According to operational observations from UK-based online freight broker Pallet2Ship, a significant proportion of avoidable shipping delays no longer come from congested ports or driver shortages. They come from administrative mistakes made before a shipment even leaves the warehouse — missing information, incorrect customs data, or misunderstandings about who is responsible for what once goods cross the border.
For London’s fast-paced SMEs — from design studios in Shoreditch to artisanal food producers in Bermondsey — these slip-ups can turn a profitable European export into a costly headache.
The Problem Isn’t the Border
The image many business owners still have of cross-border trade is one of lorries queuing at Dover. In reality, most shipments move through the UK-EU corridor remarkably efficiently. The problems tend to arise much earlier — and they are almost always administrative.
“The goods are rarely the problem,” says George Wicks-Farr, Head of Operations at Pallet2Ship. “It is almost always a small piece of information that is missing or inconsistent, or an assumption that someone else is handling part of the process. It might take five minutes to correct before dispatch, but several days to resolve once the shipment is moving.”
Here are the pitfalls still catching businesses out, and how to avoid them.
1. The Incoterm Assumption
It is a common scenario: a sales team secures a contract with a boutique distributor in Paris, and the agreement simply states the goods will be “delivered,” with everyone assuming they are on the same page.
In practice, “delivered” means little without an explicit Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) entry on the commercial invoice. Choosing Delivered At Place (DAP) or Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shifts responsibilities dramatically. If the paperwork is vague, or a freight service is chosen that cannot support DDP terms, the pallet may be held at a consolidation hub. Should the buyer then refuse to pay unexpected customs charges, the London sender faces a grim choice: pay mounting storage fees, fund the pallet’s return, or authorise its disposal.
2. The One-Sided EORI Oversight
An Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number is the foundational passport for international trade. Most London businesses know they need a GB EORI; the mistake is assuming the transaction ends there.
Because most traditional pallet networks operate on a business-to-business basis, both the UK exporter and the EU importer usually need valid EORI registrations. Attempt to ship a commercial pallet to an EU client without one — or to a private individual via a B2B route — and the carrier’s booking system is likely to flag it, blocking collection until the details match.
3. Guesswork in the Commodity Codes
Harmonised System (HS) codes classify exactly what is being shipped for tax and regulatory purposes. It can feel like dry, technical work, which leads some businesses to use generic descriptions like “hardware” or “samples,” or to reuse outdated codes.
Customs officials are not fond of ambiguity. A mixed pallet containing three product lines cannot be lumped under one code; each requires its own line-item breakdown. Guesswork here can trigger inspections, duty recalculations, and prolonged holds. Relying on a supplier’s code without checking it against the UK Trade Tariff can be a costly assumption.
4. Missing or Unusable Importer Contact Details
Once a pallet arrives at an international depot, a local customs broker often needs to contact the importer to clear the final hurdles. If the documentation lists only a generic info@ email or a switchboard number, the shipment can sit in limbo while storage fees accumulate. Exporters should provide a named individual at the importing company, with a direct phone number and email, who is authorised to approve duty payments.
A Five-Point Pre-Dispatch Check
To keep freight moving smoothly from the capital to the Continent, London’s logistics managers can run a short check before booking:
- Synchronise paperwork: The same Incoterm should appear on the quote, the customer agreement, and the commercial invoice.
- Verify EORIs: Confirm the EU buyer’s EORI is active before the pallet is wrapped.
- Itemise mixed loads: Map HS codes to individual products rather than using generic descriptions.
- Check the service details: Don’t simply pick the cheapest option; confirm the route and any restrictions, such as whether a tail-lift is included.
- Prepare for real handling: Freight passes through multiple transhipment hubs, so pack and wrap pallets to survive heavy mechanised handling, not just a gentle domestic drive.
For SMEs exporting relatively low-margin goods, even modest storage fees or missed delivery commitments can quickly erode profitability. The companies seeing the fewest disruptions tend to follow the same approach: verify the data before booking, confirm responsibilities before dispatch, and treat customs information with the same importance as the goods themselves. Getting the paperwork right at the point of origin remains the cheapest and most effective way to protect margins and preserve client relationships.