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Knowledge base

Destinations and markets

Practical guides on transport to the UK, customs clearance, exhibition logistics and warehousing.

We write about what actually holds a load at the border: documents, customs, returns and warehousing. No filler, just usable detail.

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.

Not sure what an industry acronym means? Check the glossary. Glossary Convert pallets to loading metres or print a shipping checklist in our tools. Tools and calculator
Transport to the islands of Britain and Ireland: a guide to the destinations Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to the islands of Britain and Ireland: a guide to the destinations

Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. We explain the three…

Transport to Norway, customs and VOEC | OTSL Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Norway, customs and VOEC | OTSL

Norway is in the EEA but outside the EU customs union, so a delivery needs clearance. What VOEC is, when it matters and…

Transport to Switzerland, customs and documents | OTSL Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Switzerland, customs and documents | OTSL

Switzerland is outside the EU customs union, so every delivery needs clearance. What to prepare, which documents are…

A Scandinavian company with a Polish site: structuring the PL–Nordics flow Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

A Scandinavian company with a Polish site: structuring the PL–Nordics flow

A group headquartered in Sweden with production in Poland has a different problem from an exporter: a repeatable flow…

A company with sites in Poland and the UK: how to structure transport between your own locations Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

A company with sites in Poland and the UK: how to structure transport between your own locations

Moving goods between your own sites is still export and import. How to set up a repeatable PL–UK flow instead of…

Road transport to Belgium: cost, time and documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Belgium: cost, time and documents

A close EU logistics hub and the port of Antwerp. What sets the price: a kilometre charge on all roads, transit tolls…

Road transport to Austria: cost, time and documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Austria: cost, time and documents

An Alpine transit country: the GO-Box toll, Tyrol sectoral and night bans, block clearance and winter rules. What…

Road transport to the Netherlands: cost, time and documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to the Netherlands: cost, time and documents

Short distance, the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, a dense network and a new HGV road charge from July 2026. What…

Road transport to Spain: cost, time and documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Spain: cost, time and documents

Why Spain is one of the longest EU road runs and what that means for price: distance, driver hours, French transit…

Road transport to Italy: cost, time and documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Italy: cost, time and documents

What really drives the price of shipping to Italy: long distance, tolls along the whole route, Alpine tunnels and ADR…

Road transport to Slovakia: cost, time, automotive Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Slovakia: cost, time, automotive

How to move freight to Slovakia under automotive discipline: slots, booking, JIT/JIS risk, transit time, cost and toll.

Road transport to Czechia: cost, time, documents, transit Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Road transport to Czechia: cost, time, documents, transit

How long and how much road transport to Czechia takes, how the MYTO CZ toll works and why intra-EU trade needs no…

Transport to Germany: guide (cost, transit time, documents, toll) Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Germany: guide (cost, transit time, documents, toll)

A practical guide to road transport from Poland to Germany: who ships, main lanes and ports, real transit times…

Temporary Admission to Switzerland: ATA vs ZAVV, Duty-Free Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Temporary Admission to Switzerland: ATA vs ZAVV, Duty-Free

Sending a machine for service or professional equipment to Switzerland and want it back without paying duty? Use an ATA…

Exporting food to Norway: Mattilsynet and border controls Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Exporting food to Norway: Mattilsynet and border controls

Norway sits in the EEA but outside the Customs Union, so food from Poland crosses the border first through customs…

Norway B2B Import Beyond VOEC: Clearance and Import VAT Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Norway B2B Import Beyond VOEC: Clearance and Import VAT

VOEC is a simplification only for low-value B2C sales. Business buyers and higher-value shipments need standard import…

Transport to Liechtenstein: Customs and VAT with Switzerland Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Liechtenstein: Customs and VAT with Switzerland

Liechtenstein shares a common customs area with Switzerland under the 1923 treaty and a common VAT area under the 1994…

Pharma Transport to Switzerland: Swissmedic, GDP, Temperature Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Pharma Transport to Switzerland: Swissmedic, GDP, Temperature

How to ship medicines to Switzerland under GDP and Swissmedic oversight. Temperature control, documentation, non-EU…

High-Value Goods Transport to Switzerland Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

