UK importers - 4 reasons you should seriously consider engaging a logistics consultancy

Afternoon All

Here's something well worth reading, especially as it is so well put and dispels a lot of the myths/concerns about appointing an external source of expertise.

It's written from a generalist perspective on any consultant, but I think it's particularly relevant to logistics, particularly as regards market knowledge, an objective viewpoint and actually getting the job done.

With everything that's happened following the BREXIT referendum, most notably the 20% fall in the value of sterling against the USD and EURO, which, for importers, is destroying their margins and causing them to have to raise their prices (and potentially lose customers) this is even more relevant.

If you can work with a consultancy who are true experts in their field and can deliver a real and measurable return on investment, now would would be a good time to act. 

I should add that we do operate using a gain share fee model for our freight review product and customers seem to like not only the financial savings but also the benefits of a refreshed, more responsive and robust supply chain model. The testimonials speak for themselves!

Our latest customer testimonials

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If you're looking to improve your supply chain, you may have considered using the services of a logistics consultant. You might be worried, though, about whether it will be worth the cost or bring any real benefits to your business. Here are some reasons to seriously consider using a consultant.

Product Knowledge

Working with a logistics consultant who has a broad knowledge base and experience working through similar issues to those you are experiencing brings a number of advantages to your team.

You'll probably have received loads of literature from sales people, for example, telling how great their products are, but how can you possibly choose between them? An independent logistics consultant is not selling products and does not get any financial incentives from the products they specify, therefore they can give objective advice.

A project run internally can often get sidetracked by everyday management issues. Bringing in a consultant who can focus on delivering results will ensure that the goals are achieved quicker.

Consultancy does not need to take project ownership away from the management. However, as long as management is clear about its objectives and is able to select, direct and manage the consultants carefully, real added value can be seen.

When Should I Use a Consultant?

All organisations at some time reach a point when they are aware that they could be doing things better or differently. It may be one or several areas of the operations that are not achieving their goal or not functioning as efficiently as they might.

The main reasons for using consultants usually focus around:

o Complexity
o Timescales
o Expertise
o Resources

Efficient Staffing

The issue or problem may be short-term. To manage the change effectively and maximize the benefits will require an intense effort, potentially jeopardizing the performance of the rest of the operation. Permanently increasing the headcount to handle a short-term project will increase operating expenses. A consultant can assist in managing the change until the introduction is complete and the operation has stabilized.

Often specialist knowledge exists within the company but a secondment cannot be arranged in the required time frame. Consultants are ideally suited to providing the skills that are not available from permanent staff.

Decisions which result in a large change or financial commitment from the company will frequently involve consultants to review any analysis before a decision is made. An outsider can ensure that an objective approach and attitude are taken and that all potential alternatives are known and explored. Often the consultant will know of additional alternatives which were not even considered previously. At other times just having the consultant confirm competent and thorough analysis can add additional weight to the business case.

If a project has lost momentum or is not delivering the expected results a consultant can quickly provide the input required to get it back on track.

Working With a Logistics Consultant

The use of consultants is unlikely to bring benefits if you dismiss the consultants' involvement as an expensive distraction from everyday operations. However, if you chose the right consultant or consultancy, clearly define the project objectives, provide the consultants with the information they require and set aside time to review progress and buy into their ideas, the benefits will be seen.


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If you read through that and found yourself agreeing with the article, then don't let the moment pass, just make contact (preferably with ourselves!) and I am sure that, provided you select a professional company, you will be so glad you took action, and so will your customers, colleagues and your bottom line.


Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. 

Andy was part of the judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

UK importers - is the strong dollar giving you a headache?

Since the BREXIT vote, Sterling has fallen against the dollar by around 20%, which is a huge drop, especially if you are one of the 220,000 importers here in the UK. Given that most companies who source from outside the EU are buying from Asia or the USA, their suppliers are most likely selling to them in USD.

Understandably, most importers watch the sterling exchange rate with the USD like a hawk, and some even buy forward, fixing the exchange rate to protect themselves against negative swings which is prudent, although of course it's hard to know how much to buy forward when you don't have a crystal ball...!

Although we monitor exchange rates each day in our business here at SCL, and we saw the rapid fall from circa USD 1.50 pre-referendum to around USD 1.30 shortly afterwards (and recently down to USD 1.20) it seems the public and media have only just realized that the weak pound will have a marked inflationary effect and so almost every day now, we see reports talking about the impact on UK inflation, and we see clear examples, such as petrol prices rising sharply, or talk about Apple jacking up the price of their latest Macbook to compensate for the weak pound.

