Choose the transport service

There are several ways you can ship a pallet:

• Groupage: this is the most commonly used method, also known as ABC transport. Book today (day A), load tomorrow (day B) and deliver the day after tomorrow (day C). Please note that both collection and delivery are not guaranteed. This is based on availability. In short: if the carrier has a daily trip to a destination and the truck is full, the shipment remains until the next trip. Most groupage carriers collect the shipment locally, after which pallets for the same destination are bundled and driven to a destination via a truck (linehaul). Here the shipment is again transported locally to the recipient. 

• Express: these are fast deliveries where the shipment is sometimes even picked up on the same day and delivered the next day. These are often carriers such as TNT/Fedex, DHL Express and UPS.

Of course, each carrier has its own specialty. There are several things that you should take into account when choosing the transport service:

• Network: there are very few carriers that can do just about anything. Most carriers have a regional or national focus or focus on a certain group of countries or even one specific country. For example an Eastern Europe specialist or a France specialist. Because shipments are collected locally, bundled per destination and then transported locally, communication between the carriers is very important. At each handover moment, the need for additional communication arises if something does not go well. In addition, noise is created faster because the carrier has to request information such as the location of the shipment from the partner. 

• Speed ​​of delivery: a shipment that has to be quickly to the other side of the world can best be sent with an Express network. The transit time of a shipment is important if the recipient wants the shipment quickly. There are various options such as a direct ride (Sameday), Nextday (Express) or Groupage. 

• Dimensions and weights: each carrier has a preference for a certain size and weight of a pallet. Surcharges are often applied for pallets that are outside the ideal size of the carrier. Usually these surcharges have to do with the length, width, height or weight of the pallet. To avoid surcharges, it is smart to choose a carrier where the specifications of your shipment fall within the standard of this carrier.

If you do not use the standard pallet size, many carriers have a rate calculation based on loading meters. This is the floor space that the pallet takes up in the truck and is calculated as follows:

Multiply the length (in meters) of the pallet by the width (in meters) of the pallet and divide by 2,4 meters (the maximum width of a truck).

For example: the size of a Euro pallet is 1,2 m in length and 0,8 m in width. 1,2 x 0,8 / 2,4 = 0,4 loading meters. A block pallet is 0,5 loading meters.

Express carriers use the term current and volumetric weight. The current weight is the measured or weighed weight. This is the weight if you put the shipment on a scale. The volumetric weight is a bit more complex to calculate:

length of the package (cm) x width of the package (cm) x weight (kg) of the package ÷ volumetric divider. 

This volumetric weight sharer often differs per carrier and service. For example, an 80 x 50 x 35 package with a volumetric weight divider of 5000 has a volumetric weight of 28 kg.

Usually the carrier uses the heaviest weight. So if the volumetric weight is 28 kg and the measured weight is 20 kg, the carrier will charge 28 kg. The volumetric weight is used by the carrier, because the transport of, for example, a kg of springs in an enormously large package is more expensive for the carrier than a XNUMX kg brick in a small package.

• Number of shipments to the same address: most carriers give a discount if you have multiple shipments delivered to the same recipient at the same time. You must book these shipments at the same time. Please note that many carriers such as DHL eCommerce NL take a maximum number of pallet shipments per day. Fortunately, Wuunder also has a solution for entire trucks or Full Truckload (FTL) and Less Than Truckload (LTL).

• Not stackable: Please specify when booking whether the pallet is stackable or not. When the pallet is stackable, you usually receive a discount. If a pallet is not stackable, you usually pay for the full height of the truck (180-220 cm). Prevent something from being put on your pallet by placing an empty box on the pallet. Also indicate with stickers that the pallet is 'NON STACKABLE'. Stick these stickers on all sides.

• Pick-up: the pick-up of a pallet is usually included in the cost. Pallet carriers usually pick up an occasional shipment on the next business day. Express carriers often arrive on the same day. The time until which you can pick up a shipment the same day varies per location. The further you are from a depot of the carrier, the sooner you have to register the shipment. 

• Choices for the recipient: it is not common in the transport of pallets that the recipient has the possibility to influence the delivery date. It is common, however, that when booking the service, the sender chooses an extra service such as delivery before 12 noon or delivery with priority. 

• Business or private recipients: there are carriers that do not deliver to private individuals such as DHL eCommerce in the Netherlands. Often extra costs are charged when delivering to a residential area. This is often caused by the fact that it is almost impossible to deliver with trucks and the delivery takes more time. The larger business recipients have access to a loading/unloading pit, which means that a truck with a tail lift is not required. If the recipient does not have this facility, it must be indicated when booking that a tail lift is required. This is not common for international transports. Usually carriers apply extra costs for this.
  Please note that the delivery date is not guaranteed. If the recipient is not present, costs for a second delivery will be charged. Is the receiver closed on Mondays or not present at other times? When booking, make sure you choose a carrier that makes an appointment with the recipient. This is not common in pallet transport and results in a substantial surcharge. If the carrier has to keep the shipment until a suitable delivery time, it will charge storage costs for this.

• Green: there are few freight carriers that deliver CO2 neutrally. Only a few transporters compensate the emissions by planting trees or buying off the emissions. It is also quite unusual to use electric or LNG vehicles for the delivery of pallets. 

• Return options: Picking up pallets abroad is often possible at business addresses. In exceptional cases, pick-up is also made from consumers at an additional cost. 

We are happy to help you make the right choice. Click here for an overview of pallet carriers. Or ask here an offer.