Road freight in Germany and the EU
Full and part truckloads within Germany and across the EU, and onward delivery of containers and air cargo from the port or airport to your door.
FTL or LTL
The standard vehicle is a 13.6 m curtain-sider trailer. It takes 33 Euro pallets on the floor and a payload of around 24 tonnes.
The whole trailer
The truck carries only your goods and drives straight from loading point to delivery point. No reloading on the way, so it is quicker and the cargo is handled less.
Part of a trailer
Your pallets share the truck with other consignments and usually pass through one or more depots. You pay for the space you use, and transit takes a little longer.
Where we run
We arrange road transport within Germany and across the EU, working with partner carriers in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. A large part of the work is onward delivery: containers and unpacked LCL cargo from the Port of Hamburg, and air cargo from German airports. See sea freight to Hamburg and air freight to Germany.
- Within Germany
- Typically 1 to 2 days.
- Germany to neighbouring countries
- Typically 2 to 4 days.
The CMR consignment note
International road transport in Europe runs under the CMR Convention, and the document that goes with it is the CMR consignment note. It names the sender, the carrier and the consignee, describes the goods and records where they were collected and where they are going.
The note is evidence of the contract of carriage. It is issued in three originals: one for the sender, one that travels with the goods and one for the carrier. The consignee signs it on delivery, and any visible damage or shortage should be written on it at that moment.
Crossing borders
Inside the EU, Union goods (goods made in the EU or already cleared for import) move without customs formalities.
T1 transit
Goods that have not been cleared yet can still travel. They move under the T1 transit procedure, which keeps them under customs control with duty and import VAT suspended until they are declared at a customs office at destination.
UK, Switzerland and Norway
These countries are outside the EU customs territory. Shipments to or from them need an export declaration on one side and an import declaration on the other. We handle the German side. See customs clearance in Germany.
Practical loading details
- Euro pallet
- 120 x 80 cm.
- Industrial pallet
- 120 x 100 cm.
- Loading metre
- One metre of trailer length across the full width of about 2.4 m. LTL is often priced on it. A Euro pallet that can’t be stacked takes 0.4 loading metres, an industrial pallet 0.5.
- Tail lift
- On request, for addresses without a loading dock or forklift.
- Dangerous goods
- On request. They travel under ADR, the European agreement on carrying dangerous goods by road, with trained drivers and equipped vehicles.
What affects planning
Two sets of rules shape every road schedule. EU drivers’ hours rules limit daily driving to nine hours as a rule, with a 45-minute break after four and a half hours at the wheel. A long run therefore needs an overnight rest or a second driver.
Germany also bans trucks over 7.5 tonnes from the roads on Sundays and public holidays, for most of the day. Public holidays differ between federal states. A shipment collected on a Friday afternoon may not move again until Monday, so tell us early if a delivery date is fixed.
From request to delivery
Request
You send addresses, pallet count, dimensions, weight and the loading date.
Quote and booking
We reply with an itemised quote and, once you confirm, book the truck with a partner carrier.
Collection
The driver loads at the agreed time and signs the consignment note.
Delivery
The consignee checks the goods and signs for them. We send you the proof of delivery.
A standard trailer, seen from above
Up to about 33 Euro pallets (120 x 80 cm)
Whole pallets only. The carrier's loading plan decides what really fits.
Common questions about road freight
How many pallets fit on a truck?
A standard 13.6 m trailer takes 33 Euro pallets or 26 industrial pallets on the floor, within a payload of around 24 tonnes.
When does a full truck make more sense than LTL?
Once a shipment fills a large part of the trailer, a full truck is often cheaper as well as quicker. We quote both if you’re close.
Do I need customs documents for transport inside the EU?
Not for Union goods. Goods that haven’t been cleared yet travel under a T1 transit declaration.
Can you deliver to an address without a loading dock?
Yes. Tell us when you ask for the quote and we’ll book a vehicle with a tail lift.
Get a road freight quote
Send us the collection and delivery addresses, the pallet count and the weight. You’ll hear from us within 24 business hours.
Request a quote