With only three months to go until Brexit, hauliers should take immediate action to advance their preparations or risk increased delays, red tape and costs in doing future business, according to FTA Ireland (FTAI), the leading organisation representing the country’s logistics industry.The advice comes as FTAI launches its guide, Brexit preparedness for the haulage sector today (3 January 2019). The guide provides clear and practical steps hauliers can take to mitigate any risks Brexit may present to their businesses.

Aidan Flynn, General Manager of FTAI, commented: “Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations – deal or no deal – it will have a seismic impact on the UK’s trading environment and in turn, the freight distribution and logistics sector on both sides of the Irish Sea. By leaving the Customs Union and the Single Market, the UK will trigger notable friction in the supply chain. There will inevitably be multi-agency checks at ports and the administrative burden placed on the logistics industry – particularly road haulage – will hinder business development and, in some cases, cripple the small to medium enterprise sector.

“2019 brings with it a significant amount of uncertainty, but there are steps all hauliers can take today to mitigate the risks Brexit presents to their operations. With less than 100 days to go, very few hauliers are adequately prepared. That’s why FTAI has launched a comprehensive guide, Brexit preparedness for the haulage sector, which sets out recommendations to aid preparedness, covering key areas including routes to market; ECMT licencing; the Common Travel Area; and compliance and auditing requirements. Even if the worst-case scenario of a no-deal exit is avoided, the recommendations within the guide will nevertheless aid a company’s competitiveness and be beneficial to its future.”

Freight Transport AssociationFTAI

About the Author: John Loughran