Haulage Company
Useful Information about Freight Transportation within Europe
Trailers that transport cargo across Europe can be anything between 7.92m and 16.15m in length (as much as 53 feet), and therfore require an inordinate amount of freight to fill and make economical to run. Aside from using parcel couriers for individual items, the alternative to a full truck load for most shippers is Less than Truck Load (LTL) shipping. This is the transportation of relatively small freight, usually between 68kg and 9 metric tonnes.
Transit times for LTL freight can be longer than for full truckload freight (FTL). This is because the times are not directly related to the distance between the shipper and consignee, but rather upon the network of terminals and hubs that are operated by the carrier. LTL carriers collect freight from a number of customers, which is then consolidated into trailers for delivery to a hub or terminal. Here the freight will be further sorted and consolidated for additional journeys.
Not all LTL shipments travel by truck alone. LTL carriers rely on ships, rail or air to forward some freight toward its destination. Because LTL shipments may be handled several times during its journey, LTL carriers tend to prefer shipments with the least number of handling units possible; a pallet containing items shrink wrapped together to form a single unit, rather than many individual pieces is preferable. This reduces handling costs and the risk of damage during transit.
The main advantage to using an LTL carrier is that a shipment may be transported for a fraction of the cost of hiring an entire truck and trailer for an exclusive shipment. A number of ancilliary services are also available from LTL carriers, that are not typically offered by FTL carriers, including liftgate service at pickup or delivery, "non-commercial" pickup or delivery.
Efret European Transportation
Specialist Haulage Company for European Road Freight Transportation with decades of experience in the European Haulage business. Ambient and Refrigerated Full Load Road Freight Services and Express Transport Services for trade and industry between all 27 EU Member States.
Freight Transport Statistics
An article which presents information on freight transport in the European Union (EU). It includes road, rail, air, maritime and inland waterways transport modes.
International Transport Forum
The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 54 member countries. It acts as a strategic think tank for transport policy and help shape the transport policy agenda.
HMRC Freight Transport Guide
The HM Revenue & Customs freight transport and related services documentation explains in detail the VAT liability of freight transport and related services.