European logistics — Mar 2026
What groupage (part-load) transport is
Groupage — also called part-load or LTL (less-than-truckload) transport — means a trailer carries freight from multiple shippers on the same journey, with each consignment occupying part of the trailer's capacity rather than the whole thing.
It's the road freight equivalent of not paying for an empty seat: if a shipment doesn't need a full trailer, groupage means paying for the space it actually uses.
Cost and efficiency benefits
The core benefit is straightforward — a shipment that takes up a quarter of a trailer costs roughly a quarter of what a full trailer would, rather than the full rate. For regular shippers with consistent but sub-trailer volumes, this can be significantly more cost-effective than booking dedicated full loads.
The transit-time tradeoff
A direct full-load (FTL) shipment goes from pickup to delivery with minimal stops. A groupage shipment, by definition, shares the trailer with other consignments — which usually means additional collection and delivery points along the route, and sometimes a stop at a consolidation hub to combine loads efficiently.
This isn't a downside as such, but it does mean groupage transit times are typically longer and less predictable to the hour than a dedicated FTL movement. For genuinely time-critical freight, FTL — covered in our road freight service — is usually the better fit.
Customs considerations for groupage
When a trailer carries cargo for multiple consignees, the customs declarations need to reflect that — a single trailer crossing a border with groupage cargo may need multiple separate import declarations, one per consignment, even though they're travelling together. This is normal, but it's worth understanding that 'one trailer' doesn't mean 'one declaration' when groupage is involved.
How Alvora plans groupage shipments
We plan groupage alongside full-load freight on the same European network, so a part-load shipment still benefits from our own fleet and in-house customs handling — it's the same operation, just sharing trailer space more efficiently. Get in touch with your shipment size and route, and we'll confirm whether groupage or a dedicated load makes more sense.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum shipment size for groupage?
Groupage is generally suited to shipments from a single pallet up to a partial trailer load. For anything approaching a full trailer's worth of cargo, a dedicated full-load booking is usually more straightforward and often comparable in cost.
How much longer does groupage take compared to a direct load?
It varies by route, but groupage typically takes longer than a direct FTL movement because of additional stops for other consignments. For time-critical shipments, it's worth discussing transit expectations upfront rather than assuming groupage timing matches a dedicated load.
Does groupage cargo need to be packaged differently?
Because groupage cargo travels alongside other shipments and may be handled at a consolidation point, secure palletisation and packaging matter more than for a dedicated load that won't be touched until delivery. If in doubt, ask what packaging standard is expected for the route.