To be honest, when I see these reports, I wonder whether senior management within these importers also realize that their freight costs, be that air or ocean, are also priced in USD, and so not only are their product prices rising, their freight costs are rising by 20% also. Furthermore, as import duty is based on the "built-up value", consisting of several elements, this includes freight costs and so import duty costs are also increased.

We've been trading since 2009 and we know the freight and logistics marketplace pretty well, and when we review a customers import traffic, we focus on several things.

• Review the service levels to ensure they match the customers' needs
• Assess freight costs and whether they are market competitive
• Is the information flowing to the right stakeholders
• Are the customers' shipments being correctly declared to Customs (duty could also be over-declared)
• Is the pricing stable

The telling thing is that over the last 7 years, we have measured an average 35% freight cost saving across all the freight reviews we have carried out, and this is usually a shock (and also a pleasant surprise) for the customer. The reason is two-fold - we know what to look for when reviewing a customers' current logistics model - and we have strong partnerships with logistics providers who are competitive and reliable.

So, before you reach a decision about raising your UK selling prices, do yourself a favour and just make sure that your freight and duty costs are competitive, as you may preserve some margin, retain the customer or even give yourself an edge against your competitors who knee jerked into a large price rise - and still took a hit on their margins! As a consequence, you may also find that you are wasting money on a service which actually doesn't even meet your current needs.

So, just some advice really, business is hard enough as it is so just make sure you look at everything before you do raise prices and you'll not only be a leaner business, you'll also be better prepared if the business environment gets tough in 2017.

If you take a look at our customer testimonials, I am sure you will be impressed, companies large and small rate us highly and our very first client from 2010 is still on board today. I have also been a panel judge at the Lloyds Global Freight Awards for 2 years so we're known as industry and market experts.

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. 

Andy was part of the judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

Hanjin Shipping saga continues - Federal judge paves way to arrest of off-charter Hanjin ships in US waters

Good afternoon All

Some more information regarding Hanjin and the knock on effects of its bankruptcy which was first announced on 31-Aug, over a month ago.

I really feel for customers who, for whatever reason, have been unable to take delivery of their cargo and in some ways I am also a little puzzled, as we resolved issues with our customers really swiftly.

As soon as we heard the news on 31-Aug, we ascertained that two of our customers were affected and had a clear plan to have the cargo released by arranging payment of significant deposits and there were no delays to deliveries as we made these plans before vessel arrival.

I suppose it also depends on the stance taken by the relevant ports however surely a port has a much stronger lever on payment of outstanding debts of the ship is allowed to dock.

Either way, it shows how unpredictable international logistics can be, and how it's always useful to have someone on side who can cut through the jargon and who has real influence with logistics providers. 

USA Journal Of Commerce Hanjin Story

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, having worked for leading logistics providers including DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. He has a unique understanding of this area and uses his knowledge and networks to dramatically improve landed cost, service and Customs compliance.

Andy felt that, in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support each day.

Please do visit our website here

SOLAS Container Weighing Regulations - Authorities Signal End To "Light Touch" Approach

Good afternoon All

If you recall we posted a few articles here on our blog and on LinkedIn ahead of the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) container weighing regulations which came into effect on 1-Jul-16.

Our article on SOLAS from July

During the first 3 months the shipping lines and port operators signalled that they would adopt a light touch approach to the new laws so that exporters (and all in the supply chain) had a chance to adjust their procedures so that international trade was not disrupted.

A reasonable stance by the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) who brought about the new SOLAS regulations however we're now a few days away from a firm approach on compliance, so that means no VGM (Verified Gross Mass) declaration, and the container will be rejected. Of course some ports around the world (eg DP World at Southampton, UK) are providing weighing facilities at the port which helps immensely, but for those that don't this change to 100% compliance may see some disruption for those exporters/forwarders who haven't taken SOLAS seriously.

Lloyds Loading List Article

Time for you to check whether you, if you're an exporter are compliant, and the same applies if you're an importer - is your supplier compliant? If not, you may see delays if containers are rejected.

