Up to 150 lorries will be sent from Manston Airport to Dover during rush hour on Monday in a test to see if Britain is ready for a no deal Brexit.
The exercise will test the idea of using Manston as a huge lorry park if a no deal causes congestion at Dover because of delays sending goods to Calais.
In a letter to hauliers DfT and Kent County Council officials revealed they would run tests during the morning rush hour at 8am, and again at 11am, to 'establish the safest optimum release rate of HGVs' from the airfield to Dover along the A256.
It said it would pay for 100-150 hauliers from the local area to take part in the test of Operation Brock. Up to 6,000 lorries could be parked on the site under the plan.
Congestion at the Channel ports caused by the reintroduction of customs checks on goods has been one of the most commonly cited negative impacts of a no-deal withdrawal from the EU at the end of March.
In the event of congestion, lorries will first be parked on the M20 under Operation Stack in a similar way to when bad weather or strikes close the Dover-Calais route. Once that is full as far as Ashford, trucks would be sent to Manston.
Up to 150 lorries will be sent from Manston Airport to Dover during rush hour on Monday in a test to see if Britain is ready for a no deal Brexit (pictured are lorries at check-in at Dover)
Under no deal plans, lorries would first be parked on the M20 to Ashford before being diverted to Manston Airfield (pictured)
The news came after it was reported that Theresa May was due to speak with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday as she seeks added flexibility in the Withdrawal Agreement.
MPs are due to debate the PM's Brexit deal on Wednesday ahead of a meaningful vote the following week but the EU has yet to offer any changes.
A DfT spokeswoman said: 'We do not want or expect a no-deal scenario and continue to work hard to deliver a deal with the EU.
'However, it is the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for all eventualities and contingencies, including a possible no deal.
'We will be testing part of Operation Brock to
