What should staff know before you hand over the Carnet?
Put the route, the goods list and the Carnet in front of the person who’ll be using it. By the end of the briefing, they should be able to explain four things.
Which goods are travelling: Pick an item and ask them to find it on the Carnet’s general list. Show them where to check the description and serial number, if one is listed. If only part of the list is travelling, mark which items are going on this trip on the handover sheet.
What they’ll need to present: Check that the person travelling is authorised to act and has any evidence of authority they’ll need. Then check that they have the paper Carnet, the digital access and declarations they need, or both if the route requires them.
Where they’ll present it: Walk through the customs stops on the way out and on the way back. Give them the office locations and opening hours. If a freight agent is involved, spell out which stops the agent will handle and what the traveller needs to do.
What they’ll check before moving on: For a paper Carnet, show them which counterfoil customs should complete and stamp. For a digital Carnet, show them which QR code to present and where to check that customs has recorded the movement in the app. Ask them to save the operations contact while you’re going through it.
Practise with the format they’ll actually use on the trip. For the steps customs follows at each stage, see HMRC’s guide to using an ATA Carnet.
Which ATA Carnet mistakes should staff be trained to avoid?
Once you’ve talked through the route, change one detail and ask the traveller what they’d do. I’d start with something that could happen while they’re loading the van.
A piece of kit gets swapped after the load has been checked. The spare lighting controller has been replaced. As the driver shuts the van, they spot that the serial number differs from the one on the Carnet. What happens next?
I’d listen for two things. Can they tell me what changed, and do they know who to call? A good answer would be, “I’d ring operations, tell them which controller was swapped and wait for them to confirm what to do before I set off.” Operations can then check with the Carnet issuer how to handle the replacement.
Something similar happened to Carnet Wizard customer Dan Twine. Some of his filming kit was stolen and had to be replaced the day before a shoot. He describes how Perm at Carnet Wizard helped him deal with the change. That’s the sort of call I’d want a backup driver to feel comfortable making while there’s still time to check the paperwork.
A stamp or digital record appears to be missing. Show the traveller what they should see after customs processes the movement. If the digital record hasn’t appeared, have them sync the app and check again. If anything still looks incomplete, ask customs about it while they’re still there and call operations if they need help. It’s easier to ask the officer who dealt with the Carnet than to try to reconstruct the stop from the office later.
The return ferry is cancelled. The driver can get on a sailing from another port. Before they take it, who checks whether they can present the Carnet there and whether the relevant office will be open? I’d have the driver call operations to confirm the new stops. Practise both sides of the return journey, including where the goods leave the territory they’ve visited and where they come back into the UK.
Who needs ATA Carnet training?
Start with what each person will be responsible for on the trip.
Who
Operations or logistics staff
Drivers or employees who present the Carnet
Backup drivers or crew members
Other travelling staff
What they should be able to do
Check who can act for the Carnet holder, prepare the briefing, handle changes, and review the customs records when the goods return.
Match the load to the list, present the Carnet at the planned stops, check each customs record, and know when to ask for help.
Practise the same tasks as the person they might replace. If they take over, brief them on the actual load, route, and access arrangements.
Know who’s handling the Carnet and tell that person if kit is swapped, added, or left behind.
I’d try the briefing with your backup traveller first. Your usual driver might know which turning to take at the port without thinking. Their memory is a handy place to keep that detail. Right up until they’re on annual leave.
Give the backup time to ask the question they might keep to themselves when everyone’s waiting for the van to leave. If they ask which entrance to use or who they can ring after hours, put the answer on the handover sheet.
How do you make ATA Carnet training repeatable?
Keep a one-page handover sheet that someone else in operations can pick up and use. Copy these prompts and fill in the details for each journey.
What to record
Traveller and backup
Authority and access
Goods
Customs stops
Help during the trip
Return check
What to fill in for this trip
Who’ll present the Carnet? Who could cover?
What authority has been checked? What will the traveller need to have with them or be able to access?
Which items on the general list are travelling?
Where and when will the Carnet be presented on each leg? Who handles each stop, and what record should the traveller check before moving on?
Who should the traveller call if the load, route, or customs record differs from the plan?
Who will review the records, how will the traveller hand them over, and who will follow up on any gaps?
One last thing before you hand over the keys. Ask the traveller to talk you through the trip in their own words.
How will you check what’s in the van against the Carnet?
Where will you present it on the way out and back, and how will you check that customs has recorded each movement?
Who will you call if the load, route or customs record differs from the plan?
If they hesitate, go back over that part and ask what they’d do. When the kit comes home, have the person named on the sheet check the records against the movements made and follow up on any gaps. If the driver had trouble finding the customs office or working out which record to check, put that detail in the next briefing while it’s fresh.
Get your team ready for the next trip
Pick your next overseas job and give the handover to your backup traveller. Ask them to explain the trip back to you. If they can talk you through the outward journey but get stuck on the way home, you’ve found something you can work through together before they need to do it for real.
Carnet Wizard offers specialist ATA Carnet training. If you keep getting the same questions from different drivers, bring a typical route, your handover sheet and one example of where staff get stuck. You might want to ask how to brief drivers who’ll present the Carnet for the first time, or what your team should practise if you regularly change vehicles, routes or crew. That gives us a concrete place to start when we talk about training for your team.
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