I received an email/news letter the other day from Tracksense regarding new rules for Euro trips. I have copied it below, but it looks like a right ballache if you're having your bike shipped out to Europe:
More bad news I?m afraid?
When the Brexit transition period ends on 31 Dec, our understanding is that special documentation will be required for transport to Europe. This will increase costs and reduce flexibility for us and for our riders.
In short and simple terms, as things stand now, Brexit will mean that:
? One-way transport to Spain will no longer be possible.
? We will not be able to accept late bookings (less than 4 weeks before the event) for transport.
? We will require an accurate list of the items that each rider wants to transport 3 weeks before the drop-off day, and once that list is submitted, nothing can be added or changed.
? When bikes are dropped off, we will have to check that every item from every rider is as described on their list ? and we will have to reject anything that does not match their list.
? Transport costs will have to increase, probably by between ?50 and ?100 per bike, depending on what Brexit deal is done (if any) ? or transport costs could stay more or less as they are, but we?d have to introduce a transport surcharge based on the value of the bike (and the other items) that each rider wants to transport.
I should stress that none of this will apply until AFTER 31 Dec ? so it won?t affect Jerez 13-15 Nov, and for Jerez in Jan 21we plan to take the bikes out just before the New Year in order to avoid the Brexit chaos anyway ? so this would only apply for trips from Feb 21 onwards.
Note that if you take your own bike out to Europe in a van or whatever, none of this will apply to you because, as usual with this kind of stuff, it is only businesses that have to jump through all the hoops. Our understanding is that the requirement for carrying your own bike in a van or trailer is that you just need the have the V5 with you, just the same as you do now.
If you want a more detailed explanation, here it is?
When the Brexit transition period ends on 31 Dec, along with the free movement of people, the free movement of goods will also stop ? and our understanding is that special documentation will then be required for bike transport to Europe. This will result in increased costs and far less flexibility, both for us and for our riders.
Currently, the documentation that would be required is much the same as that currently required for trips outside of Europe ? and any of you have done track day trips to places like Australia, America, Malaysia or anywhere else outside the EU will already know something about this.
The increase in costs will depend on 2 things?
Firstly, the Brexit deal that is done ? a free trade deal (which looks unlikely) would cost less than no deal (which now looks likely). The only way we could avoid the increase in costs is if we remained in the EU customs union and we had a free trade deal, but the UK government already ruled that out a long time ago.
Secondly, the increase in costs will also depend on the total value of all of the goods (i.e. bikes, kit, tyres, etc.) on each truck ? so a truck load of nearly new V4R?s would add a lot more cost than a truck full of old Fireblades for example.
So it would cost us a lot more to move expensive bikes/kit that it would to mover less valuable bikes/kit, and the increase in costs would in theory be doubled if it?s a no deal Brexit (as compared to a free trade deal that is).
On top of that, we will have far less flexibility?
The rules for the new documentation are complex, but essentially we?d have to provide a detailed list of everything that will go on each truck in advance, everything that goes out on the truck must come back (and that includes tyres, etc.) and nothing can be added or changed (i.e. the return load must be exactly the same as the outbound load in every detail). And it takes up to 3 weeks to get the necessary documentation, so the detailed list would have to be provided 3 weeks before we transport the bikes.
All of this means that:
One-way transport to Spain will no longer be possible.
We will not be able to accept late bookings (less than 4 weeks before the event) for transport.
We will require an accurate list of the items that each rider wants to transport 3 weeks before the drop-off day, and once that list is submitted, nothing can be added or changed.
When bikes are dropped off, we will have to check that every item from every rider is as described on their list ? and we will have to reject anything that does not match their list.
And transport costs will have to be increased, probably by between ?50 and ?100 per bike (depending on what the Brexit deal is) ? or transport costs could stay more or less as they are, but we?d have to introduce a transport surcharge based on the value of the bike (and the other items) that each rider wants to transport.
More bad news I?m afraid?
When the Brexit transition period ends on 31 Dec, our understanding is that special documentation will be required for transport to Europe. This will increase costs and reduce flexibility for us and for our riders.
In short and simple terms, as things stand now, Brexit will mean that:
? One-way transport to Spain will no longer be possible.
? We will not be able to accept late bookings (less than 4 weeks before the event) for transport.
? We will require an accurate list of the items that each rider wants to transport 3 weeks before the drop-off day, and once that list is submitted, nothing can be added or changed.
? When bikes are dropped off, we will have to check that every item from every rider is as described on their list ? and we will have to reject anything that does not match their list.
? Transport costs will have to increase, probably by between ?50 and ?100 per bike, depending on what Brexit deal is done (if any) ? or transport costs could stay more or less as they are, but we?d have to introduce a transport surcharge based on the value of the bike (and the other items) that each rider wants to transport.
I should stress that none of this will apply until AFTER 31 Dec ? so it won?t affect Jerez 13-15 Nov, and for Jerez in Jan 21we plan to take the bikes out just before the New Year in order to avoid the Brexit chaos anyway ? so this would only apply for trips from Feb 21 onwards.
Note that if you take your own bike out to Europe in a van or whatever, none of this will apply to you because, as usual with this kind of stuff, it is only businesses that have to jump through all the hoops. Our understanding is that the requirement for carrying your own bike in a van or trailer is that you just need the have the V5 with you, just the same as you do now.
If you want a more detailed explanation, here it is?
When the Brexit transition period ends on 31 Dec, along with the free movement of people, the free movement of goods will also stop ? and our understanding is that special documentation will then be required for bike transport to Europe. This will result in increased costs and far less flexibility, both for us and for our riders.
Currently, the documentation that would be required is much the same as that currently required for trips outside of Europe ? and any of you have done track day trips to places like Australia, America, Malaysia or anywhere else outside the EU will already know something about this.
The increase in costs will depend on 2 things?
Firstly, the Brexit deal that is done ? a free trade deal (which looks unlikely) would cost less than no deal (which now looks likely). The only way we could avoid the increase in costs is if we remained in the EU customs union and we had a free trade deal, but the UK government already ruled that out a long time ago.
Secondly, the increase in costs will also depend on the total value of all of the goods (i.e. bikes, kit, tyres, etc.) on each truck ? so a truck load of nearly new V4R?s would add a lot more cost than a truck full of old Fireblades for example.
So it would cost us a lot more to move expensive bikes/kit that it would to mover less valuable bikes/kit, and the increase in costs would in theory be doubled if it?s a no deal Brexit (as compared to a free trade deal that is).
On top of that, we will have far less flexibility?
The rules for the new documentation are complex, but essentially we?d have to provide a detailed list of everything that will go on each truck in advance, everything that goes out on the truck must come back (and that includes tyres, etc.) and nothing can be added or changed (i.e. the return load must be exactly the same as the outbound load in every detail). And it takes up to 3 weeks to get the necessary documentation, so the detailed list would have to be provided 3 weeks before we transport the bikes.
All of this means that:
One-way transport to Spain will no longer be possible.
We will not be able to accept late bookings (less than 4 weeks before the event) for transport.
We will require an accurate list of the items that each rider wants to transport 3 weeks before the drop-off day, and once that list is submitted, nothing can be added or changed.
When bikes are dropped off, we will have to check that every item from every rider is as described on their list ? and we will have to reject anything that does not match their list.
And transport costs will have to be increased, probably by between ?50 and ?100 per bike (depending on what the Brexit deal is) ? or transport costs could stay more or less as they are, but we?d have to introduce a transport surcharge based on the value of the bike (and the other items) that each rider wants to transport.
