P&O Ferries is to offer its freight customers a purpose-built, new digital product aimed at easing some of the border control issues caused by Brexit, according to the company's release.
With the next set of border requirements, for cargo movements from Europe to the UK, introduced on 1st January 2022, P&O Ferries is introducing the new digital ‘Travel Wallet’ completely free of charge, to help hauliers navigate the pre-journey process and make it as simple as possible for all drivers checking-in at their ports.
The Travel Wallet will help customers identify which documents are required for each movement based on the route and the cargo being shipped. Customers can also use it to verify the documents and then save the digital paperwork in the tool, generating one barcode that can be used by drivers at check-in, removing any language barriers and allowing drivers simply to scan and go.
The border requirements introduced in January last year, led to reports of confusion across the industry on what declarations were required for each journey and incorrect paperwork being presented at port check-ins, which led to increased waiting times.
P&O Ferries believes the innovative new tool will help reduce check-in times and queues at ports significantly, estimating that it could reduce check-in times by up to 50%.
P&O Ferries is part of DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions, helping trade flow across the globe. The Travel Wallet was created in partnership with CNS, a UK based technology solutions firm within the CARGOES Community arm of DP World.
Customers using the Travel Wallet will also be able to access the other Brexit easing products offered on DP World’s CARGOES Community platform. Its BEEMS Border Management Products are a set of cloud-based solutions aimed at providing one easy to use system for businesses managing movements across borders on RORO (Roll-On-Roll-Off) routes between the UK and EU, providing direct access to all the relevant customs systems.
The BEEMS Pre-lodgement product provides single-point access to the UK (GVMS), and French (Douane) systems where users can generate the essential records (GMRs), and get real-time status updates on an easy-to-read dashboard.
The firm’s Safety and Security Declarations product is an easy-to-use platform for creating and submitting these mandatory declarations for the GB and France and its Customs Declarations product is an HMRC compliant software platform designed to support both UK customs systems for processing declarations, CHIEF and CDS.
P&O is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics group at the heart of Europe’s economy and a part of DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions and enabler of the flow of trade across the globe. P&O Ferries is a major provider of freight transport and passenger travel services, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. Its logistics business, P&O Ferrymasters, operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and Romania, and facilitates the onward movement of goods to Europe from Asian countries via the Silk Road.