Coronavirus testing for hauliers before leaving the UK for France

Please note: This article was published on 12th January 2021, some information may be out of date. For the last news around COVID-19 support, visit our Recovery & Support forum.

Paul Scully MP, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Minister, has sent a letter to businesses to inform them hauliers who wish to access France must get a negative Coronavirus test. Lateral flow testing kits will be available free of charge until the end of March 2021.

The letter reads:

Dear Business,

I am writing to ask for your assistance in ensuring that hauliers can move steadily across the border. The requirement for hauliers planning to cross the Channel to get a negative Covid-19 test before travelling to Kent or other Channel crossing points is set to continue, following a decision by the French Government on 7 January to keep the current measures in place until further notice. This requirement includes drivers and crew of HGVs, drivers of LGVs and van drivers.

Please discuss with any haulage companies you work with the plans that they have in place to ensure their hauliers have tested negative, conducted within 72 hours prior to travel, before travelling to the border. The Government has established 34 free Covid testing facilities at haulier advice sites as detailed at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/haulier-advice-site-locations.

Despite these being in place, the majority of HGVs are still arriving at the Kent ports without having undertaken tests. As traffic volumes increase, this could lead to disruption, and delay goods crossing the border.

As capacity at the Government sites will be limited, I would also ask that you consider whether testing hauliers on your own premises, such as at your depots, might be a suitable arrangement to put in place. Several companies have found this to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. This does require some preparation, the acceptance of requirements on matters such as data sharing and risk, and you would need to provide people to administer the tests. The Department of Health and Social Care will provide lateral flow testing kits entirely free of charge until the end of March 2021 and support you in establishing testing facilities via webinars and Q&A sessions.

If you would like to explore setting up testing for hauliers at your own premises, please contact employee.testing@beis.gov.uk

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

PAUL SCULLY MP
Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Labour Markets, and Minister for London

For further information, a guide has been provided to help businesses with LFD testing in the workplace.

Click here to download the guide.