April 2, 2024 – Since Brexit, there has been a significant growth in the number of petfood brands exporting goods into Europe (and beyond). That’s the opinion of Waller Transport Services, an Ipswich-based logistics firm with over fifty years of experience in transportation and haulage solutions.
The company has seen a huge uplift in the number of export enquiries since the UK left the European Union. As a result, the firm have had to adapt their ways of working to ensure that they are overcoming the new complexities of new trade restrictions, overcoming logistics barriers and improving profit margins for all petfood and animal feed exporters.
Paul Rolfe, Sales Director, Waller Transport Services, says:
“Exporters already have to deal with rising fuel costs and complex customs paperwork requirements, but added to that complexity is the realisation that most petfood exporters need to adhere to fast timescales, especially if they are relying on a combination of fresh ingredients which needs to reach the shop floor before it starts to deteriorate. We’ve spent the last few years refining our export logistics to adjust to a post-Brexit world, and through a few simple tweaks, we’ve been able to save our clients significant time and money.”
One of the biggest challenges for petfood manufacturers is the complexity of the SIVEP (the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Border Inspection Office) certification checks. These checks are mandatory for any item that derives from animal or plant products. If a shipment does not pass on the requirements of the paperwork, drivers can be forced to remain in customs until the paperwork has been resolved. Unexpected complications can significantly derail any logistics timescales, but thanks to Waller’s extensive pre-departure checks, their clients are rarely held longer than two hours.
The firm not only completes all paperwork before any hauliers depart, but they have also explored other routes into Europe besides Calais. One potential option which has proven popular for many exporters is to ship unaccompanied goods via Belgium. As a time-effective alternative, choosing a different route has been proven to be highly beneficial for petfood manufacturers who have traditionally had to secure a separate CHED (Common Health Entry Document) for each individual product within their shipment. This not only adds to timescales but can also be hugely expensive.
Paul Rolfe adds: “If you’re shipping petfood abroad, those sanitation checks can significantly derail your supply chains because you need specific documentation for each individual item on your truck. The adjustment to shipping unaccompanied goods via Belgium instead of Calais means that manufacturers only have to pay for one CHED certificate for each shipment rather than multiple certificates per product. This will cut significant cost on your ongoing export processes and make it much easier for you to ship items into Europe and beyond.”
“Over the last few years, we’ve seen transportation costs fluctuate due to changing fuel prices and circumstances beyond anyone’s control, so finding these small ways to save money and speed up your SIVEP processes could be essential to your bottom line.”
He concludes: “There are endless opportunities available for British manufacturers looking to export into Europe and further afield. However, many people are unwittingly put off from exporting items of animal origin because it is deemed to be complicated or expensive. Thankfully, our innovative solution of transporting goods via Belgium rather than Calais is proving to customers significant money while also making the process quicker and easier than ever before. It is hugely exciting to see how simple changes in transportation can change the way that business work, and we can help to fly the flag for British companies around the world.”
For more information, visit HERE.