Because it is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean, you may be forgiven for thinking that the only way to reach it directly with a pallet of goods is from the UK is with a shipping service. Although this can be achieved and would be the most cost-effective way forward for a heavy cargo of raw materials – such as aggregates, for example – it is rarely a smart move for palletised goods. This is because the very idea of a pallet is to make loading and unloading into road vehicles much easier. Yes, you could also say that or air freight but this is prohibitively expensive for most British exporters and is often fraught with ground handling issues so doesn’t always end up that much quicker.
Instead, road haulage is often the preferred option. What this will often come down to is making a choice between an express courier service or booking a road haulage firm. Read on to find out the basic differences between them and what you will also need to do to send pallets to an EU member state, like Malta.
Express Courier Pallet Shipments to Malta
This is the best option if you have one, two or three pallets you need to reach a destination in Malta. Couriers with vans can negotiate the notoriously tricky Maltese terrain to get to places like Mdina, St Paul’s Bay and Marsaxlokk without too many issues. What’s more, they can drive for the whole journey, using roll-on-roll-off ferry services to get across the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea from Sicily. The best way to do this is to drive down the Italian peninsula having accessed it from France via the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Note that with two drivers assigned to the job rather than the usual one, it is possible to get to southern Europe much quicker and with far fewer stops. This is because lone drivers must take rest breaks to comply with EU and UK law.
Road Haulage to Malta and Groupage Rates
According to Barrington Freight, a freight forwarding business in Essex, larger consignments of multiple pallets need to be driven to Malta on board lorries if they are to be shipped cost-effectively. This may mean unloading them in Valletta for onward distribution depending on where they need to go. By grouping your pallet to Malta with others, there can be considerable cost savings, something worth enquiring about if your shipment isn’t due to be delivered for a week or so.
Customs Clearances When Sending Pallets to Malta
Finally, you will need to ensure that your company has an EORI number issued from HMRC before you can send any commercial pallets to the EU. Although Malta is most easily reached by road via the port of Pozzallo in Sicily, it is highly unlikely your goods will be checked by EU customs officers in Italy or Malta itself. Instead, they’ll undergo their paperwork and visual inspections on arrival in northern France, Belgium or the Netherlands. Make sure you have submitted your customs clearance paperwork online before your pallet(s) arrive at Zeebrugge, Hook of Holland or Calais. If you are not used to this work, then retain the professional services of a customs clearance agent who can do it for you. Otherwise, your pallet to Malta might be impounded well before it even gets to the Italian border, let alone Malta.
To ensure smooth and cost-effective pallet collection and shipping to Europe, partner with IFL for their expert services.
