Priority Freight tackles Brexit bottleneck with ‘Clearance on Wheels’

UK-based emergency logistics specialist Priority Freight has become one of only a few freight forwarders in the UK to be qualified to provide the so-called ‘Clearance on Wheels’ simplification procedure was brought in by the UK government to speed up the clearance process at UK borders, to alleviate post-Brexit customs delays.

Dover-based Priority Freight, a leading provider of time critical logistics for the automotive industry, has received ‘Clearance on Wheels’ status for its truck park and warehouse facility in Dover and for the warehouse in Coventry.

The company said Clearance on Wheels “minimises customs delays by allowing consignees to end their transit movements without having to unload the consignment. The financial and time-related gains of this procedure are further enhanced by the reputational benefits at a time when many vehicle and components manufacturers are publicly struggling to meet demand.”

It said the new simplification procedure was brought in by the UK Government to speed up the clearance process at UK borders, noting: “Priority Freight is one of only a few freight forwarders in the UK now qualified to provide the Clearance on Wheels service, which has proven invaluable in risk mitigation post-Brexit.”

Jamie Brown, Customs Manager at Priority Freight, explained: “The Covid-19 pandemic has limited supply of many goods across the globe, none more palpable than the current chip shortage in automotive. But, despite the reduced volumes, customs clearance of imports in and exports out of the UK is still the cause of significant delays.

“Priority Freight has made substantial investments in training existing employees on customs clearance requirements, and to recruit a team of experienced customs clearance agents. We implemented these measures early in the Brexit negotiations to ensure we could provide a complete service for the seamless transport of goods across the border.

“Having achieved full AEO status across the group and obtaining Clearance on Wheels status means that Priority Freight can clear goods much more quickly for our clients where others continue to face delays.”

It said “shipments are expedited as Priority Freight handles the freight forwarding logistics, authorisations and storage solutions, providing a seamless end-to-end service through UK borders”.

As an example, it said that one multinational automotive engineering company recently called on Priority Freight to move one tonne of precision steel tubes from Turkey to the UK in order to keep their production line flowing. Due to post-Brexit workloads, it said “many freight companies could not facilitate any additional projects at that time but Priority Freight took on the time-critical challenge”.

It added: “Existing in-house expertise and pre-emptive action regarding Brexit complications meant that Priority Freight became the chosen logistics partner to deliver the tubing and meet the client’s immovable deadline. The tonne of cargo reached the destination hours ahead of schedule due to Priority Freight’s customs expertise and new Clearance on Wheels status, which mitigated any time lost to unloading. The in-house expertise and proficiency for handling complex logistics solutions removed many of the barriers that threatened the continuity of the client’s business.”