High-Value Goods Transport to Switzerland

Watches, jewellery and electronics bound for Switzerland need more than standard freight. A declared value on the CMR…

Shipping Wine and Alcohol to Switzerland: Duty, Tax, Documents Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Shipping Wine and Alcohol to Switzerland: Duty, Tax, Documents

Shipping wine and alcohol to Switzerland means three separate charges: customs duty on gross weight, import VAT and a…

Machinery to Switzerland: Duty-Free, 8.1% VAT, Oversize Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Machinery to Switzerland: Duty-Free, 8.1% VAT, Oversize

Shipping a machine to Switzerland has changed: since 2024 machinery enters duty-free, so the main fiscal cost is import…

Swiss de minimis: when imports are duty and VAT free Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Swiss de minimis: when imports are duty and VAT free

Switzerland waives import tax when the calculated amount stays at or below CHF 5 per declaration. We explain the CHF 5…

Passar: Switzerland's new customs system after e-dec Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Passar: Switzerland's new customs system after e-dec

Passar is the new customs platform of the Swiss BAZG authority that is gradually replacing e-dec. We explain step by…

Swiss e-commerce customs: the CHF 100,000 threshold and Swiss VAT Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Swiss e-commerce customs: the CHF 100,000 threshold and Swiss VAT

Selling to Switzerland from an online shop? Once you pass CHF 100,000 in turnover from small consignments you become…

Swiss Customs Duty Is Charged by Gross Weight, Not Value Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Swiss Customs Duty Is Charged by Gross Weight, Not Value

Switzerland charges import duty by gross weight (a rate per 100 kg), not on the value of the goods. Industrial goods…

How much does transport to Switzerland cost: what makes up the rate Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

How much does transport to Switzerland cost: what makes up the rate

Switzerland sits outside the EU, so every delivery is an export and an import, with two customs clearances, the LSVA…

Transport to Switzerland in winter: passes, the night driving ban and route planning Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Switzerland in winter: passes, the night driving ban and route planning

Night driving ban, Sunday ban, border clearance and Alpine weather: a winter delivery to Switzerland needs a different…

VOEC mishandled on a Norway shipment: double VAT, returns and a lost customer Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

VOEC mishandled on a Norway shipment: double VAT, returns and a lost customer

When VOEC is mishandled, the Norwegian border charges VAT a second time. The result is double tax, delay, a refused…

EUR.1 or origin declaration error on shipments to Switzerland: why the Swiss importer pays full duty Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

EUR.1 or origin declaration error on shipments to Switzerland: why the Swiss importer pays full duty

One mistake in the preferential origin proof and your Swiss importer loses the zero or reduced rate and pays full…

Transport to Portugal: the longest road route in the EU Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Portugal: the longest road route in the EU

From Poland to Portugal you cross the whole width of Europe: Germany, France and Spain. How such a long route is…

Transport to Cyprus and Malta: how freight to the EU islands works Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Cyprus and Malta: how freight to the EU islands works

You cannot drive to Cyprus or Malta, you have to sail there. How island freight works: a road leg, a ro-ro sea leg, a…

Transport to Romania and Hungary: corridors, e-tolls and borders after Schengen Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to Romania and Hungary: corridors, e-tolls and borders after Schengen

Romania and Hungary sit on the same corridor from Poland but differ in everything: toll systems, distance and market…

Transport to the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia via the Via Baltica Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia via the Via Baltica

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia sit along one road: the Via Baltica. It is a fast, groupage-friendly direction, provided…

Poland as a sourcing base: one transport instead of five shipments Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Poland as a sourcing base: one transport instead of five shipments

A foreign importer buys from several Polish suppliers and suddenly manages five dispatches at once. Here is how…

Transport to the Balkans: Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece from Poland Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport to the Balkans: Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece from Poland

The Balkans are one direction on the map but four different routes in practice. Which way trucks run to Croatia and…

Transport from Poland to Western Europe: what the forwarder does at origin Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Destinations and markets

Transport from Poland to Western Europe: what the forwarder does at origin

The receiver in Germany or the Netherlands only sees the truck at the ramp. The real work happens earlier: collection…

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