AI image
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.
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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A single outdated number on the vehicle list, or a mismatch with the GMR or PBN, can wreck ferry check-in.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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
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.
Trade Fair Logistics: Exhibition Centre Liverpool UK
Planning transport of stand builds or exhibits to Exhibition Centre Liverpool? Check customs clearance requirements and…
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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.
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade Fair Logistics at EXPO XXI Warsaw: Transport Guide
A guide to organizing transport for trade fair stand elements and exhibits to EXPO XXI Warsaw in Wola district. Learn…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Exhibition Logistics: Farnborough International Centre
A guide to organising transport for exhibition stands and equipment to Farnborough International Exhibition and…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Exhibition Logistics Forum Fribourg: Stand & Exhibit Transport
Logistics guide for transporting exhibition stands and exhibits to Forum Fribourg in Switzerland. Learn about customs…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Exhibition Logistics to Green Glens Arena in Millstreet
How to arrange transport of stand structures and exhibits to trade fairs at Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, Ireland…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade Fair Logistics Hala Stulecia Wrocław: Transport & Delivery
Organising transport for an event at the Hala Stulecia venue in Wrocław? Discover key stand delivery rules…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade Fair Logistics: Harrogate Convention Centre Transport
Practical guide on organising transport, customs clearance, and delivery of goods to the Harrogate Convention Centre in…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade fair logistics ICC Belfast: booth construction and exhibits transport
A guide to exhibition logistics at ICC Belfast. Customs rules, delivery slot booking and transport management with…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade fair logistics ICC Wales: transport to Newport
Guide to exhibition logistics for ICC Wales at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. Transport organisation, UK customs…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Trade fair logistics Kent Event Centre Maidstone delivery and customs
Guide to exhibition logistics and customs clearance for deliveries to Kent Event Centre in Maidstone. Learn about ATA…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
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…
Image generated with AI — read our AI transparency notice.
Fair Logistics: Stand Delivery and Exhibits to Manchester Central
Guide to trade fair logistics for Manchester Central in the UK: transport organization, customs clearance, and using a…
Need transport or customs clearance?
Tell us what you need, a forwarder replies, not an autoresponder. Operations available 24/7.