of the delay isn’t you, which could hurt your business.

8

revelationsr:

Zac_A:
As Franglais has indicated, your small scale business idea has a lot of the problems of a large scale business and would not easily be economically viable.

You have a lot more homework to be done than can be supplied by TN, so if you’re serious about your idea you need to be talking to people experienced with importing, not from a collective made up mostly of drivers.

You are right. Thank you. Any chance you might be able to point me in the correct direction of somewhere I might be able to ask?

I’d start here if I were you
gov.uk/guidance/appoint-som … our-behalf
Then trawl google for “groupage” or “freight forwarding services” such as
genxfreight.co.uk/
freightservicesltd.co.uk/
etc etc
No endorsement of those two links should be inferred

9

This forum has been remarkably useful. Thank you all for the information. It will take me a little while to go through it all. I have no doubt I will be asking more questions soon.

10

If your merchandise weighs less than one ton, has a value of less than £1500 & is your own product, and the vehicle, car or van is under 3.5 tons, you can bring it under "merchandise in baggage.
You will need an Eori number, easy & free, and the application can be done on line, is simple & takes less than 20 minutes.
I’ve done it many times, no problem.7
Details on you gove site.

11

God on wheels:
If your merchandise weighs less than one ton, has a value of less than £1500 & is your own product, and the vehicle, car or van is under 3.5 tons, you can bring it under "merchandise in baggage.
You will need an Eori number, easy & free, and the application can be done on line, is simple & takes less than 20 minutes.
I’ve done it many times, no problem.7
Details on you gove site.

gov.uk/guidance/bringing-co … ur-baggage