Kind Regards



Andy Cliff

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, having worked for leading logistics providers including DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. He has a unique understanding of this area and uses his knowledge and networks to dramatically improve landed cost, service and Customs compliance.

Want to learn more about what we do? Please visit our website here

Andy felt that, in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support each day.

Latest update on Hanjin bankruptcy - US court gives go ahead to unload Hanjin vessels

Good afternoon All

The collapse of Hanjin is causing serious disruption for many importers and exporters as you may have seen on the news and our last blog post gives an in depth overview of the situation since the news last Wed 31-Aug.

We’ve just heard of some very welcome news as below.

US judge orders that ships can unload

Below please see our last blog post from yesterday with full background story.

If you import or export by ocean freight, be that LCL or FCL, you may be affected by the news that Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy last Wednesday 31-Aug. Hanjin are number 7 globally so this is big news. Here's an excerpt from our LinkedIn post from last  Wednesday and we immediately wrote to forwarders involved with our customers' ocean freight movements to ascertain the exposure. I am pleased to advise that we have limited exposure and for any shipments which are caught up in this, we learned today that several LCL shipments in consolidated containers are already released so we're very satisfied with this outcome of course.

"Top 10 shipping line Hanjin files for bankruptcy after failing to secure USD 450 million cash injection. All goes to show that times are tough in the global container market, especially in the fiercely competitive Asia-Europe trade. Time to check if your freight forwarder has any cargo moving via Hanjin as creditors may seize vessels and ports may refuse to accept Hanjin vessels which may then make it difficult to take delivery of your containers/shipments. Contact your forwarder now to see if you're affected, and if so what they're doing to facilitate release"

Please be aware that your cargo could be caught up in this even if your full containers (FCL) or part containers (LCL) are moving on other shipping lines - why? Because it's common for shipping lines to share space on each others vessels. For example, you could have a shipment booked on a Hanjin contract but moving on K-Line or Yang Ming so either way, the cargo will get caught up in the bankruptcy. So what could happen? What we're hearing is that global ports are refusing to handle Hanjin ships as for example, they may be owed money for berthing and unloading charges and want to recover money whilst they have some leverage. I suggest the first thing you should do is contact your freight forwarder / logistics provider to assess what exposure you actually have - and then get a clear statement on their recovery plans.

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, having worked for leading logistics providers including DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. He has a unique understanding of this area and uses his knowledge and networks to dramatically improve landed cost, service and Customs compliance.

Please do visit our website here

Andy felt that, in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support each day.

Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy - are you affected? Time to take action.

Good afternoon All

If you import or export by ocean freight, be that LCL or FCL, you may be affected by the news that Hanjin Shipping filed for bankruptcy last Wednesday 31-Aug. 

Hanjin are number 7 globally so this is big news. Here's an excerpt from our LinkedIn post from last Wednesday and we immediately wrote to forwarders involved with our customers' ocean freight movements to ascertain the exposure. 

"Top 10 shipping line Hanjin files for bankruptcy after failing to secure USD 450 million cash injection. All goes to show that times are tough in the global container market, especially in the fiercely competitive Asia-Europe trade. Time to check if your freight forwarder has any cargo moving via Hanjin as creditors may seize vessels and ports may refuse to accept Hanjin vessels which may then make it difficult to take delivery of your containers/shipments. Contact your forwarder now to see if you're affected, and if so what they're doing to facilitate release.

Lloyds Loading List article here

I am pleased to advise that we actually had limited exposure and for any customers' shipments which are caught up in this, we learned today that several LCL shipments in consolidated containers are already released so we're very satisfied with this outcome of course. You should not assume however that every freight forwarder will adopt the same approach or be able to get their containers released. 

In our case, the forwarder made a commercial decision and paid an extra USD 3000 to secure release from the port. It was a wise commercial move as they will most likely recover the money down the line but it means their customers are not faced with delays or extra costs and they showed leadership.

Please be aware that your cargo could be caught up in this even if your full containers (FCL) or part containers (LCL) are moving on other shipping lines - why? Because it's common for shipping lines to share space on each other's vessels. For example, you could have a shipment booked on a Hanjin contract but moving on K-Line or Yang Ming so either way, the cargo will get caught up in the bankruptcy. 

So what could happen? What we're hearing is that global ports are refusing to handle Hanjin ships as for example, they may be owed money for berthing and unloading charges and want to recover money whilst they have some leverage. 

