Truck drivers using the Eurotunnel will have to become familiar with the new procedures in place at either side of the Channel as of January 1st.
On arrival in Calais, depending on the type of cargo they are carrying, lorries will follow either the green route (onto A16 motorway) or the orange route – to the Customs Centre (Center Douane SIVEP), where they shall pass further inspection.
To try and speed things up as much as possible, the Eurotunnel has created a special Border Pass system, which you can read about further on our website here.
Once each truck arrives at the Eurotunnel terminal, it enters a ‘Pit-Stop’, which Eurotunnel say is „an essential step” for the 5,000 trucks transported every day on board Le Shuttle Freight. Once the truck is in the Pit-Stop, the registration number is captured automatically using connected technology in place across the terminal. One swipe of the mobile device confirms that the truck has passed through with its documents in order.
However, if the truck driver has not been equipped with a Eurotunnel Border Pass, it is important that he or she has barcodes (on the customs documents) or a GMR code (if going from France to Great Britain).
Information on the procedure has been provided by Eurotunnel on this leaflet. Eurotunnel’s checklist for drivers is as follows:
Please ensure that you have all your Border/Customs/Sanitary documents before arriving at Eurotunnel. Failure to provide the required documents may prevent you from travelling.
- What is your GMR code, if you have one? *
- Do you have a customs document with a barcode?
(import, export, transit declaration, envelope code…) - Is your vehicle empty (or are you only carrying postal mail)?
- Do you have an ATA/TIR carnet?
- Are you carrying goods subject to sanitary or phytosanitary control?
- Are you exclusively carrying only fish and/or seafood products?
*Only requested at Calais
**Only requested at Folkestone
In order to illustrate the procedure, Eurotunnel has also produced a couple of videos for lorry drivers:
Photo credit: Tony Hisgett / Wikimedia Commons