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Knowledge base
Guides
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.
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Declared value in CMR (art. 24 and 26): raise carrier's limit
The 8.33 SDR/kg cap is often far below the real value of the cargo. The CMR Convention gives two legal ways to raise…
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Courier, Pallet Freight or Full Load: What to Choose and When
Courier, pallet freight (LTL) or a dedicated truck? The choice comes down to weight, dimensions, value, urgency and…
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CMR Delay Compensation: The Cap Is the Freight Charge
For late delivery alone, the CMR Convention does not pay the value of the goods. Compensation is capped at the carriage…
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How customs duty is calculated: customs value, rate and VAT
Duty is your customs value multiplied by the tariff rate, and import VAT is charged on the customs value plus that…
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Incoterms 2020 Explained: All 11 Rules in One Table (EXW to DDP)
A complete, citable table of all 11 Incoterms 2020 rules (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP plus the sea rules FAS…
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Fourth-quarter shipping: how to plan peak season without emergency surcharges
In Q4 demand for trucks rises, supply falls, and holiday calendars plus warehouse slots compress every schedule. A…
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e-CMR: the electronic consignment note and what it changes for shippers
Between countries that are parties to the protocol, an e-CMR has the same legal force as the paper note. Electronic…
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ETS2 and CO2 in transport: why road freight will cost more from 2027
From 2027 fuels used in road transport fall under ETS2, a separate EU emissions trading system. Fuel suppliers will…
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Strike, blockade, closed border: who is liable for your cargo (force majeure under CMR)
A strike or road blockade does not release the carrier automatically. Article 17(2) CMR requires proof that the event…
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Friday afternoon loading: why it is the most expensive shipment of the week
A 3 pm Friday loading starts four clocks at once: the driver runs out of hours, weekend driving bans begin, receiving…
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HGV driving bans in Europe: Sundays, public holidays and summer Saturdays vs your delivery date
Germany stops trucks over 7.5 t every Sunday and public holiday from midnight to 22:00, and on selected summer…
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Cancelling a transport order: what a cancelled truck really costs
The load „falls through" while the truck is already heading to the loading site. Why a cancelled vehicle costs money…
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Truck detention charges: who pays for a waiting vehicle and when the clock really starts
The truck waits at the ramp and the daily rate burns away. How free time for loading and unloading works, when…
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Cargo theft from a truck park: what carriers do not tell you about overnight stops
The typical cargo theft is a curtain slashed on an unguarded truck park at night. Learn why trucks park wherever the…
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When transport insurance will not pay: carrier liability exclusions, deductibles, gross negligence
Carrier liability insurance (OCP) protects the carrier, not your goods. Learn the typical policy exclusions: unguarded…
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Payment terms in transport: why 60 days with the cheapest carrier puts your cargo at risk
The customer pays the forwarder, the forwarder pays the carrier, and the carrier pays for fuel immediately. When terms…
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Reconsignment: changing the delivery place mid-route and who controls the goods
The goods are already moving and the customer wants them sent to a different address. The CMR Convention says exactly…
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Cabotage and cross-trade: why "just drop these off around Germany while you are there" can be illegal
Cabotage has hard limits: 3 jobs in 7 days plus a 4-day cooling-off. See how it differs from cross-trade, what the…
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Fuel surcharge: what makes up a freight rate and why a guaranteed price still rises
A fuel surcharge is a mechanism, not a whim. See what a road freight rate consists of, how diesel indexation works and…
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Document neutralisation: delivering to the end customer without revealing your supplier
Document neutralisation lets you deliver goods to the end customer without your supplier and buyer ever learning about…
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Your freight resold down a chain: middlemen and double brokering
Double brokering means your transport order is resold without your knowledge. See how the chain works, where liability…
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When is Procedure 42 worth it? A decision guide | OTSL
Procedure 42 pays off when imported goods travel straight to a buyer in another EU country. Check the conditions…
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Statement on origin on the invoice: practice, REX and the EU-UK TCA
A practical guide to the statement on origin on the invoice: the required wording, REX registration for consignments…
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ATA Carnet or temporary admission: what to choose for trade fairs and temporary equipment export
OTSL decision guide: when to choose an ATA Carnet and when standard temporary admission for exhibits, stands and…
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FTL or LTL (groupage): when to choose which in road freight
OTSL decision guide: when a full truckload (FTL) pays off and when groupage (LTL) does. How to choose by volume…
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T1 or T2 Transit: When to Use Which and Why Both Get Confused
OTSL decision guide: T1 for non-EU goods with duties suspended, T2 in the context of EU customs status. The choice is…
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Incoterms mismatch DAP versus DDP: who really pays customs duty and import VAT
When seller and buyer read the delivery term differently, the border produces an unexpected bill and a held shipment…
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Mis-declared ADR goods: what happens when hazardous cargo travels as an ordinary pallet
When dangerous cargo travels as an ordinary pallet or with the wrong UN number, class or packing group, a roadside…
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Peak season without secured trucks: why "I will book transport at the last minute" is a false economy
In peak season, once market capacity is gone, a last-minute order simply finds no truck. We show what that really costs…
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Carrier's lien for unpaid freight: why your cargo can be held over someone else's debt
A carrier has the right to hold your goods until the freight is paid. If your forwarder never paid the actual haulier…
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Machine stuck in a Dutch port: the bill for storage and demurrage
An incomplete import clearance of machinery through the Netherlands can hold the equipment in port for days. Storage…
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Missed sailing from a wrong vehicle list: the domino effect on your deadline
A single outdated number on the vehicle list, or a mismatch with the GMR or PBN, can wreck ferry check-in. Denied…
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Undischarged ATA carnet and double VAT: the traps of import clearance in Germany
A faulty import clearance in Germany or an unsettled ATA carnet can cost twice: forfeiture of the ATA security, extra…
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Cargo stuck in Ireland without a PBN: who pays for the standstill and the missed sailing
Without a valid PBN and a good-to-proceed status, a truck cannot board the ferry or leave the terminal in Ireland. That…
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Missing SPS certificate or SIVEP pre-notification: how you lose sensitive goods at the border
Goods of animal or plant origin without a health certificate and pre-notification will be stopped at a border control…
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Who Is Liable for Damage During Loading and Unloading | OTSL
How liability splits between driver, loader and consignee during loading and unloading, the role of the tail lift and…
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