I suggest the first thing you should do is contact your freight forwarder / logistics provider to assess what exposure you actually have - and then get a clear statement on their recovery plans.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Kind Regards



Andy Cliff

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, having worked for leading logistics providers including DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. He has a unique understanding of this area and uses his knowledge and networks to dramatically improve landed cost, service and Customs compliance.

Please do visit our website here

Andy felt that, in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support each day.

Going the extra mile - sure about that?

I realized something the other day about this time of year, when companies see their staff taking the bulk of their holidays between Jul and September to take advantage of the school summer break, and leaving departments pretty stretched.

Some would say, well, it's ok because business is quieter in summertime however, from what we see, working in really close partnership with UK importers and exporters, there's still plenty of business activity and of course there's always the urgent customer orders which need to be fulfilled regardless.

And this takes me to the light bulb moment, and how, sometimes, you can underestimate the value you add to customers beyond your core services or offering. In our case, we help companies to reduce their international logistics costs, ensure they're Customs compliant and act as a virtual logistics manager managing the logistics area so they can focus on their core activities.

Although this has happened many times, it suddenly became apparent to me last week, when the contact at one of our USA import customers advised he was taking his summer holiday which would span two weeks. We work very closely with this person day to day and are in the loop on communications with their USA suppliers so we follow each order from when it's placed to when it's finally delivered, measuring and monitoring service levels.

Mark advised me mid-week that he had 4 urgent orders from 4 separate USA suppliers on the go which would all be moving by air freight. These suppliers were in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois and New Hampshire however Mark would be on holiday with cover by a colleague who wasn't that familiar with the mechanics of the US shipments.

When Mark finished on Thursday 28-Jul, the most urgent of the 4 orders, which was needed on Monday 1-Aug was still not packed and the Texas one was just being collected that day. The other 2 were in motion and we knew they were set to arrive on Sunday so they were lined up for Monday delivery.

What we did here was fill the space Mark vacated and communicate directly with the factory in New Hampshire as we knew it absolutely had to be picked up Friday to achieve Monday delivery. At 2100 hours on Friday evening (1600 East Coast US) we got the reply we wanted and made sure the order was then assigned to a direct Saturday evening flight. 

To summarize, what is interesting here is that most freight forwarders work from say 0830-1730 so the UK office of the forwarder (the one who would generally update the client) had finished however they have their own holiday period challenges too, and our usual contact was on holiday on Friday which left another gap so we dealt with another less familiar contact until close of business Friday.

On Saturday morning, we wanted to ensure everything was still on track and checked that both the Texas and New Hampshire shipments were moving as planned, which they were.

So, on Monday morning (today) at 0730 we requested a status update for the customer, and Mark's relief contact came into work with some great news for their own customer, knowing that we had been working behind the scenes over the weekend to make this all happen.

I'm sure that many customers will experience not only the effect of their own departments being stretched, but also their freight forwarder sometimes struggling to maintain the service levels when they themselves are short staffed due to holiday breaks, or other reasons throughout the year, such as sickness, training, maternity or paternity leave.

I suppose the moral here is, if you say you care about customers, demonstrate this in your actions and secondly, don't undervalue what you do for your customers when you go above and beyond your core offering. For me, I don't think I've ever forgotten what I learned about going above and beyond in my days in forwarding operations and how doing something extra can make such a massive difference to a customer. That's why I love what I do.

If you take a look at our testimonials, I think you will be impressed, companies large and small rate us highly and our very first client from 2010 is still on board today. I have also been a panel judge at the Lloyds Global Freight Awards for 2 years so we're known as industry and market experts.

Click here to take a look at our story, case studies and testimonials

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles. 

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

Confused about SOLAS and VGM rules for ocean freight shipments - this podcast is worth a listen

Good afternoon All

If you're confused about the new SOLAS/VGM rules which came inti effect on 1st July 2016, the this podcast may be worth a listen. You can also of course take a look at our other blog posts on this topic.

Just a quick blog post whilst I had a moment!

Kind Regards



Andy Cliff

Podcast on VGM

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

UK importers – post BREXIT, your costs just increased by 13% in a week – it really is time to act

If you are a regular importer, you will no doubt be aware that after the EU referendum vote on 23^rd June 2016, the UK pound/Sterling fell sharply on the foreign exchanges from around USD 1.50 on June 23^rd to below USD 1.30 and it’s remained at this level for almost 2 weeks, so we can assume that this will be the new level for the foreseeable future. 

