Maria's Blog: Monitoring Import Entries to avoid unforeseen costs
Unless an international trader has authorised access to the Customs Handling of Imports and Exports Freight (CHIEF) system, they will be unable to process import (or export) customs declarations. This means that, by necessity, most traders have to rely on third party agents, such as freight forwarders, clearance agents and other registered parties, to correctly declare goods on their behalf.
However, just because the work is completed by an agent, this does not absolve the trader from the responsibility of ensuring that declarations are made correctly. Regardless of who does the work, the importer (or exporter) is solely responsible for whatever happens. The agent only has negligible liability placed on them when something goes wrong. So, what happens when an appointed agent fails to make the right declaration? HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can, through their audit system, actually identify when a mistake has been made. If this mistake (inadvertent or otherwise) has resulted in a shortfall of tax payments being made to the UK Treasury, then one of the functions of HMRC is to collect any outstanding amounts.
Immediately.
This can have serious implications for an organisation’s profit margin and cash flow.
Consequently, and partially to avoid the above scenario, but also to try and cut down on their workload caused by incorrectly completed entries, HMRC are keen that traders are aware of all declarations made on their behalf. The simplest and least expensive way that traders can do this is by ensuring that for every import and export made by them, they have copies of the corresponding import and export entries (C88) and that these are checked manually by someone in the organisation to ensure that the correct entry has been made.
Please note that this information, plus other accounting paperwork, needs to be kept for certain minimum periods to comply with statutory legal requirements. Most organisations keep records for 6 years, but it should be remembered that, in the event of a criminal investigation, trader’s records dating back 10 years may be used as evidence. Any record kept must be accurate and up to date; legible; readily accessible whether held on paper, computer, microfiche or microfilm and be available for inspection at all reasonable times.
Sometimes, however, traders find that Import and Export Entry declarations are not readily available from their agents, so (for a charge) HMRC can supply most of this information direct to the trader via their Management Support System (MSS). The MSS is an interfacing database with the CHIEF system and contains archived data for all cleared customs declarations for imports and exports. This data, which is collated under an organisation’s EORI number, includes information such as entry dates, commodity codes, Customs Procedure Codes (CPC), values of goods declared and taxes paid, and can be delivered electronically via e-mail (to a nominated person in the organisation) in the format of a downloadable Excel spreadsheet.
There are two things that should be noted about this system. First, not all information available can be released by HMRC, especially items which might compromise HMRC control activities. Secondly, in agreeing to this method of communication, HMRC are not liable to the trader for the security of the information once it has been transmitted via e-mail on the Internet.
If a trader does decide to sign up to this system, then they must do so for a minimum of 12 months. However, it is possible to have a single sample of one month’s import and export data made available without charge, to enable traders to assess whether or not the scheme is of benefit to them. The address to contact about this scheme is
MSS Team
Excise Customs Stamps and Money
10th Floor Central, Alexander House,
21 Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea,
Essex, SS99 1AA
Its also possible to obtain copies of individual entries from the MSS team. The amount of information supplied is limited, which is why it is known as a Partial Entry, but the information supplied is usually the most pertinent. Data is held in the CHIEF MSS Database for 4 years only, so any enquires need to be made within this period. To request a copy, a Partial Entry Request form needs to be completed and sent (along with an original signed letter on business headed paper of the company owning the relevant EORI number) to the MSS Team at the above address. Both these documents must be signed by a responsible person of the business i.e. Owner, CFO, CEO, Partner, Company Secretary or Director.
This form, as well as additional information about the MSS scheme, can be downloaded from the HMRC website. Go to the Import and Export page and scroll down to the bottom to CHIEF. Enter this page and scroll down to the bottom to Management Support System (MSS) trade information.
EnerMotion: Hot Savings for the trucking industry
By Jennifer Stoneburgh @ MaRS
May 21, 2013
After a recent discussion with friends regarding greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation industry, I walked away realizing that we hadn t ventured past personal vehicles.
We had covered some interesting topics: the fuel efficiency of different vehicle models, hybrid-electric versus electric vehicles and, of course, alternative methods of transportation, namely walking, biking and public transit. But we hadn t talked about the trucking industry at all! Which left out a significant portion of the fossil fuel-consuming, greenhouse gas-emitting transportation sector from our discussion.
In Canada alone, trucking represents a $65-billion industry, employing over 260,000 drivers. In 2006, heavy trucks accounted for 21.8 billion kilometres of transportation in Canada and medium-sized trucks accumulated an additional 7.4 billion kilometres (Canadian Trucking Alliance1).
To put that in perspective, that s about 730,000 trips around the Earth or 97 round trips to the sun. All of this accumulated mileage requires fuel lots of fuel. However, fuel requirements, primarily diesel, include not just the amount of fuel needed to move the transport vehicle from location to location, but also the energy required to run the HVAC and auxiliary power systems that are necessary to maintain the vehicle s cabin environment.
EnerMotion2, an Ontario-based startup and MaRS client, has developed a method of capturing waste exhaust heat from a vehicle and converting it into useful, practical and efficient energy. EnerMotion s Hybrid Power & Energy Recovery (HYPER) storage system is an innovative mobile waste heat recovery and energy storage system with potentially huge implications in transportation applications.
Market-changing technology
The goal of the HYPER system is to reduce operating expenses for the trucking industry while meeting anti-idling laws. The system improves the overall efficiency with the vehicle both in motion and at rest. Additionally, the HYPER system is an environmentally friendly solution that has the potential of removing thousands of kilotonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year. In fact, the carbon dioxide reduction for a long-haul truck with a sleeper cab adopting the HYPER unit is estimated at 92 cubic metres (32.5 tonnes) per year, with an average truck in Canada and the United States realizing 55 cubic metres (19.5 tonnes) per year. The corresponding figure for the entire North American truck fleet would be 48,900 kilotonnes per year!
How does it work?
Waste heat from the truck s engine, in the form of exhaust, is captured and used to drive a refrigeration cycle similar to the process used in your fridge at home. The HYPER system is able to generate cold and hot thermal conditions with the same unit, providing a complete HVAC system for the truck s cabin and sleeper without consuming any extra fuel. Further, the HYPER unit has the ability to store thermal conditions to provide HVAC capabilities for various haul routes in a variety of environmental conditions and climates while the vehicle is at rest, thereby eliminating idling of the main engine or the use of diesel auxiliary power units. The technology offers significant operational cost savings and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
EnerMotion is currently conducting road trials of their HYPER system on their own heavy-duty truck. They most recently returned from Florida, where the trials yielded very positive results. The company will be expanding field trials with customers in the coming months as traction increases all across North America.
And the award goes to
EnerMotion s HYPER system was recently chosen among thousands of submissions to receive a 2013 Invention Award from one of science s most widely read magazines, Popular Science3, which has more than seven million readers. The magazine s May 2013 issue announced the winners of the 2013 Innovation Awards, giving EnerMotion top honours in the energy category with the award for Hot Savings4.
Raising capital
In a recent Meet the Entrepreneurs panel5 at MaRS, Jack MacDonnell, CEO of EnerMotion, talked about the difficulty of raising capital and emphasized the need to maximize use of government funding programs. Jack and his team have made full use of Canada s funding programs, which have allowed them to finance the development of HYPER.
Thus far, EnerMotion has received financial support from:
EnerMotion has also secured partnerships with strategic players who are helping the company to de-risk its technology and build out customer traction. You can see a list of EnerMotion s partners on their website6.
Advice for entrepreneurs
I sat down with Jack to discuss his business and to get some advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
You ve been extremely successful in securing non-dilutive government funding. How important has this been to growing EnerMotion?
Our government funding has really helped us leverage private capital and achieve progress from one year to the next. It s a tough grind raising capital in North America, either from private investors, venture capital firms or investment banks. Having financial support from the government provides tangible differentiators between you and the next guy and there are lots of other startups out there all vying for the same capital. In my humble view, Canada has one of the most accessible and rewarding funding infrastructures in place anywhere in the world, and if you re not capitalizing on it for your own venture, you and your company are missing out.
What inspired you to tackle fuel efficiencies in the energy sector?
My team and I have been focused on energy efficiency since Day 1 of EnerMotion s existence. We realized that changing infrastructure overnight was unrealistic, but that the world needed an answer to fossil fuel consumption and harmful greenhouse gas emissions now. This is what motivated us to develop the HYPER technology, because tangible benefits are the outcome of improving energy efficiency especially in the heavy-duty transportation segment.
What is the return on investment for your technology? What s the payback period?
Industry average with existing technologies (i.e., idling primary engines or utilizing fuel-powered auxiliary power units) is approximately three-and-a-half years, according to research company Frost & Sullivan. Our HYPER technology offers payback significantly less than one year for line haul drive cycles. Additionally, our HYPER unit functions while the vehicle is in motion, unlike any other commercial system, so there is additional payback associated with the elimination of the A/C compressor being driven off the engine.
There are several exemptions to many anti-idle laws that I see your company being able to address. Do you think systems like yours will become mandatory on idling vehicles in the future?7
Legislation in the United States and Europe is already driving adoption of anti-idle technologies. Canada, Australia, India, China and other countries are not far behind in adopting and enforcing similar legislations. Other transportation sectors are adopting energy-efficient technologies that also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases. In addition to all of the vehicles on the road or off road, HYPER technology is being considered by original equipment manufacturers because of its compelling value proposition for their own customers. Mandatory adoption will be driven by clean air legislation and by the market demanding energy efficient products on a global scale.
Tags: cleantech8, transportation9, trucking10
References
- ^ Canadian Trucking Alliance (www.cantruck.ca)
- ^ EnerMotion (www.enermotion.com)
- ^ Popular Science (www.popsci.com)
- ^ Hot Savings (www.popsci.com)
- ^ Meet the Entrepreneurs panel (www.marsdd.com)
- ^ website (www.enermotion.com)
- ^ exemptions (oee.nrcan.gc.ca)
- ^ cleantech (www.marsdd.com)
- ^ transportation (www.marsdd.com)
- ^ trucking (www.marsdd.com)
Truckfest 2013J Davidson Scrap
Once again we made an appearance at the annual Truckfest 2013, which was held in Peterborough on the 5th and 6th May. Around 100,000 people flocked to the showground for a scorching couple of days, with temperatures reaching 21 degrees.
More than 1500 trucks were on display over the weekend, many of which were competing for different Truckfest awards. We took 8 of our trucks down along with some of the guys that work for J Davidson, Iron Man was driven by Dave, Terminator was driven by Chris, and James Bond was driven by Wayne. Aaron took the Burnout truck, then Luke, Lee, Ash and Ryan took a selection of Volvo and Mercedes trucks down!
As always, our trucks looked fantastic and all received Highly Commended Certificates, along with being put forward for two awards Best Custom and Paint Work and Best Working Truck . They really stood out, even with all the competition down there.
Luke commented We had a brilliant weekend, our vehicles generated lots of interest and we saw some really impressive trucks .
The monster truck appropriately named Bigfoot put in its superb annual car-crushing appearance, alongside trucks of all shapes, sizes and colours from across the globe.
To see the results from all the Truckfest competitions, click here.1
References
- ^ click here. (peterborough.truckfest.co.uk)
- ^ Jamie Davidson Google+ (plus.google.com)
New Meyle radiator hose for Scania trucks
Meyle has extended its range of high-quality commercial vehicle spare parts. The latest portfolio addition is areinforced radiator hose for the Scania P, G, R T and 4 series models.
The material has been optimised in various ways to improve durability over standard radiator hose designs, Meyle says.
Meyle draws on the stringent quality standards and years of experience in manufacturing passenger car spares to engineer high-performance replacement parts for commercial vehicles too. When designing new products, their engineers prime objective is to deliver superior service life. Truck parts are exposed to particular stress, which is why Meyle has developed a reinforced radiator hose to fit the Scania P, G. R. T and 4 series models. A defective radiator hose can cause consequential damage, resulting in extended vehicle down-time.
The new hose wall is 20 per cent thicker than that of the original design. Additionally, the hose developed by the Hamburg manufacturer s engineers uses a high-quality fabric made from kevlar, a material so strong, it is employed on ballistic vests. Thanks to the material s excellent temperature resistance the Meyle radiator hose remains dimensionally stable and provides superior load-carrying capabilities.
And there are more benefits in store: Thanks to its smooth surface the hose is repellent to dust, oil and rust. Meyle also ensures high quality for the hose coupling by using a genuine Norma quick connector, which ensures excellent sealing along with quick and safe mounting.
References
Summit Truckfest 2013
For 2013 they have combined Truckfest with Super Summit – It is being hosted down the road at the fairgrounds and not at Summit Racing. Gives the option where I may bring the Chevelle instead of the Truck.
http://www.summitracing.com/newprodu…uge-2-day-show1
Two-Fer: Super Summit and TruckFest Combined into a Huge 2-Day Show!
Summit Racing has been throwing the Super Summit and TruckFest events at its Tallmadge, Ohio world headquarters for a lot of years. Super Summit is geared towards performance, highlighting street rods and street machines, musclecars, classics, tuner cars, and street bikes. TruckFest is all about, well, trucks–street and 4WD pickups and SUVs, monster trucks, Jeeps, and assorted off-road vehicles.
For 2013, Summit Racing is combining Super Summit and TruckFest into one mighty two-day event–an event so big, we had to move it to the local county fairgrounds just to fit everything in! Named Super Summit 2013, the show will be held at the Summit Country Fairgrounds on Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 22.
