With Boris Johnston’s pledge yesterday to end ‘ludicrous trade barriers between GB and NI’ (according to BBC) you can’t help but wonder the detrimental impact such barriers have had on our transport and logistics sector over the past number of months.
Many transport businesses are staring into the abyss when planning for the future, citing a substandard and unsatisfactory Irish Sea Boarder as the main issue. The overwhelming red tape causing severe delays at ports depict an industry in turmoil.
According to a recent survey, transport business owners fear that it is going to get worse before it gets better, with some noting they have seen their vehicles having arrived at the port and then being asked to turn back due to an incorrect seal on a product or one code on a document being a digit out. Some of those vehicles have had a starting point hundreds of miles away, a simple action of turning back can have egregious implications when cost of fuel and labour are factored in, coupled with the possibility of reputational damage from a delay in their client’s goods.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel? The Prime Ministers announcement yesterday would suggest so, noting that ‘his government was trying to sandpaper the Northern Ireland protocol into shape’ although, sadly until such time business owners must find a way to navigate through these turbulent times.
With the extra strain that is being placed on Road Transport firms recently, it has never been more important to ensure your business is not overly exposed.
Willis Insurance and Risk Management are one of the leading Transport and Logistics Insurance specialists in Northern Ireland, dealing with businesses within the sector on a daily basis. To find out more about our services or to enquire about a bespoke solution for your business, contact our Transport and Logistics specialist, Marc Rice.
To find out more about our Services please contact our team today on T. +44 (0) 28 9032 9042 or fill out the form below: