There will be local signage in place to help direct you to the site along the strategic main roads. Upon arrival at the site, you’ll be greeted by a traffic management marshal. There will be automatic number plate recognition cameras at the entry and exit points of the site. This monitors vehicles entering and exiting the site to manage traffic and security. A quick visual inspection of the vehicle will be done by security marshals at the entry check point. For example, they’ll check that there are no leaks and that the vehicle is not prohibited as a result of these checks. Following this, you’ll be directed to a vacant parking bay. Once you’ve parked your vehicle, you’ll be asked to switch your engine off by the traffic marshal and to keep it off whilst you’re parked. There should be no idling of engines.
If your goods have been flagged as ‘held’ for a compliance check, you must tell front office staff this when you arrive.
You’ll then take your documents to the front office and be directed to wait in your vehicle while the paperwork is processed. Once this is complete, you’ll receive either an approval and exit receipt to move off site, or a non approval where you will follow a separate process. You’ll then be able to exit the site and re-join the strategic main road. Duration of the checks We estimate that you will need between 1 to 2 hours at the facility to go through customs clearance. Make sure you leave sufficient time when planning your journey. The sites are manned and operated 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Once you’ve completed the paperwork process, you can return to your vehicle and you should leave immediately. Facilities available on sites All sites will provide water, toilets, and handwashing facilities. Additional facilities are offered on a site-by-site basis as outlined in each site-specific section. Cookers and fires are not permitted on-site.