Looking further back, one year ago the USD was 1.55 and averaged that level for the whole of July-15. So, we are looking at a cost increase of almost 17% which is significant.

I’ve worked in international trade since 1980 and know that most companies will purchase product from regions like Asia and North America in USD however many don’t realize that the major part of their freight costs are also calculated in USD.

For example, if you import from the USA, the pick up charges, terminal handling, freight rate itself and surcharges such as BAF (fuel surcharge) and LSF (low sulphur fuel surcharge) will all be rated in USD. It's also worth mentioning that if you export by ocean, the freight rate is also rated in USD so another area to investigate.

From our experience over the last 6 years here at Straightforward Consultancy (SCL), we know that companies are sometimes reluctant to review their logistics as it can be time consuming, confusing for a non-expert and they don’t really want to place their supply chain at risk. 

This is why they entrust this work to experts like ourselves who take the lead, involving them to ensure their needs are met when negotiating with freight providers and nothing is left to chance. 

The thing that most customers find surprising is the amount of money they have been wasting (the average we have measured since 2010 is a hefty 35%) and sometimes receiving a pretty mediocre service as well!

What we’re about is not just lowering landed costs for our customers, but using the opportunity to refresh their existing model at the same time, making it lower cost, reliable and Customs compliant. 

We also often find that not only are they paying way more than necessary, but also that their consignments aren’t being correctly declared to HMRC, and we’ve had one customer who recovered almost £ 30,000 of overpaid Customs import duty from HMRC because of our expertise.

So, to summarize, if you have been meaning to look at this area for some time but it’s been on the back burner, it really is time to act. 

Your managing director, financial director and operations director will appreciate your initiative and it will help to offset the squeeze on your company's margins, brought about by the 17% hike in your landed freight costs.

Just to add one more thing, we are very experienced in this area and offer free assessments for customers who are keen to reduce freight and related costs.

We also offer a shared savings/gain share fee model for our work which means our work is results based, includes everything from review to implementation and a full year of freight management, making sure that your costs stay competitive and you have access to expert advice and our knowledge of the logistics marketplace. 

If you take a look at our testimonials, I think you will be impressed, companies large and small rate us highly and our very first client from 2010 is still on board today. I have also been a panel judge at the Lloyds Global Freight Awards for 2 years so we're known as industry and market experts.


So if you're concerned about your rising costs, do get in touch, it may be the best decision you've made in 2016!

Click here to see our story, case studies and customer testimonials

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

SOLAS Container Weighing Regulations - VGM - Full Container Ocean Shipments - just 7 days to go - are you ready?

Good afternoon All

Many UK importers and exporters are hopefully aware of the new SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations coming into effect from July 1st 2016 to ensure that container vessels are not overloaded and don't in turn, place lives and vessels at risk.

The new law insists that shippers take legal responsibility for the declaration of a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) either involving them weighing the complete container (Method 1) or their cargo and the empty container weight (Method 2).

Although these changes have been publicized for at least 6 months, it is fair to say that the industry stakeholders in this change (freight forwarders, shipping lines, port operators) have struggled to communicate / collaborate effectively and in some regions such as Asia and the USA, it is very concerning that the industry is either down to the wire or just plain "not ready" and more importantly, freight forwarders seem to have been slow to advise their customers/shippers how to comply with the law and what they need to do from July 1st.

The region of most concern seems to be Asia, where the industry seems only to have woken up to the regulation change in the last 15-30 day, having said that, the USA is also lagging behind.

So why should you as a UK exporter or importer be concerned? Well, if you or your freight forwarder are not ready to comply from July 1st, your containers will be delayed and in turn, your end customers will be affected with missed deadlines or stock shortages..

Here in the UK, the area we see the biggest area of concern is for UK importers, who may think they won't be affected as they don't load containers however they will be affected, as their overseas suppliers will need to comply and what we've seen ourselves is that this really important area has been missed

From our side, we've been monitoring the situation very closely for 3-4 months and have ensured that all of our customers' overseas suppliers have been contacted and are ready to play their part in ensuring a smooth transition.

If you are a UK exporter or importer and you're not aware or don't feel that your freight forwarder is on top of this regulation change, we suggest you get in touch with them urgently and ask for an update on how they intend to ensure that the flow of containers from overseas suppliers or to your international customers will not be disrupted.

