Brexit customs changes bad for business, say 71% of UK hauliers

Almost three quarters of UK international hauliers believe they will be negatively impacted by customs changes following the UK’s exit from the EU this month wih just 13% believing the impact will be positive.

According to a survey by Haulage Exchange, 71% of 32 international operators said the UK’s departure from the EU will not be good for their businesses.

The survey, carried out on behalf of Transport Exchange Group, also revealed that 66% expect to spend more time dealing with increased red tape in order to cross the border, three quarters of respondents anticipate increased waiting times at the border and 50% anticipate higher tariffs imposed on goods.

Hauliers surveyed also complained about poor communication from the government with 84% wanting greater clarity around customs changes.

A significant number (62%) also felt they needed to be more prepared for changes to customs checks when exporting and importing goods to the EU, with 28% of these companies stating they are ‘not at all’ prepared and 47% stating they need more time to make the legislation changes and get the required administration in order. Only 12% believe they are prepared for customs changes.

Asked which changes will have the biggest impact from 1 January 2021, 75% of respondents cited increased waiting time at the border, 66% said increased time spent in admin in preparation to cross the border while half cited higher tariffs imposed on goods. Only 6% of respondents believe they will not be impacted negatively.

Asked if their opinions towards Brexit have changed since the 2016 referendum vote, the survey revealed that a significant proportion of hauliers would stick to their decision to remain.

Despite the concerns about the transition being held by the majority of hauliers, 16% say they voted leave and would vote leave again.

Conversely a third of hauliers surveyed said they voted remain and would do so again. Not one respondent who had voted remain said that they would now vote leave, compared to 12% of leavers who said they would now vote to remain.

Sam Wilkinson, chief revenue officer at Transport Exchange Group said: “According to our survey, delays at ports and paperwork are front of mind for carriers. To ensure they can be prepared and avoid delays we are working with industry experts to provide educational content that will be signposted directly from within our platform.”