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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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The fake carrier: how a fraudster steals your freight by impersonating a real company
A fraudster impersonates a genuine haulier, collects your goods at loading, and vanishes. Learn the red flags and how…
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Driver Hours, the Tachograph and Your Deadline: Why "Drive Faster" Does Not Exist
Driver rest periods are fixed, the tachograph records everything, and tampering risks losing the operator licence. Here…
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Container demurrage and detention: where the charges come from and how to cut them to zero
Demurrage and detention grow every single day and can exceed the freight itself, here is how they work and how we keep…
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Delivering to a Sanctioned Party: the Forwarder's Liability, Not Just the Client's
A sanctions breach exposes every link in the chain, including the carrier and forwarder. See how party and dual-use…
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Wrong tariff code (HS/CN): who pays the duty and VAT after a customs audit
A wrong tariff code is not a harmless typo: after a customs audit it triggers retroactive duty and VAT, interest, and…
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Carrier Liability Is Not Enough: Why CMR Will Not Cover a High-Value, Lightweight Load
Carrier liability under CMR is calculated per kilogram, not by the value of the goods. For high-value, lightweight…
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CMR Damage Claims: Why You Only Have 7 Days for Hidden Damage
Visible damage must be flagged at delivery, hidden damage within 7 days. Miss it and CMR presumes the goods arrived…
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Improper Cargo Securing: Roadside Inspection, Fines and Vehicle Immobilisation
Badly secured cargo is not only a crash risk. It can immobilise the truck at a roadside check until you fix it, trigger…
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Axle overload: who pays the fine and when the loader is liable
The fine for an overloaded axle usually lands on the driver and the carrier, but sometimes the loader pays. We explain…
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Reservations on the CMR note at delivery: what to enter in field 24 before you sign
The view from the dock: a clean signature on the CMR raises the presumption that the goods arrived in good condition…
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Insuring trade fair exhibits: the risks from hall to hall
An exhibit lives outside your company for the whole show cycle: transport, build-up, open days, breakdown, return…
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The 8.33 SDR/kg carrier liability limit: why carrier insurance is not enough
The CMR Convention calculates compensation from kilograms, not from the invoice. For light, expensive goods the result…
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Damage in transit: how to report and document it step by step
Torn film, crushed cartons and a CMR note signed clean: the fastest way to lose your claim. Here is the order of…
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Project cargo: planning the logistics of a whole construction site, not a single haul
A construction site is not one transport but a sequence of deliveries that must arrive in assembly order. How we plan…
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How much it costs to enter the UK market with your own product
An offer in English, fairs or outreach, samples, certification, EORI, the logistics of first deliveries and returns: we…
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How Polish manufacturers find buyers in the UK: channels, costs, mistakes
Trade fairs, distributors, direct outreach, B2B platforms and tenders: five channels through which a Polish…
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What UK returns handling costs: the factors behind the price
You will not find a price list here, because the honest answer is: it depends. What you will find is the full list of…
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Recovery of abandoned or stranded cargo abroad | OTSL
The load stopped en route: the carrier abandoned the job, the vehicle broke down, the driver will not go on or got…
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Out-of-hours transport: nights, weekends and holidays | OTSL
The deadline falls on a Saturday, the delivery must be there for Monday opening, and the line runs at night? When…
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Construction site delivery with crane unloading: how to plan it
A delivery of materials to a construction site succeeds when it is planned around the place, not the truck. We explain…
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Abnormal load transport: permit categories, escort vehicles and clearance
In Poland an oversized movement needs a permit in one of five categories (I-V) and, above certain dimensions, escort…
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The carrier did not show up. What to do step by step
The truck never arrived for loading and the carrier has gone silent? A crisis guide: what to do in the first hour, what…
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The customs tariff code (CN/HS): how to find it and why it matters so much
The tariff code decides the duty rate, VAT, requirements and restrictions on import and export. We explain the…
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Customs warehousing and temporary admission: procedures that defer or suspend duty
Customs warehousing lets you store goods without paying duty and VAT until they are released, while temporary admission…
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CDS: the British customs declaration system that replaced CHIEF
The United Kingdom has moved customs declarations from the old CHIEF system to CDS (the Customs Declaration Service)…
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ENS Entry Summary Declarations for UK imports: who files, when and what
Since 31 January 2025 imports from the EU into Great Britain require an ENS safety and security declaration lodged…
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The BTOM model: SPS risk categories and import requirements for Great Britain
The BTOM model sorts SPS goods into risk categories: low, medium and high. The category decides on health certificates…
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ENS stop words (ICS2): the list of banned goods descriptions and how to describe a shipment
A description such as goods, samples or parts blocks an ENS declaration in the ICS2 system. We publish the European…
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CARGO insurance versus carrier liability (OCP), what protects your goods
OCP and CARGO are not the same, and the difference can hurt at a claim. What really protects your goods and why CARGO…
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24/7 availability in forwarding, why it matters | OTSL
Transport does not stop after hours and problems do not wait for Monday. Why round-the-clock availability of the…
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Clothing and footwear transport: from cartons to garments on hangers (GOH)
Knitwear and footwear travel in cartons on pallets, suits and dresses as garments on hangers (GOH) on rails in the…
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The SENT system: monitoring the transport of sensitive goods in Poland
Fuels, oils, completely denatured alcohol, dried tobacco, and since 2023 also cereals and poultry meat: moving…
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