Here are some of the highlights of Super Summit 2013:
FREE ADMISSION AND PARKING!
FREE non-judged cruise-in open to performance cars, street rods, trucks, and off-road vehicles–more space than ever!
100s of manufacturers located on Manufacturers Midway and inside air-conditioned Main Arena
Summit/BIGFOOT monster truck car-crushing exhibitions
Team FMX motorcycle stunt team
Summit Racing Power Experience Simulator
Pro-class custom cars and hot rods on display
Money-saving specials on parts all weekend long
Super Summit 2013 show hours are 2 pm to 9 pm Friday, June 21 and 9 am to 5 pm Saturday, June 22. While we’d love for all of you to come experience the show in person, we will be providing real-time coverage on our blog, OnAllCylinders, for the geographically challenged.
Here is coverage of 2012′s Super Summit and TruckFest to get you in the mood for this year’s extravaganza. And watch this space for updates on Super Summit 2013–there is some cool stuff coming!
References
- ^ http://www.summitracing.com/newprodu…uge-2-day-show (www.summitracing.com)
Freight Forwarding from South Africa to the UK
You are here: Home1 / Company News2 / Freight Forwarding from South Africa to the UK
Mercator Cargo has been handling regular imports from South Africa to the UK for many years now. We are an independent freight forwarder, based in the UK and have a team of experienced forwarders with experience in importing from South Africa.
We have recently seen trends for imports from South Africa of personal effects. These consist of people returning to live in the UK, or moving domicile from South Africa to the UK. We are able to advise and handle personal effect shipments to the UK from South Africa.
Another field of our experience in importing from South Africa are used, and in some cases, classic cars. The climate in South Africa means vintage cars are, for the most part, not affected by rust or perishing. We have imported a number of interesting vehicles over the years, and are in regular contact with some vehicle sourcing and exporting companies.
As part of a worldwide network of freight forwarders, we have personal contacts around the globe with local knowledge. Our Partner in South Africa is able to assist with Export Customs, transport and other associated activities. We can advise our customers on all aspects of exporting from South Africa to the UK. Our services for importing from South Africa can be fully comprehensive including insurance, door-to-door imports, or as little as arranging your ocean or air freight.
If you re looking for a freight forwarder with experience in importing from South Africa, then give us a call today to discuss your requirements Tel. 02392 756 575. Email: sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk.3
Tags: air freight from south africa, freight forwarder, freight forwarders, freight forwarders from south africa, freight forwarding, freight forwarding from south africa, freight from south africa, import cars from south africa, import from south africa, import into the uk, import into uk, importing cars from south africa, ocean freigth from south africa, sea freight from south africa, shipping from south africa456789101112131415161718
References
- ^ Mercator Cargo Systems (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ View all posts in Company News (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk. (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ air freight from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight forwarder (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight forwarders (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight forwarders from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight forwarding (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight forwarding from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ freight from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ import cars from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ import from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ import into the uk (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ import into uk (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ importing cars from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ ocean freigth from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ sea freight from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
- ^ shipping from south africa (www.mercatorcargo.co.uk)
In-road sensors weigh lorries in motion | News | The Engineer
11 April 2013
A project taking place in Norway aims to deter hauliers from overloading their vehicles by developing a system that checks and weighs HGVs whilst they are in motion.
Advanced sensors installed in the road surface, combined with number plate recognition systems, will enable the detection of far more incorrectly loaded trailers.
Scandinavian research centre SINTEF is heading NonStop, a Norwegian Public Roads Administration-commissioned project, with partners including the Norwegian Hauliers Association and the Oslo firm Ciber.
The aim of the project, now half-way to completion, is to make commercial road haulage more efficient by ensuring that only incorrectly loaded vehicles are stopped for inspection.
The technology used involves a Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sensor system which measures the weight of the vehicle using a cable sunk into the road surface.
The sensor in the cable utilises PIEZO technology; the cable generates an electrical voltage when subjected to pressure, and in this way can record the weight of a vehicle passing over it. The information is then sent to a computer.
This technology is well established , said SINTEF s Terje Moen in a statement. However, it must be adapted and assembled to ensure optimal application and function.
The project will employ automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to read vehicle number plates. The number plate can then be searched for in public registers where specifications such as a vehicle s permitted load will be entered.
Measured weight, data from public registers, the provisions of the statutory regulations governing technical requirements for motor vehicles, and the day-to-day practical expertise of the NPRA inspectors are then built into a decision support system that aims to help inspectors select candidates for checking.
