TruckandTrackWinter2019FB

Truck and Track Winter 2019 www.truckandtrack.com 74 PORTS ■■ New post-Brexit customs system tested successfully on both sides of the Channel ■■ Cross-Channel freight ferry leader DFDS on preparations for Brexit – deal or no deal ■■ Ferry operator says ‘sole operator’ status at Dunkerque port could be vital to a smooth Brexit outcome ■■ How technology will play its part in Channel freight crossings Post-Brexit systems for Dover, Calais and Dunkerque have been tested successfully by leading cross-Channel ferry operator DFDS and its Freight Director, Wayne Bullen, is confident it can meet the challenge of a potential UK exit from the EU. “Nobody knows the outcome, but DFDS, the ports we use – Dover, Dunkerque and Calais – the relevant authorities, customs and governments have all worked hard to ensure fluidity and avoid a mass of trucks stuck together in one place, which is no good to anybody, on either side of the Channel. “Equally, we have worked closely with all our freight customers. Like us, large operators have teams working on this and possible outcomes, but there are still many smaller companies and even one-man operations who have not had the opportunity to prepare, and this could cause disruption of the traffic flow during the first weeks after Brexit. “That is a worry and can’t be allowed to stand, so DFDS has played its part in communicating what freight customers must do. “Everyone on both sides of the Channel would surely prefer a customs arrangement, but no business can afford to be caught out, so we must all prepare for the no deal scenario too.” The full-scale Brexit exercise used real trucks and full ships and was monitored by several trade associations, including the influential Freight Transport Association. On checking in at Dover, all trucks received simulated customs documents, which were scanned by DFDS staff and paired with the booking, allowing the vehicles to proceed. Arrangements in Calais and Dunkerque processed smoothly as well. Mr Bullen added: “It is a strict requirement that anyone moving goods in and out of the UK has an MRN – Movement Reference Number – for each item exported or imported. That requirement falls to our customer or their agent. “The MRN is then logged on the freight movement system; without one, nothing will move or indeed be permitted to enter the ports for shipment. It must be stressed that trucks should not approach the ports and seek a secure holding area until they have a viable MRN. “But there should not be delay if customers have the right documentation. If they go to our trade customers’ website at https://www.dfds.com/en/about/insights/brexit th ey will find a helpful check for exactly what they need. There is also a list of Q&A’s they can download and print off for assistance. “In addition, we have staged webinars that customers can watch and then dial into in order to access experts and advice.” He added that DFDS can also ‘communicate’ in real time to hauliers via its (Freight Ferry Alerts) Drivers App launched two years ago and delivering up-to-the-minute information on sailings, when the next ship is available, and when it might be useful to switch to re- route due to congestion in or around one of the ports “Ultimately, it is a three-step process: 1 – Awareness, 2 – Communication and 3 – Preparation,” said Mr Bullen. “If everyone involved in cross-Channel freight takes those steps, we can all avoid the gloomy predictions of bottlenecks and severe queues. “Our bottom line iswe have never intentionally let a customer down and we don’t want to start now. Even if Brexit is an unprecedented event and nobody knows exactly how it will unfold, we at DFDS can still work hard to provide service continuity.” Mr Bullen also outlined how the original March 29 deadline for Brexit had skewed freight volumes through Dover, due to stockpiling. “We ended up shipping far more than anticipated: 390,000 freight vehicles passed through Dover inMarch this year – the highest ever for a single month – but traffic subsided to just 300,000 in April, 90,000 units less and the quietest month for the past 2.5 years. “It does make it hard to plan, but I think many importers learned from this March scenario. On the other hand, we are now past the pre-Christmas scenario when freight naturally increases and volumes remained buoyant through the Christmas period rather than falling away due to earlier stockpiling. “That seasonal pressure highlighted the time and money we have invested in our Dunkerque operation, where we are the sole cross- Channel operator and have an excellent long-term relationship with the port authorities. This gives us several advantages: “Upon arrival in Dunkerque customers can benefit from our ‘Fast Lane’ operation, guaranteeing their place aboard a DFDS ship and avoiding potential queues, which reassures truck operators carrying urgent items such as pharmaceuticals or perishable goods; DFDS has been named as one of eight companies able to bring vital medicines and other critical goods into the UK if Brexit takes place on January 2020 or indeed thereafter. “The new Dunkerque facility was designed with Brexit in mind and is only available with DFDS, though it is also seen as a long- term customer benefit. Major customers have already praised this option as a great initiative. “We also have an advance check-in of up to 24 hours for Dunkerque, where around 200 trucks can book a sailing in advance by driving into the port and requesting a future sailing. Truckers can then park in a secure area, knowing they can relax and board their chosen sailing. It’s already popular, but can also help Brexit, by spreading demand and utilising off-peak sailings. “Another long running USP is that we do operate from two French ports – our freight traffic is split roughly 50/50 between them – but we are the only operator using Dunkerque, so if Calais suffers a stoppage of any kind or is overloaded then a Calais bound ship can divert to Dunkerque and there we have the berths and the infrastructure to cope with the increased traffic.” In addition to the Channel routes, DFDS operates North Sea freight routes between the UK and Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. www.dfds.com DFDS Freight Director confident about Brexit preparations DFDS Freight Director, Wayne Bullen