FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To book an abnormal load, you need to speak to the relevant Freight office. Please ensure that you contact us well in advance as there is paperwork involved that must be submitted at least 24 hours before travel.

First, please make a booking via our freight offices in Dover or Calais, then download the Abnormal Load (Out of Gauge) form, fill it out and email it to freightops.dover@poferries.com (for shipments from Dover) or freightops.calais@poferries.com (for shipments from Calais). You need to allow 24 hours for the form to be processed, so please ensure you have sent the form to us well in advance to avoid disappointment.

The form is valid for Dover to Calais and Calais to Dover out of gauge shipments only.

Our account holders benefit from special rates across all of our routes. You will also have your own account manager who is on hand to answer any questions you have. We provide excellent customer service and have a range of driver services you and/or your staff can take advantage of. You can choose from a variety of booking and billing methods to make life easier.

On our Dover – Calais vv. route we offer a turn-up-and-go service, so no booking is required. Simply pay for the crossing and you will receive a waybill number. This is a “prelodgement” which is valid for you to travel on for 14 days.
Check out our sailing schedule for sailing times! We sail up to 30 times between Dover and Calais daily, so just show up and board the next available ferry.

When booking online, or using our app, you will receive a waybill number, and a payment confirmation email.

You can choose to book a single or return crossing. You are not limited to the number of transactions you can complete in a day, but if you are shipping frequently you may qualify for an account, contact us to find out more.

Yes, you can keep an eye on your upcoming bookings and view past bookings, and payments, on our website and on the app.

The payment methods available are Credit or Debit card.

It is really easy to make a booking:
1. Download our app or go to our website at pofreight.com
2. Register
3. Login to your account
4. Click on make a booking
5. Complete the booking process. Please note that you cannot book live animals or dangerous goods online, instead please contact the team
6. Review the quote and confirm if you would like to go ahead
7. Make your payment online and you will receive your payment confirmation and waybill reference number
8. Show up at the port within 14 days of making the payment and travel on the next available ferry

To amend a booking please contact us.

To cancel a booking, please contact us.

There are many variations of dangerous goods, please contact us for guidance and validation of shipments.

Yes – whether you are a new customer, an infrequent customer, or just making a one-off shipment, we will happily get you there. Contact us or log on to pofreight.com to find out more about using our App or website for one-off bookings.

We offer lifting facilities on the following routes: 

• Hull - Europoort
• Hull - Zeebrugge
• Teesport - Europoort
• Teesport - Zeebrugge
• Tilbury - Zeebrugge

Yes, all our routes offer plug-in facilities, except Larne-Cairnryan.

As per the MCA guidance (MGN 341 and MGN 545) we are no longer allowed to have running engines on deck due to the risk of fire. For clarification, a running fridge can only be carried as long as the refrigerator system is independent of the vehicle drive engine and on the following routes only: Dublin - Liverpool, Larne - Cairnryan, Tilbury - Zeebrugge and Dover - Calais.

Vehicle engines cannot be left running to operate the system, on board the vessel. If your vehicle has been equipped with an independent power supply for the fridge or heater, it is permitted to park the vehicle on the open deck (weather deck) area. All plug-in and open-deck requirements must be notified at the check-in and are subject to availability.

Yes. Drivers are served food on all our services, for Larne-Cairnryan and Dover-Calais at discounted prices, on the rest of the routes we offer complimentary dinner and breakfast.

Yes, we provide accommodation on all of our overnight routes which are - Liverpool - Dublin, Hull - Zeebrugge, Hull - Europoort, Teesport - Europoort, Teesport - Zeebrugge and Tilbury - Zeebrugge. 

You will still be checked in on the next available crossing, unless you are carrying restricted goods* or specify that you wish to travel on your booked crossing.

*Please see Q6 for restricted goods.

Yes, if you have a preference, you can specify when you reach check-in which operator you would prefer to travel with, you will then be booked on to the next available sailing for that specific operator.

Yes, shipments containing any of the following must travel with the operator they have booked with:

- Livestock

- Hazardous

- Out of Gauge (Wide Loads etc.)

- Plug-ins

- Hanging Meat

General Shipments: 30 minutes prior to the sailing departure.

No, you can book on arrival and pay cash to ship on the next available sailing.

You can get in touch with us to set up an account by:

Calling our freight accounts help line during office hours on +44 (0)1304 863 875

Emailing freightsupport@poferries.com to discuss account options.

Registering online at www.pofreight.com.

Yes, if all necessary Pet Travel documents have been provided and guidelines have been followed.

After you create a pre-lodgement (booking) to travel with P&O Freight then a waybill number (booking reference) will be created.

The Travel Wallet is only available on the P&O Freight website via the web booking portal and is free of charge for both cash and credit customers.

At present the Travel Wallet is only available on the P&O Freight website and customers will need to log in via the web booking portal to use this service. There are plans to make the service available to EDI customers via the EDI service and we will let you know when this becomes available.

At present the Travel Wallet is only available on our Calais ⇌ Dover route. However, a GMR and/or PBN can be added against a booking made on the Liverpool to Dublin / Dublin to Liverpool routes on the P&O Freight web booking portal for credit customers.

The Travel Wallet only requires you to add a GMR or MRN reference codes. If a TAD (Transit Accompanying Document) is also necessary, then this can be added into the MRN panel. The additional panels on the Travel Wallet are there to remind you that you may need additional documents for the relevant customs authorities. It is your responsibility to ensure that drivers have all the necessary documents before they reach the border.

A GMR (Goods Movement Reference) allows the collation of custom declarations, transit declarations and any safety & security declaration references, required by the UK authorities, under one reference number for each goods movement into or out of the UK under the pre-lodgement model.

No documentation is included within the barcode. All document reference numbers need to be added into the Travel Wallet via the P&O Freight web booking portal and also carried by the drivers when travelling with their goods through check-in.

o If you are exporting into the EU, you will require a GMR.

o If you are importing into the UK, you will require a GMR.

o You can use the Travel Wallet to identify which documents are required for each movement based on the goods being shipped and its final destination.

o You can then use it to verify the relevant reference codes and save the digital paperwork in the tool, generating one barcode that can be used by drivers at check-in.

CARGOES is a sister company to P&O Ferries and through the Travel Wallet you can access the full range of CARGOES BEEMS Border Management Products – a set of four Brexit easing products designed to help you save time, money and stress.

As part of the process of creating a Travel Wallet, add the contact email or telephone number of anyone (up to a maximum of five) you wish to receive the Travel Wallet barcode and customs statuses. The custom statuses will then automatically be sent to these contacts as your goods go through the sailing process.