It will also be possible to link the system to data transmitted from the vehicle itself, said Moen. A modern vehicle is installed with a brain which can measure how far it has travelled, its weight and the duration of stops it has taken along a given section of route. It is this aspect which makes the project unique in a global context.
As well as improving road safety the searchers believe that the new system will also bring considerable environmental benefits.
A vehicle which is stopped for no good reason wastes a lot of fuel accelerating to regain its normal speed , said Moen,
The project is financed by the Research Council of Norway via the SMARTRANS programme. A demonstrator will be ready for testing on vehicles this summer, and the system will be rolled out in full in the summer of 2014.
Cranberry Police to Get Trucking with New Ford F-150 – Cranberry …
Cranberry s fleet of police vehicles is getting a new look.
At Thursday s Board of Supervisors meeting, officials approved purchasing a Ford F-150 truck for the Cranberry Police Department 1to replace its 2007 Ford Expedition.
The truck will cost $28,780, which Cranberry Sgt. Chuck Mascellino said is about the same cost as a new sports utility vehicle. The department typically replaces its vehicles once they reach more than 100,000 miles, Mascellino said.
As for why the department chose to go with a truck instead of another SUV, the answer is simple more room.
Mascellino said the bed in the pickup truck would give officers more ability to haul bikes, dogs cages, vehicle parts and other items
In the past, officers have used their personal vehicle, or gotten the township s public works department to assist them, when they were unable to load items into their police vehicles. Police cruisers are filled almost to capacity with computers, a prisoner partition and other equipment, according to Public Safety Director Jeff Schueler.
The one thing we have lacked is the ability to haul certain items, Mascellino said. Even in an SUV, you don t have room to haul something like a bike,
Mascellino said the truck also has more room in the interior compared to an SUV.
Cranberry would be one of the first departments in the area to utilize the pickup truck as a police vehicle.
Franklin Township in Beaver County also has a Ford F-150 for its police department and Mascellino said Cranberry has received positive feedback on it from Franklin officers.
Several other employees of the township also have them as personal vehicles, he said.
The Ford-150 will be ordered by the end of the month. Once the truck is outfitted for the department, it could be on the road by early fall, Mascellino said.
The truck may also be reused in Cranberry when the police department readies to replace it in the future. Mascellino said the F-150 could be transferred to the township s parks and recreation or public works for use by those departments.
We do have a lot of second life for our vehicles, Mascellino said. They ve been well maintained throughout the first 100,000 miles we use them.
Cranberry supervisors also authorized the police department to buy two Dodge Charges to replace two of the department s older Ford Crown Victorias. The cost for the two Chargers is $55,070.
Mascellino noted Ford stopped making Crown Victorias last year. After officers test-drove both the Chevy Caprice and the Charger as possible replacements, the department decided to go with the Charger again because of space.
It really is a tight fit, Mascellino said of the Caprice. The Chargers have a little bit more room.
Thoughts on the police department getting a Ford F-150 and Chargers? Share them in the comment section below.
Like Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter23
Check out some of today’s other top stories here.4
References
- ^ Cranberry Police Department (cranberry.patch.com)
- ^ Facebook (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ other top stories here. (cranberry.patch.com)
File under: U.S. trucking rules! | Overdrive – Owner Operators …
Lest you despair o er a little (or a lot of) numerical safety rating1 or all the difficulty parking2 or the growing gridlock3, take a moment to remember our brothers and sisters hauling freight round the world. It s been two years since we interrogated the stirrings of discontent among haulers ahead of the Egyptian revolution4, and nearly three since gridlock in China came up5, so when I came across this piece about the woes of Syrian haulers bringing freight in from neighboring Jordan6 and stuck on a bridge behind a security checkpoint for an amount of time measured not in hours, but days Yeah, I thought you might find it of interest.
Key quote, from a hauler well into his third day out on the bridge: We are living like dogs. 7
As the rebellion continues in that country, whatever you think of it, say a little prayer for all the hardworking guys just trying to get er done day-in day-out, wherever they happen to be.
Safe haulin this weekend for everyone out on the road
References
- ^ a little (or a lot of) numerical safety rating (www.overdriveonline.com)
- ^ all the difficulty parking (www.overdriveonline.com)
- ^ growing gridlock (www.overdriveonline.com)
- ^ stirrings of discontent among haulers ahead of the Egyptian revolution (www.overdriveonline.com)
- ^ gridlock in China came up (www.overdriveonline.com)
- ^ this piece about the woes of Syrian haulers bringing freight in from neighboring Jordan (www.dailystar.com.lb)
- ^ We are living like dogs. (www.dailystar.com.lb)
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