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Transporting machinery purchased at the Ritchie Bros. auction in Maltby to Poland involves arranging road freight from the yard in South Yorkshire and completing customs clearance for export from the United Kingdom and import into the European Union. Transporting plant, agri, or truck equipment requires selecting the correct trailer, making customs declarations in CDS and GVMS, and holding valid EORI numbers.
How does purchasing machinery at the Ritchie Bros. Maltby auction work?
Ritchie Bros. is a global auctioneer of heavy equipment and agricultural machinery, operating a British auction yard in Maltby near Rotherham in South Yorkshire. Sales take place via online bidding, including through the acquired IronPlanet platform. Buyers can bid on equipment across three main categories: plant, which includes construction and earthmoving machinery; agri, covering tractors and agricultural equipment; and truck, encompassing commercial vehicles and tractor units. Before participating in an auction, you must register an account on the auction platform and verify your identity and bidding limit according to the auctioneer terms.
After winning a lot, you receive an invoice and release documentation authorizing the collection of the equipment from the Maltby yard. Specific commission rates, buyer fees, collection deadlines, and potential storage charges are not fixed — the specification set by the auction house depends on the individual auction and is set out in the terms of sale. Collection from the yard in Maltby requires advance notification for the driver and presentation of the official release note issued by the auction organizers.
What customs procedures apply when importing machinery from the UK to Poland?
Transporting purchased machinery from Great Britain to Poland following the UK departure from the European Union single market is classified as an import from a third country. This requires an export declaration in the UK Customs Declaration Service system and an import declaration in the EU. Both a UK EORI number for export and an EU EORI number for import clearance in Poland or another EU member state are mandatory for the participating entities.
Furthermore, any haulage contractor transporting goods across the English Channel via ferry or rail must register the movement in the UK Goods Vehicle Movement Service and obtain a Goods Movement Reference. Used construction and agricultural machinery may also be subject to biosecurity or cleanliness inspections to ensure freedom from soil contamination prior to entry into the European Union territory.
Step-by-step machinery collection and transport from UK auctions
- Account registration and online bidding. You register on the Ritchie Bros. or IronPlanet platform, complete account verification, and bid on plant, agri, or truck equipment.
- Invoice payment and release clearance. You settle the auction invoice. Payment terms and the pickup timeframe depend on the specific auction rules published by the auction house.
- UK export declaration filing. The machinery is declared for export in the UK CDS system based on the commercial invoice and equipment specifications.
- Haulage arrangement from Maltby yard. You assign the collection to a transport provider with appropriate equipment, such as a low-loader, flatbed, or machinery carrier trailer.
- Generating a GMR code in GVMS. The carrier links the customs declaration numbers in the GVMS system to generate a GMR required for port or channel tunnel boarding.
- EU import clearance and final delivery. Upon entering the EU, import customs clearance or T1 transit discharge is completed, duties and VAT are settled, and the machine is delivered to its destination.
Definitions
- CDS: Customs Declaration Service is the UK electronic customs platform used for processing import and export declarations.
- GVMS: Goods Vehicle Movement Service is a UK system that links customs declaration references to the transporting vehicle registration.
- GMR: Goods Movement Reference is a unique barcode generated by GVMS required for boarding ferries or the Eurotunnel.
- EORI: Economic Operators Registration and Identification is a unique reference number used by customs authorities across the EU and the UK.
Checklist for preparing transport from Maltby
- Obtain the commercial invoice and official Release Authorization from Ritchie Bros.
- Ensure valid UK and EU EORI numbers are in place for the exporter and importer.
- Verify exact machine dimensions and weight to select the correct transport equipment.
- Secure the UK Export Accompanying Document with its unique MRN.
- Ensure the haulage operator generates the GMR code prior to port arrival.
- Confirm operational condition of the machine for loading at the Maltby yard.
When do these transport rules not apply?
The described transport process does not apply if the purchased machinery remains within the United Kingdom and is not exported across the customs border. The procedure also does not apply to machinery moved under temporary admission using an ATA (Admission Temporaire, the temporary admission document) Carnet. Specific customs requirements and transport arrangements depend on the customs status of the equipment, its physical dimensions, and the final destination country.
The OTSL role
OTSL Sp. z o.o. with headquarters in Kielce and operational facilities in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, manages transport operations and customs formalities between the UK and Poland. Explore our service page for machinery transport and review options for customs clearance. For additional background on cross-border procedures, read our article on import from the UK to Poland.
