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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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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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Trade fair logistics: delivery of booth structures and exhibits to AMBEREXPO in Gdańsk
A practical guide to exhibition logistics at the AMBEREXPO centre in Gdańsk. Learn how to plan the delivery of booth…
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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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New pallet, new SSCC: logistics labels and ASN after repacking
A rebuilt pallet is a new logistic unit and needs a new SSCC. How we print GS1-128 labels from your data in Milton…
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Trade Fair Logistics: Bath & West Showground Shepton Mallet
Guide to managing transport and customs for events at Bath & West Showground in Shepton Mallet using UK buffer…
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Trade fair logistics: delivery of stands and exhibits to Beaulieu Lausanne
Guide to trade fair logistics for Beaulieu Lausanne in Switzerland. Customs documentation, border clearances and venue…
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Certified disposal of rejected goods UK: cost breakdown and documents
Disposal in England means segregation, transport, a gate fee and paperwork. What makes up the cost, why there is no…
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Trade Fair Logistics BERNEXPO Bern: Transport and Customs
Organising road transport and customs clearance for trade fairs at BERNEXPO in Bern. Border procedures, temporary…
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Trade fair logistics: Bournemouth International Centre delivery
Planning transport to Bournemouth International Centre? Discover customs rules, ATA Carnet procedures, and staging…
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Trade Fair Logistics for Brighton Centre in Brighton
Trade fair logistics for the Brighton Centre. Essential rules for delivering stand materials and exhibits to a congress…
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Trade Fair Logistics: Delivery to Business Design Centre in London
Guide to organising deliveries of stand structures and exhibits to the Business Design Centre in London including UK…
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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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Trade Fair Logistics to Citywest Hotel & Event Centre in Dublin
A practical guide to trade fair logistics for Citywest Hotel, Convention and Event Centre in Dublin. Learn key…
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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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Odour and cross-contamination: why a foreign smell disqualifies food and cosmetics
Odour-absorbing products, meaning food, coffee, tea, cosmetics and pet food, can take on a foreign smell from a…
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Shortage and overage at unloading: how to count pallets and protect your claim
When you take delivery, the number of pieces and pallets received must match the transport documents. A shortage…
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Moisture and mould in cargo: when the goods are already lost
Temperature differences inside a trailer or container condense moisture on the walls and roof, from where it drips onto…
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Exhibition Logistics: Delivery of Stand Build and Exhibits to The Convention Centre Dublin
Accessing The Convention Centre Dublin requires navigating city centre traffic. Learn the essential rules for…
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Breakage of fragile cargo: how to segregate, document and safely dispose of it
With fragile cargo a single breakage rarely stops at one item. Shards, spills and pressure can contaminate or damage…
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Cargo after a collision or a rolled-over trailer: inspection and the decision on what happens to the goods
After a road incident, goods can be damaged even when they look fine from the outside. See why a post-accident…
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The damage report in transport: how to draw it up and which evidence to preserve
A damage report is the document which, with photos and a description, records the extent and nature of cargo damage. We…
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How to classify goods correctly: HS/CN codes, BTI and tariff tools
Correct tariff classification starts from the characteristics of the goods, not the invoice name: description, General…
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Transit guarantee: how it works and what happens if transit is not discharged
A transit procedure suspends duty and taxes while goods move, but in return it requires a guarantee. We explain what it…
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Sanitary checks on a load at the UK border: step by step at a control post (BCP)
What a sanitary check on a load at the UK border looks like in practice: documentary, identity and physical checks at a…
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Rules of origin and the EUR.1 certificate: the formal conditions of customs preference
Rules of origin decide whether goods qualify for a preferential duty rate at all. We explain sufficient processing, the…
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Trade Fair Logistics at Coventry Building Society Arena: Transport & Customs
How to efficiently transport stand elements and exhibits to Coventry Building Society Arena in the UK following customs…
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ADR checks at the border and en route: documents, marking and the faults that stop dangerous goods
What an ADR check actually verifies when you move dangerous goods, which documents and marking must match, and the…
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ISPM 15: when a wooden pallet or crate holds your cargo at the border
In trade outside the European Union, wood packaging, meaning pallets, crates and dunnage, must be treated and carry the…
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How to distribute a load to pass the weighbridge: axle weights in practice
A practical guide to load distribution: how to place heavy items on the trailer, how pre-selection and static…
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GVMS and GMR step by step: preparing a movement for the UK border
The GMR is the number without which a driver cannot board a ferry or the Eurotunnel. We walk through how to link…
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Exhibition logistics to Dewars Centre in Perth: booth and exhibit delivery
Practical guide to organizing freight transport and customs clearance for exhibitors shipping equipment to Dewars…
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