Gary Smith Transport’s Border Force Approval Secured By App

A haulier has secured accreditation under Border Force’s clandestine entrant civil penalty scheme, citing an app as crucial to its success, writes Chris Tindall.

Gary Smith Transport, operating from Aberdeen, was able to demonstrate its commitment to vehicle security, regulatory compliance and best practice in preventing stowaways from boarding its lorries.

It uses the Aquarius Clandestine Check app, which digitises Border Force’s checklist and can be customised to meet the specific needs of different fleet vehicles.

The company said the app enabled its drivers to carry out, record and evidence inspections at key points on their journey – including points of departure and after each stop – with time-stamped, GPS-tagged checks and photo documentation.

Company boss Gary Smith said use of the app had played ‘a vital role in helping us achieve our goal’.

“As a proud customer for nearly 20 years, Aquarius IT has continued to support my business with excellent technical innovation throughout,” he added.

Membership of Border Force’s scheme is free, but operators must demonstrate they have a system in place that enables drivers to log and retain records of vehicle security checks. Applicants are also asked how many documents are issued to drivers and how long records are stored.

Hauliers must also provide drivers with training on how to secure the vehicle and how to prevent clandestine entrants.

Operators can still face penalties even if no clandestine entrants are found, if they cannot demonstrate effective preventative systems and proper record-keeping.

Laura Hadzik, partner and head of commercial road transport at JMW Solicitors, said: “Evidence from Aquarius’s clandestine check has proved vital in some of our successful penalty challenges.”

JMW recently encouraged hauliers threatened with penalties for carrying stowaways to challenge them after it successfully had a number of them cancelled.