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CU checks cost too much
Page 8
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Fastcool says hauliers are hostage to C&E checks and their charges. Jennifer Ball reports.
A KENT OPERATOR has slammed Customs & Excise for demanding money for every truck that is unloaded for checks at Dover port.
Lisa Marshall, boss at Dottingbased Eastcool Services, says that it's appalling that operators are being forced to pay £56 an hour to private firm Freight Services Agency (ESA) to have vehicles unloaded for searching. They have to pay up to get their trucks released from the docks; she says a typical cost is £59.
Marshall claims that often the goods are not even put into chilled storage. On one occasion.she says, officials simply checked the outside temperature with a thermometer before unloading her load of chilled chips onto the dockside.
On another the driver asked Customs officers to search his truck by hand because it contained food.They ignored his request and sent a sniffer dog into a load of Belgian chocolate. The load was then put into quarantine by Eastcool's customer and might have to be destroyed, leaving Eastcool to foot the bill.
Marshall says: "I agree with what Customs have to do and have no objection to checks, but operators have no choice but to use this company as we are not allowed to unload the vehicles ourselves. It's rare that we actually make £59 profit on a load; the margin is not enough to compensate for what Customs has to do. I suppose I should be grateful they only took an hour to unload or it could have cost more."
A Customs spokesman says:" We are unable to comment on individual cases. However, the Customs & Excise Management Act states that the proprietor of any goods is responsible to pay for any checks. It is up to the port operator whether they charge for unloading."
As CM went to press no-one from Dover port was available for comment.