SERVICE · LTL · GROUPAGE · UK ↔ FR
Less-than-truckload freight on a scheduled groupage run.
A part-load (LTL — less than truckload) is your consignment sharing trailer space with other consignors moving on the same lane. We consolidate at our hub, run the trailer to France, and break the load at the French side for onward delivery. You pay for the space you take, not for a whole trailer.
WHAT IT IS
Part load / groupage (LTL).
- Per-pallet, per-skid or per-loading-metre pricing
- Trailer space shared with other consignors moving on the same lane
- Consolidation handled at the UK hub before the Channel crossing
- Break-bulk at the French side; onward delivery into the consignee network
- Scheduled groupage cadence (typically weekly per lane)
BEST FOR
When this mode is the right call.
- Consignments below a full load — typically 1 to 14 pallets
- Regular, repeating shippers who do not need a dedicated trailer each time
- Lower-frequency lanes where waiting for the groupage run is acceptable
- Cost-conscious shippers — LTL is the most economical mode for sub-FTL volumes
NOT IDEAL WHEN
- Time-critical consignments that cannot wait for the groupage schedule (use express)
- High-sensitivity freight that should not be handled at a consolidation hub (use FTL)
- Multi-drop into the wider French network (use the pallet network)
OPERATING SPEC
The numbers we operate to.
HOW THE CONSIGNMENT MOVES
From booking to POD.
Brief and quote
Send pallet count, weight, dimensions, commodity codes and consignor / consignee addresses. Quote returned per pallet or per loading-metre with a confirmed groupage departure.
Customs prep
Individual EAD per consignment under a consolidated trailer manifest. Each consignee gets their own French import declaration; the customs trail is consignor-specific even though the trailer is shared.
Collection to UK hub
Consignor pallet(s) collected and brought into the UK hub. Pallets are labelled with the booking file ref and held against the next groupage departure.
Consolidation and seal
Trailer loaded at the hub against the manifest. Loading order optimised by drop sequence on the French side. Trailer sealed for the Channel crossing.
Channel crossing
GMR generated for the consolidated trailer. Driver presents at the port with GMR, manifest, and ferry/tunnel booking.
French break-bulk
Trailer arrives at the French hub. Customs declarations cleared per consignment. Pallets broken to onward delivery — direct delivery, or into the French distribution network for multi-drop consignees.
POD reconciliation
Per-consignee POD returned against the booking file ref. Invoicing per consignor; the consolidation is invisible to the end customer.
Brief us on the part load / groupage (ltl) run.
Send route, volume, frequency and target arrival window — we'll come back with a rate, a customs plan, and a realistic cadence.
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