AI image
Knowledge base
Border procedures
Practical guides on transport to the UK, customs clearance, exhibition logistics and warehousing.
What is in the OTSL knowledge base?
The OTSL knowledge base is practical articles on international road freight: customs clearance and border procedures (SIVEP, GMR, PBN, ATA carnet), transport to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Switzerland, trade fair logistics, warehousing and returns. We cover the real risks and how to prevent them before they hit your cargo.
Articles are coming soon.
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Border procedures in transport: SIVEP, SPS checks, GMR, PBN, ATA
A guide to border procedures in road transport outside the EU: SPS veterinary and phytosanitary checks, the GMR and…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Import clearance of machinery in France: smart border and autoliquidation
Machinery import from the UK via France: smart border processing, VAT autoliquidation and customs procedure 42 for…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Vehicle from UK Auction to Polish Roads: Homologation Rules
Complete guide to importing vehicles and machinery from UK auctions to Poland. V5C documents, road approval, and…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Tariff classification of used machinery: CN code and parts
Learn how used machinery is classified under CN codes. Equipment age does not change tariff headings, while separate…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Auction Machine Without Documents: What to Check Before Bidding
Buying auction machinery in the UK without docs requires verifying the nameplate and calculating document recovery…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Fiscal representative in import: role, liabilities and cost-efficiency
A fiscal representative settles import VAT on behalf of a foreign company. Learn about joint liability and alternatives…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
EES and ETIAS: new border checks and what they mean for road transport
EES has been fully operational since April 2026, registering non-EU and British drivers biometrically at external…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
How to classify goods correctly: HS/CN codes, BTI and tariff tools
Correct tariff classification starts from the characteristics of the goods, not the invoice name: description, General…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Transit guarantee: how it works and what happens if transit is not discharged
A transit procedure suspends duty and taxes while goods move, but in return it requires a guarantee. We explain what it…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Sanitary checks on a load at the UK border: step by step at a control post (BCP)
What a sanitary check on a load at the UK border looks like in practice: documentary, identity and physical checks at a…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Rules of origin and the EUR.1 certificate: the formal conditions of customs preference
Rules of origin decide whether goods qualify for a preferential duty rate at all. We explain sufficient processing, the…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
ADR checks at the border and en route: documents, marking and the faults that stop dangerous goods
What an ADR check actually verifies when you move dangerous goods, which documents and marking must match, and the…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
ISPM 15: when a wooden pallet or crate holds your cargo at the border
In trade outside the European Union, wood packaging, meaning pallets, crates and dunnage, must be treated and carry the…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
How to distribute a load to pass the weighbridge: axle weights in practice
A practical guide to load distribution: how to place heavy items on the trailer, how pre-selection and static…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
GVMS and GMR step by step: preparing a movement for the UK border
The GMR is the number without which a driver cannot board a ferry or the Eurotunnel. We walk through how to link…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Un-discharged T1 transit: the guarantee is drawn and duty plus VAT land on you
When a T1 transit is not discharged in NCTS, the guarantee is drawn and import duty plus VAT fall due on the principal…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Vehicle lists and sailing manifests on ferries to GB and IE
A vehicle list and a sailing manifest set out the vehicles and loads a ferry operator needs before check-in on routes…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
German import customs and the ATA Carnet: permanent versus temporary import
You are taking equipment to Germany for a trade fair or for good, and you do not know whether you need import clearance…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Machinery customs clearance in the Netherlands: importing machines through NL ports
The machine has arrived in Rotterdam and you do not know what comes next. Importing heavy equipment through the…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
SIVEP: France's veterinary and phytosanitary border checks
SIVEP is France's veterinary and phytosanitary border inspection service. We explain which goods it covers on import to…
Need transport or customs clearance?
Tell us what you need, a forwarder replies, not an autoresponder. Operations available 24/7.