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Trucks heading for the English port of Dover are reportedly stacked for miles, just three weeks before Britain leaves the European Union.
Images from Reuters showed queues of trucks snaking on the night horizon.
There was a queue in front of the Eurotunnel freight entrance, but the main corridor was on the approach to the Port of Dover terminal.
Logistics groups have reported a surge in demand from companies trying to bring spare parts, goods and food into the country before Britain leaves the single market and the EU customs union, a move that is expected to further cause more upheavals in January.
Highways England said there were large volumes of freight traffic heading towards the Port of Dover.
He said trucks had been stacked along some roads to prevent the port from being overwhelmed.
The British government has warned that even with a trade deal, 7,000 trucks heading to Channel ports in south-east England could be in queues of 100km if companies don’t prepare the required additional paperwork.
Meanwhile, members of the House of Lords have raised concerns about the lack of facilities for truck drivers who need to “answer the call of the wild” if they fall short in post-Brexit traffic jams near the ports.
The lack of sanitary facilities on the road is just one indicator that the UK is not ready for the expiration of the Brexit transition period at the end of the month, according to the Lords EU Sub-Committee on Goods.
The chair of the subcommittee, Baroness Verma, said: “Has the government really considered how and where drivers, who may be stuck in long lines, will respond to the call of nature or take legally required breaks?”
The British government has been drawing up contingency plans to control truck traffic in and out of UK ports from 1 January amid warnings of major robberies.
In a letter to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, the subcommittee said: “The necessary technological, physical and welfare arrangements that must be implemented in time to avoid or mitigate a significant disruption in the import and export of goods after the final of the transition period is not in place. “
The committee claims that five test sessions it held last month showed that IT systems crucial to dealing with customs declarations and access to Kent are still in testing and may not be ready by the end of the transition.
He said traffic management plans are vulnerable to closures, while facilities for drivers “are inadequate and will have serious legal, safety and welfare implications for those caught in what may be delayed queues.”
The committee heard that animal welfare issues can arise for vehicles transporting livestock if they are stuck in queues for too long.
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