Frequently asked questions

Collection and delivery postcodes, the number of pallets or packages with their dimensions and gross weight, what the goods are, and when they are ready. For anything leaving the EU we also need the commodity code and the value. With that we can usually come back the same working day.

No. We move single pallets on groupage services and single cartons by air. Below about one pallet a parcel carrier is usually cheaper and we will say so rather than quote you something uncompetitive.

Carrier liability applies automatically but it is limited by convention, not by the value of your goods. Under CMR it is 8.33 SDR per kilogram, roughly ten to eleven euro, and under the Hague-Visby rules for sea it is calculated per package or per kilogram. For anything worth meaningfully more than that, take separate all risks cargo insurance, which we arrange on request.

Yes, by the pallet and by the week, with no long commitment. We also operate bonded storage, where import duty and VAT are deferred until the goods are released for sale, which is worth considering if you import in container quantities and sell over months.

Yes. Each account has a named person who handles your files, knows your flows and can make decisions rather than escalating everything. For urgent matters outside office hours we give active clients a direct number rather than a general inbox.

Road quotations are normally firm for seven days. Ocean and air rates move faster and are usually valid until the end of the month or for a named sailing, because carrier rates change on their own schedule. We always state the validity on the quotation rather than leaving it open.

Import duty and VAT, which are payable to the authorities rather than to us. Demurrage and detention if a container is delayed by something outside our control. Waiting time beyond the agreed free period at loading or delivery. Customs inspection charges if the authorities select the shipment. We list these explicitly so they are not a surprise.

We agree terms per account. New clients normally start on payment before release and move to credit terms once a trading history exists. Duty and VAT are handled separately, either paid by you directly or advanced by us against a disbursement fee.

Yes. Road shipments are GPS tracked and we can give you a position and an estimated arrival at any point. Ocean containers are tracked at vessel milestone level and air shipments at air waybill status level. We also tell you proactively when a delay becomes likely, rather than waiting for you to ask.

Inside Europe, road for almost everything, with rail worth considering for heavy regular volumes between fixed points. Beyond Europe, sea when five weeks is acceptable, rail when three weeks is worth a premium, air when days matter. We quote more than one option whenever the choice is genuinely close.

Note the damage on the CMR or delivery document before signing, photograph it before the goods are moved, and tell us the same day. Accepting a delivery clean and reporting damage later makes a claim very difficult to pursue. Under CMR, visible damage must be noted at delivery and hidden damage within seven days.

Yes, within the classes each mode accepts. Road under ADR takes the widest range, sea under IMDG is close behind, and air under the IATA regulations is the most restricted, with some classes forbidden entirely. Send us the safety data sheet and we will confirm what is possible before you commit.

No. Goods in free circulation move between EU member states without customs declarations, duty or import VAT at the border. You still need a correct commercial invoice, and for VAT zero rating you need proof the goods left the country, which the signed CMR provides.

An EORI number, a commercial invoice showing commodity codes, values, incoterms and country of origin, and a packing list. Depending on the product and destination you may also need a certificate of origin, a phytosanitary certificate or an export licence. We confirm the exact list before the goods move.

Whichever the Incoterm says. Under DAP or FCA the buyer pays, under DDP the seller does. It is worth deciding deliberately rather than by habit, because a customer who receives an unexpected duty invoice remembers it. We explain the practical effect before you agree terms.

You may pay duty you did not owe, or owe duty you did not pay, with interest and potentially a penalty. The importer of record remains liable even when a broker files the declaration. Where a code is genuinely ambiguous we recommend applying for binding tariff information, which fixes the position in advance.

On a sound pallet, shrink wrapped to it, with nothing overhanging the edges and corner protection on anything crushable. Overhang is the single most common cause of damage in consolidated freight, because a forklift or a neighbouring pallet catches it. Label each pallet with the consignee and your reference.

For destinations outside the EU, yes. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be heat treated or fumigated and marked accordingly, and untreated wood is routinely refused at the border. Inside the EU it is not required. Plastic and pressed wood pallets are outside the scope entirely.