If you need any help to ensure either you or your overseas suppliers are ready for the big chamge, please do contact us. We'll also probably find that you're actually paying too much for your freight costs and given that the USD is very strong at the moment, most companies want to try and reduce their landed costs to ensure they preserve their profit margins. We operate gain share / shared savings fee models which are very appealing to customers as they're results based and the customer doesn't have to spend days of their valuable time carrying out this complicated exercise.

Just take a look at our website if you're interested, it may be the best decision you've made in 2016.

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

Straightforward Consultancy - the story in a nutshell...

Good evening All

It's hard to believe that Straightforward Consultancy came to life 6 years ago, following my departure from DHL and a desire to do something very different.

I decided to use my industry experience to help UK importers & exporters to reduce their freight and related costs and with our market knowledge and our network of industry contacts, we could also improve service levels and monitor and manage the freight and Customs side of their business for them and it's been a big success, with some great customer feedback and loyalty.

Even now,  years after the recession first hit, many companies are nervous about the economic outlook for 2016 and their margins are still under, as their costs have risen but their own selling prices have remained flat or have been driven down. The USD has also been very strong for around 6 months (below USD 1.50) which hurts importers in particular.

Many companies would like to review their logistics spend and carrier performance however freight and Customs is justifiably regarded as a complex area and most don't have the time or expertise in house.. To add to that, the sheer number of freight forwarders, services and rate options add to their dilemma, and afraid of making things worse, they stay with their existing freight model, wasting money and missing out on a better service. 

We offer free consultations to interested companies and often uncover potential +30% savings which surprises customers but we know what to look for and the best solution for their needs.

We operate a results-based gain share fee model, leaving clients with nett savings of over 60% so really they have nothing to lose!

We also have a great deal of Customs knowledge, which we've used to great effect, be that supporting a company through a Customs investigation or helping them to recover overpaid duties. We also help customers to dramatically improve their Customs Compliance, so any future Customs visits are no longer something to fear.

When I was asked to judge at the Global Freight Awards last year (and again in 2016) I was surprised and flattered, but I suppose we had been in the media, writing articles and blogs for a couple of years and we had become well known and respected, not just by our customers, but also importantly by the logistics providers that we had worked with and so that was clearly noticed by Lloyds Loading List who run the awards.

If you want to read more about my background, please review my LinkedIn profile or our blog.
Straightforward Consultancy Blog

LinkedIn Profile

Please follow me on Twitter @AndyCliffSCL, visit our website www.straightforwardconsultancy.co.uk  and our blog http://straightforwardconsultancy.blogspot.co.uk/

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. 

Sterling is under pressure due to BREXIT concerns - or is it?

As we watched the evening news yesterday, we were told that the pound fell, apparently linked to the concerns that Britain will leave the EU, so alarm bells were ringing across the City - and people should be worried.

In the spirit of balance and objectivity, can we just hang on a minute here?

We monitor the pound against key currencies each day as we verify freight costs as part of the freight management service for our import and export clients (most freight costs are charged in USD) and frankly I find that headline alarmist and designed to frighten people about what may happen if we leave the EU, regardless of your views.

Please let me provide some facts on Sterling over the last 6 months which you can clearly see below in the concise report we've compiled this morning, logging the exchange rate at 1 month intervals against major currencies, using the Bank Of England database as our source. 

Sterling has been far weaker than it is today, particularly in April 2016, when you can see it was weaker against the USD and the EURO which put this into a more balanced context and it also shows that Sterling is pretty resilient. On 26-Feb it actually fell to USD 1.38, 6 cents below yesterday's level.

The government also tells us that if the pound falls, we will see inflation however despite 6 months of a weak pound, there's no evidence of that in UK inflation figures, and of course a weaker pound gives our UK exporters a vital edge in a really competitive global economy. Again, our government is keen to push exports via the Exporting Is Great initiative via UKTI so can the media and government please stop pushing the Project Fear agenda and report in a much more balanced way.

Please follow me on Twitter @AndyCliffSCL, visit our website www.straightforwardconsultancy.co.uk  and our blog http://straightforwardconsultancy.blogspot.co.uk/

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

Andy is part of the  judging panel for the 2016 Global Freight Awards, his second year in this prestigious role. The awards recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.  

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day.