The Silent Failure Mode of Transit
Most transit movements are routine. The driver presents the TAD at the office of destination, the consignee accepts the goods, NCTS sends an electronic discharge message — and the movement is closed.
But sometimes the discharge never happens. The truck arrived, the goods were unloaded, the paperwork was signed — and yet the movement stays open in NCTS. Weeks later, HMRC sends a letter announcing a guarantee charge for the suspended duty and VAT.
This is the most expensive and most preventable failure in transit.
Why TADs Fail to Close
The usual culprits:
- The office of destination is wrong. A driver delivers to a different warehouse than the one declared. The declared office never sees the goods, so it never closes the movement.
- The TAD was lost or destroyed. Drivers sometimes arrive without the printed TAD. Without the MRN barcode the office of destination cannot scan and close the movement.
- The consignee didn't notify customs. Authorised Consignees who fail to send the arrival notification message leave the movement open.
- An office of transit didn't scan. A movement that bypassed a declared office of transit can be flagged as irregular and held open for enquiry.
- The Time Limit expired. If the truck took longer than the prescribed time and no extension was requested, the movement may auto-fail.
The Enquiry Process
When a movement is not discharged within the time limit, NCTS opens an enquiry. Customs at the office of departure asks the declared office of destination for proof of arrival. If proof is not provided, the principal (the declarant) is asked to provide alternative evidence — delivery notes, transport records, CMR copies — within a fixed window.
If the evidence is accepted, the movement is closed retrospectively. If it isn't, the guarantee is charged.
What To Do When It Happens
- Act fast. The earlier you intervene, the easier it is to gather evidence.
- Get the CMR or delivery proof. A signed and stamped CMR showing arrival at the right place is usually accepted.
- Trigger an arrival message from the consignee. Where Authorised Consignee status exists, the message can sometimes still be sent late.
- Engage your broker. A transit specialist talks to the office of departure in their language and submits the right NCTS messages on your behalf.
How To Stop It Happening
- Track every MRN to closure. Don't assume "the truck arrived" means "the movement discharged."
- Pick the correct office of destination at declaration. If unsure, choose the actual physical customs office, not a guessed one.
- Print the TAD properly. A faded barcode is a discharge failure waiting to happen.
- Use Authorised Consignee where you can. It puts you in control of closing the movement.
Guarantee charges are expensive, embarrassing and entirely avoidable — provided someone is watching every movement until NCTS says it is closed.