Partial load — groupage, LTL, or part load depending on who you ask — means your consignment shares a vehicle with others and you pay for the space you occupy rather than the whole trailer. For anything below a full truck it is usually the difference between shipping economically and not shipping at all.
The trade-off is handling. Your goods are consolidated at origin, travel with other consignments, and are separated again at destination. That costs time and introduces touch points. Understanding where those sit is what makes groupage predictable rather than frustrating.
How the price is calculated
Groupage is charged on chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight and a volume-derived figure. Two conventions are common on European road freight:
- Loading metre (LDM). The length of trailer floor your goods occupy across the full width. One loading metre is conventionally treated as roughly 1,750 kg.
- Volumetric weight. Cubic metres converted at a stated ratio, commonly around 1 m³ to 333 kg on road groupage.
The consequence is that light bulky freight is charged on space, not mass. A pallet of packaging material and a pallet of machined parts can cost the same to move even though one weighs five times the other. This is why packaging dimensions matter — see shipping rates.
Where the extra days go
| Stage | Full load | Groupage |
|---|---|---|
| Collection to departure | Same or next day | 1–2 days, awaiting consolidation |
| Line haul | Direct | Direct, same vehicle |
| Arrival to delivery | Direct to consignee | 1–2 days, deconsolidation and local round |
| Handling events | None in transit | Two, at each hub |
So the honest answer to "how much slower is groupage" is usually two to four days, concentrated at the two ends rather than on the road.
When to switch to a full load
Around 15 tonnes or 20 pallets
Above this the arithmetic usually favours a full truck, which is also faster and avoids handling entirely.
Fragile or high-value goods
Two handling events mean two opportunities for damage. Below the volume threshold, FTL can still be the right call.
Fixed delivery windows
Groupage delivery depends on the wider local round, so exact slots are harder to guarantee than with a dedicated vehicle.
Consolidate instead
If you buy from several Turkish suppliers, consolidating in Türkiye can turn several part loads into one full load at your cost, not the carrier's.
Packing for groupage
Groupage rewards good packing more than any other mode, because your goods will be stacked next to and under other people's. Practical points that genuinely reduce cost and damage:
- Palletise wherever possible. Loose cartons are handled individually and are far more likely to be damaged or mislaid.
- Use Euro pallet dimensions. Loading areas and hub racking are built around them; odd footprints waste paid-for space.
- Make loads stackable. A pallet that cannot be stacked occupies the full height above it, and you pay for that volume.
- Do not overhang the pallet. Overhanging goods get damaged at the edges and prevent tight loading.
- Label every pallet. Consignee, reference and piece count on at least two sides.
Customs on groupage
Each consignment is cleared on its own documents, so your paperwork must be complete regardless of who else is on the vehicle. There is one practical implication worth knowing: a document problem on another consignment can occasionally delay the whole vehicle. This is uncommon, but it is a structural difference from a dedicated load, and it is another reason we check documents before loading rather than at the border — see customs clearance.
Related services
- Road freight — equipment, corridors and border detail
- Customs clearance — export and import procedures
- Warehousing — consolidation before the main leg
- Shipping rates — how the price is built up
- Freight forwarding — the full service overview
Frequently asked questions
How is partial load pricing calculated?
On chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight and a volume-derived figure. European road groupage commonly uses loading metres — the trailer floor length your goods occupy, conventionally about 1,750 kg per loading metre — or a volumetric conversion of roughly 1 cubic metre to 333 kg. Light bulky freight is therefore charged on the space it occupies rather than its mass.
How much slower is groupage than a full truck?
Typically two to four days, and the extra time sits at the two ends rather than on the road. Expect one to two days at origin awaiting consolidation and one to two at destination for deconsolidation and the local delivery round. The line haul itself is the same vehicle travelling the same route.
At what point should I book a full truck instead?
As a rule of thumb around 15 tonnes or 20 pallet spaces, where the arithmetic starts to favour a dedicated vehicle that is also faster. Below that threshold a full load can still make sense for fragile or high-value goods, since groupage involves two handling events, or where the consignee operates a fixed delivery slot that is hard to guarantee on a shared round.
Does my packing affect the price?
Considerably, more than in any other mode. Palletised, stackable loads on Euro pallet dimensions without overhang use paid-for space efficiently and survive handling. Loose cartons, non-stackable pallets and overhanging goods all cost more — a pallet that cannot be stacked means you pay for the volume above it as well.
Can another shipment on the vehicle delay mine?
It is uncommon but structurally possible, because a customs problem with one consignment can hold the vehicle. Each consignment clears on its own documents, so your paperwork being correct is what you control. This is one of the reasons we verify documents before loading rather than discovering issues at the border, and it is a genuine difference from a dedicated load.