What is Groupage Transport?
There are many various types of freight transport services and it can be confusing when choosing which best suits you and your business. In this article we will be looking at groupage transport solutions, what they are, and when they are likely to be used.
What are groupage transport solutions?
Groupage services are a type of freight forwarding service that consists of goods that are grouped together but dispatched by several different companies within the same load. This type of shipping is also referred to as Less than Container Goods (LCL) or Less than Truckload (LTL), it can also be referred to as part load transport or a ‘consolidation’.
This kind of part load service is used when the company shipping goods does not have a sufficient full truck load or container to full capacity. This means that group freight companies specialising in groupage services can offer the space in their truck to multiple companies at the same time.
What are the Benefits of Choosing a Groupage Service Provider?
For companies who wish to send small amounts of goods at a time, Groupage Transport solutions offer many benefits and advantages. It offers the company a way to save on shipping costs as they share the overall freight forwarding costs with the other senders.
Groupage services also offer more straightforward options for shipping to multiple destinations. With a wider range of itineraries, there are fewer complications than with full load transport solutions or larger loads can entail.
Of course there are conditions to this kind of freight management service, and in order to offer a flexible offering, senders must be willing to be flexible too. One of the specifics of groupage services is that shipping can take slightly longer as the load makes multiple stops to various destinations.
When would one use groupage services?
- When the load being shipped is not enough to fill a full truckload
- Despatch times are more flexible and not reliant on solid deadlines
- Goods can be loaded on to one or more pallets
- If you aim to dispatch goods to multiple countries
Overall a groupage service provider can offer an alternative to standard freight forwarding and pallet delivery options by grouping together with other senders. Groupage services can also positively impact your carbon footprint, and provide an economic mode of pallet delivery which can lower costs and offer significant savings for your business.