Road Freight Services, UK and Europe
Groupage and dedicated movements between the UK and the Continent, booked and controlled by the same team that writes the customs entries.
The Freight We Move
Most of our traffic runs between the UK and western Europe through Dover and Folkestone. Some of it fills a trailer and most of it does not, and all of it needs the customs side to keep pace with the vehicle.
Groupage and Part Loads
Space on a trailer already heading your way, priced by what you take up.
Dedicated Vehicles
A trailer that carries nothing but your freight, direct from collection to delivery.
Temperature Controlled
Chilled and frozen movements on reefer equipment, with the set point agreed in writing.
ADR and Regulated Loads
Dangerous goods placed with operators licensed for the class and packing group involved.
Short Straits Crossings
Dover and Eurotunnel departures, with the Sevington paperwork lined up in advance.
Customs on the Same Job
Import and export entries filed in house, against the load we are already carrying.
Transit Movements
T1 and T2 raised and discharged where the goods are moving under duty suspension.
Safety and Security
Entry summary filings on both sides of the Channel, tied to the same movement.
How a Run to Europe Actually Fits Together
Three stages, and the middle one is where loads get stuck.
Collection and Loading
We agree the collection window, the equipment and whether the goods go on the trailer as a part load or take the whole deck. Loading metres, gross weight, pallet type and any tail lift or side loading requirement get pinned down here, because changing them later changes the price and often the vehicle.
The Paperwork Window
Between loading and the port there is a short window in which every reference has to exist. The export entry, the transit movement if the goods need one, the entry summary declaration on the arrival side and the French envelope for a RO/RO crossing all have to be raised and linked. We write them ourselves, so nothing waits on a third party replying.
Crossing and Delivery
The driver arrives at the port with a goods movement reference that already carries the customs references inside it. If the vehicle is called in for a check, we take it up with whoever has stopped it and tell you where the load is rather than waiting for you to ask.
What Changed at the Border for Drivers
Two Schengen systems get talked about together and are in completely different states. It is worth knowing which is which before you plan a schedule around them.
EES, Fully Operational Since 10 April 2026
The EU Entry/Exit System registers third country nationals biometrically on entry to and exit from the Schengen area, and that includes UK drivers on a commercial run. Since it went fully operational the registration is business as usual at Dover, Eurotunnel and the Continental ports.
- A first crossing for a driver takes longer than later ones, because the biometric record has to be created
- Passport stamping is replaced by the electronic record, so entry and exit dates are tracked automatically
- Schedules built on pre-2026 turnaround assumptions are worth revisiting rather than defending
ETIAS Is Not Live
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System has not launched and the Commission has not confirmed a start date. Anyone telling you a firm ETIAS date, or selling you readiness for it, is ahead of the published position. When a date is announced we will say so, and we will say what it means for drivers rather than for tourists.
The References That Travel with the Vehicle
Separately from driver clearance, the load itself carries a set of numbers. A goods movement reference for the GVMS ports, the customs entry numbers behind it, a transit movement reference where one applies, and on the French side the Enveloppe Logistique Obligatoire that has been mandatory for RO/RO traffic since April 2026. A vehicle turned away is almost always a reference problem, not a driver problem.
No Gap Between the Broker and the Truck
On most European movements the haulier and the customs broker are different companies. Each one waits on the other, and when a reference is wrong at ten at night neither of them owns the problem.
We do both. The person who booked your vehicle can see the declaration, and the person who filed the declaration knows which ferry the trailer is on. That is the whole argument for putting the two jobs in one place.
- One booking. Vehicle, customs and crossing quoted together, on one job number.
- Carriers we know. Movements are placed with operators we work with regularly and hold documentation for.
- Entries filed in house. We do not subcontract the declarations, so we are never chasing our own supplier.
- References checked before the port. Every number that has to exist, exists, and points at the right movement.
- Someone awake. Short straits freight runs overnight, and so does the desk covering it.
What Sits Behind the Service
Road freight is about a third of what Zelir does. The other two thirds is customs, which is exactly why the freight side works.
Freight, Two Thirds Customs
The declarations are not a bolt on to the haulage. They are the larger half of the business.
Cover Through the Night
Ferries sail around the clock, so calls about a held trailer get answered around the clock.
Authorised Economic Operator
AEOC authorisation, held in our own name, sitting behind the freight side as well as the customs side.
Across 40+ Google Reviews
Mostly from importers, hauliers and forwarders who send us the next load as well.
Road Freight FAQs
Which European destinations do you run to?
Our regular traffic crosses the short straits and runs into France, the Benelux countries and Germany, with onward movements further into central and southern Europe. Rather than publish a list that flatters us, send the collection and delivery postcodes. We will tell you whether it is a lane we run directly, how often, and what the realistic transit is.
How long does a UK to Europe movement take?
A dedicated vehicle to northern France or Belgium is commonly next day from loading. Groupage takes longer because the trailer collects and delivers on a schedule rather than running direct, and destinations further into Europe add days. Customs is not usually what sets the transit, but a load stopped for a check is, which is why the entries get written properly first.
Do you carry temperature controlled and ADR loads?
Yes to both, with a caveat worth stating. Chilled and frozen work is placed on reefer equipment against an agreed set point. Dangerous goods are placed with operators licensed for the specific class and packing group, so tell us the UN number and the classification at enquiry stage. Some combinations of goods, quantity and route we will decline rather than improvise.
What has EES changed for my drivers?
EES has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, so drivers are biometrically registered on entry to and exit from the Schengen area. In practice the first registration for a given driver takes longer than subsequent crossings. ETIAS, which is a separate scheme, has not launched and has no confirmed date, so it should not be in your planning yet.
Can you handle the customs if a different haulier is moving the goods?
Regularly. A good share of our customs declaration work is for loads on somebody else's vehicles, including hauliers and forwarders who want the entries covered without adding a customs team. The entry carries your reference, the driver hears from us directly about the numbers, and the shipper stays yours.
Is the freight insured while it is with you?
International road movements travel under CMR conditions, which limit the carrier's liability by weight rather than by the value of the goods. For higher value consignments that limit is often well short of what the load is worth, so we will tell you what the CMR position is on your specific job and arrange goods in transit cover where you want the gap closed.
Send us the lane and the load
Collection point, delivery point, weight and loading metres is enough for us to come back with a price and a realistic transit.