Well I don’t know about you, but since January 2021 it has been one heck of a challenge. New rules, hardly had the right lead time, and whilst the industry has been told ‘what to do’ (well, the basics anyway), the rest, and how, even now, still elude the majority of us.
It’s now mid-February. And we’re feeling the pain! So whilst my singing may be an ‘acquired’ taste (that’s putting it politely!), I’ve put together a short track summing up how we, and probably the majority of the forwarding industry feels right now.
The Brexit Customs Blues
I woke up this morning, wondrin’ what day it was,
‘Cos ev’ry day so far this year, I concur
Has been a god damn blur.
And I’m feeling dazed and confused,
I’ve got the Brexit Customs Blues.
You’ve had plenty of time (they say), to get your process straight
But the info’ we were given
Was incomplete and far too late.
We’re working all hours and having a moan
That’s ‘cos the office is our new home.
There is no rhyme or reason, or any give and take (by the EU, that is)
You’d think we’d committed treason
‘Cos our T form’s run out of date.
It’s 6 days to Greece and you only get 8
The slightest delay and you end up late.
Because…
Boris got it done
He got a free trade deal,
But it doesn’t feel that free to me
At least that how it seems, when you’re
Stuck right in the middle, between a nightmare and a dream.
You wouldn’t believe what we have to do, you ain’t got a clue
But the M20’s clear, so what’s the fuss, what’s the hullabaloo?
You knew it was coming…well…didn’t you?
Then why has every one of us, got the Brexit Customs Blues?
Now we keep getting emails, from Gov dot UK
With the missing information
We should’ve had by New Year’s Day.
Meanwhile everybody’s getting stressed
Oh what a Brexit Customs mess.
Because…
Boris got it done
I think I’m gonna’ cry
We’ve been thrown in at the deep end
We’ve been hung out to dry, now we’re
Struggling with amnesia, ‘cos our brain cells have been fried
From DDP to Traces, I don’t think that I can face it
There’s acronyms a-plenty, and we’re all running on empty
All hell has gone and broken loose; I think I’m gonna become a recluse…
I didn’t sign up for this
Not like in the old days
We’ve got the Brexit
We’ve got the Brexit
We’ve got the Brexit Customs Blues.
Phil Denton
Managing Director
Fed up, had enough, frustrated, various words (unprintable) to that effect.
But still cracking on, grinning and bearing it and taking the abuse.