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Knowledge base
Knowledge base
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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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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A broken cold chain: why goods become un-sellable before they physically spoil
A temperature excursion recorded by the data logger lets the receiver or the food-safety authority reject the whole…
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ADR spill in transit: what damaged dangerous-goods packaging really costs
A chemical leak, a damaged lithium cell or a breached ADR pallet is not a fender bender. It means neutralisation…
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Trade Fair Logistics East of England Arena Peterborough
How to organise transport of exhibition stands and exhibits to East of England Arena and Events Centre in Peterborough.
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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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Trade Fair Logistics: Transport to Eden Court in Inverness
How to plan freight transport for events at Eden Court in Inverness. Learn about UK customs procedures, routing and…
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Cross-contamination in a food-grade warehouse: one mistake and the whole batch goes to disposal
An allergen on the wrong pallet, chemicals next to food, a pest in the store: one mistake in a food warehouse can write…
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Trade Fair Logistics: Deliveries to EICC in Edinburgh
Technical guide on organising trade fair logistics and customs clearances for events at Edinburgh International…
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Goods expired in the warehouse: who is responsible and how to prevent it
Stock expires in the warehouse when nobody controls rotation and dates. See who is responsible for FIFO/FEFO, what it…
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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…
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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…
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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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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…
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Trade Fair Logistics: Transport to Eikon Exhibition Centre Lisburn
Transporting trade fair stands and exhibits to Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn, UK. Customs procedures, ATA Carnets…
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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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Trade fair logistics: delivering to Espace Gruyère in Bulle
A guide to trade fair logistics for Espace Gruyère in Bulle: customs procedures, booth equipment transport, and Swiss…
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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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Trade fair transport to Finland: Helsinki and Messukeskus
Delivering stand build and exhibits to a Finnish trade fair works differently from continental routes, because a Baltic…
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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…
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Trade Fair Logistics: Exhibition Centre Liverpool UK
Planning transport of stand builds or exhibits to Exhibition Centre Liverpool? Check customs clearance requirements and…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Trade fair logistics: delivery of stands and exhibits to EXPO Krakow
Learn how to manage the delivery of exhibition stands and goods to the EXPO Krakow convention centre in Czyzyny.
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Missing EORI or wrong VAT: why customs blocks the shipment and how to prevent it
A missing EORI or an invalid VAT number stops the customs declaration, and the truck sits idle at your cost, no matter…
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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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Trade Fair Logistics at Expo Silesia Sosnowiec: Delivery Guide
Practical guide on trade fair logistics, transport planning, and customs documentation for deliveries to the Expo…
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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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No ENS/ICS2 or GVMS/GMR: why your truck gets stuck at the UK border and who pays for the delay
Without an ENS/ICS2 declaration and a GMR number from GVMS, a truck will not board the ferry and can be held or turned…
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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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