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In Europe, Less Truck Load (LTL) shipments account for a quarter of the entire freight market. To learn the secret to success in groupage shipments and uncover the hidden difficulties of organizing them, we talked with AsstrA Group Transport Department Acting Head Justas Cibulskas.
Justas, let's start with the basics. What are the minimum and maximum weights of goods that can be shipped in packaged lots?
For AsstrA clients, we accept LTL cargo weighing anywhere from a few grams in an envelope up to 21 tons. The rules are slightly different in the EU, where the total groupage cargo limit is 24 tons, and in the CIS, where the limit is 21 tons. That means a load weighing 21 tons in Poland can take on another 3 tons of cargo. In Russia, that would be impossible. AsstrA Group experts are always looking for the best solutions for clients.
What should be noted when placing a groupage cargo transport order? What are the key stages of transportation?
When organizing LTL transportation, all details matter. Accurate cargo sizes and weights and appropriate packing method are all very important for successful groupage shipment planning. Depending on how the goods are loaded into the machine – from above, from the side, or from behind – the placement of the goods is decided. We should keep in mind that cargo packing equipment may have different sizes. For example, a wooden euro pallet has a size of 800 × 1200 × 145 mm, while a FIN-pallet is 1000 × 1200 × 145 mm. The 200 mm difference may be critical at the consolidation stage. Modular transportation planning can be compared to the well-known game of Tetris: you need to accurately determine the parameters of the cargo and effectively use all the available space. Accurate loading planning and efficient use of literally every square centimeter allows you to provide customers with favorable rates.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of transport?
The main advantage of groupage transportation is more attractive pricing because costs are split among several shippers. In comparison, in Full Truck Load (FTL) shipments, one client pays for the full load throughout the entire journey. The main disadvantage is the time required for transportation. In a standard groupage project, goods are collected in a partner warehouse. Then AsstrA experts consolidate the goods going to the same destination in one truck. Then follows door-to-door delivery in which the goods are reloaded into smaller trucks and delivered to the customers.
What categories of cargoes are usually transported as groupage?
LTL is appropriate for most products with the right dimensions and weights. AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG experts organize delivery of groupage cargoes to / from the CIS, the Baltic countries, Poland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. This method of transportation is chosen by those customers who want to deliver small, non-urgent cargo. If you are wondering whether a groupage shipment is right for you, please consult with a transport and logistics services specialist like AsstrA. Our experts offer corporate clients several transportation options from which they can choose the best according to their needs.