Dutch lorry drivers might cease bringing items to UK if post-Brexit delays not minimize

Lorry drivers might begin rejecting jobs bringing items from Europe to the UK except delays are lowered and driver circumstances improved at post-Brexit border posts, the largest commerce physique for Dutch hauliers has warned.

Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), which represents 5,000 Dutch transport corporations, stated its members have been dealing with common waits of greater than 4 hours in Britain due to the brand new checks introduced in after the UK’s exit from the EU, with some being held at border posts for as much as 20 hours.

It described the services that drivers have been compelled to attend in as “leaving lots to be desired” and stated most border services solely supplied water, with nowhere for drivers to get meals or drink.

In a four-page report outlining drivers’ experiences and shared with the Guardian, the affiliation stated: “We’re more and more receiving stories from hauliers that their drivers now not need to drive to the UK except circumstances enhance.”

The report listed a sequence of issues Dutch lorry corporations and drivers had skilled because the authorities brought in border checks for plant and animal products on 30 April.

The checks, which have been put in place to cease ailments coming into the UK, happen at designated border management posts close to ports comparable to Killingholme, Harwich and Felixstowe. The largest is an inland, government-run facility at Sevington, Ashford which serves the Port of Dover, regardless of being 22 miles away.

TLN has raised considerations in regards to the delays and poor circumstances greeting drivers at these posts and known as for the UK authorities and port authorities to supply “good and first rate services for drivers”.

Elmer de Bruin, the worldwide affairs supervisor at TLN, stated: “Typically these drivers are being held in a ready room that’s just a few sq. metres, and there’s nothing there, solely a little bit of water, and never even a cup of espresso.

“The drivers, who normally love coming to the UK, might say that if we proceed to expertise these ready instances, remedy and the services [in the UK], it’d happen that these drivers assume, ‘With an enormous driver scarcity, I can begin at a brand new firm.’”

Earlier this week, the Guardian reported that one Italian lorry driver had been held on the Sevington border publish for 55 hours and instructed to walk to the nearest McDonald’s, more than a mile away, to get a meal.

The TLN report additionally highlighted various different issues with border processes, together with stories from Dutch hauliers that 1000’s of kilos of plant imports had been broken because of careless dealing with by port workers when loading and unloading items.

In a single occasion, a TLN member stated €40,000 (£34,000) of plant merchandise have been rejected by a UK buyer due to the harm incurred through the loading and unloading at a publish.

The Netherlands was the UK’s third largest buying and selling accomplice by imports final yr, with greater than £65bn of products being transported. One of many largest classes of merchandise moved from the Netherlands to the UK is vegetation and minimize flowers, with imports for these merchandise reaching €2.1bn for the primary three months of 2024.

TLN known as for higher coaching for inspectors and border workers who load, and for drivers to be allowed to help and instruct port workers on how finest to unload and cargo the lorries.

The report additionally known as for extra transparency from personal border management publish operators about when checks have been carried out. It claimed that always corporations can obtain payments of between £300 and £800 for checks at privately run border posts however don’t have any info on what checks happened.

The organisation stated that it didn’t have a problem with Brexit adjustments however was in search of dialogue with the UK authorities to hunt enhancements on the border.

De Bruin stated: “We’re not in opposition to the brand new border mannequin, it’s right here and we respect that however we need to enhance the provision chain as a result of ultimately it’s for the British client.

“What we hear is that members say if this goes on like that, you can’t deny that the costs will go up within the UK, as a result of we endure a lot harm and a lot loss, in addition to the ready instances, somebody has to bear the prices.”

The Division for Setting, Meals and Rural Affairs stated it had been working carefully with merchants to make sure checks have been accomplished effectively and successfully to keep away from delays, and that inspectors have been skilled and geared up to make sure items have been dealt with with care and to plain working procedures.

It added that its commonplace apply was to supply water and bogs however no meals, and its function was to undertake checks and to maneuver drivers by means of the method as rapidly and effectively as potential.

The Guardian has contacted the British Ports Affiliation for touch upon behalf of privately owned border management posts.