LTL: Transporting partial loads by truck

LTL (less-than-truck load) is perfect for smaller shipments. Our trucks pick up your goods and deliver them to multiple destinations. With smart route planning, we make the most of the space available, ensuring efficient and cost-effective transport, even if your shipment only fills part of the capacity.

Rhenus truck on the road

Tailored transport for smaller shipments with LTL

Most types of goods can be transported using LTL trucking, regardless of their weight, size or special requirements. You pay only for the space on the truck that is actually used by your goods. In LTL shipping, the consolidated shipments are transported directly to their respective recipients without intermediate storage at the Rhenus hub.

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Your benefits with less-than-truck loads

Freight consolidation offers better shipping rates and minimizes costs as partial shipments are consolidated in one truck and directly transported to the point of use.

Benefit from shorter delivery times since you alone are not responsible for filling the truck to capacity.

LTL offers you a great deal of flexibility for your individual needs, but also lets you react flexibly to the needs of your customers.

Sharing a truck reduces your environmental impact along the supply chain.

Why choose Rhenus as your partner for LTL

  • With our international partner network and daily truck routes, we ensure your shipments arrive fast and dependably.
  • Take advantage of our one-stop services, from consulting to customs services, to save time and money.
  • With years of experience in transporting goods with special requirements, such as temperature-controlled goods or time-sensitive shipments, we handle these tasks with ease.
  • Our customer service and online delivery tracking keep you up to date on your shipment – every step of the way and around the clock.

Your value-added services for LTL trucking

Customs officer

Customs clearance

No matter where your shipment is headed, we’re here to guide you through each country’s regulations. With the support of the global Rhenus Group and our close connections with local authorities, we ensure your shipment meets all customs requirements and passes customs smoothly. Our services include customs and fiscal assistance, bonded warehousing, foreign trade consulting and AEO certification.

Tons with dangerous goods

Dangerous goods

At our business sites, our dedicated Dangerous Goods Officers train our team to handle hazardous items securely, monitor transport operations and ensure compliance with all national and international safety regulations. We use the Safety & Quality Assessment System (SQAS) to guarantee the safety and quality of our services. Our offerings include handling dangerous goods (ADR), limited quantities (LQ), excepted quantities (EQ) and temperature-controlled transport.

Temperature control system

Temperature-controlled transport

We specialize in transporting temperature-sensitive goods like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paint and lacquer, adhesives and foils. The Rhenus Group uses thermal vehicles that offer several advantages, including air-conditioned thermal swap bodies, cooling and heating systems powered by diesel or electricity, and advanced technology for recording and monitoring in order to ensure consistent temperatures throughout the journey.

Business people negotating

Transport insurance

Freight forwarders have limited liability for international shipments, i.e. compensation for any damage or loss is usually much lower than the actual value of the goods. For your protection against potential costs, we recommend additional insurance coverage. Options like “All risks” insurance, customized transport insurance policies or long-term shipping insurance can provide peace of mind and financial protection.

Rhenus Truck getting filled at a warehouse

Express shipment

Our express services offer personalized solutions for all your shipping needs. No matter the weight or size, we ensure your shipment arrives on time at your chosen destination. Our offerings include courier services, direct deliveries and special solutions for both full and partial loads.

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Digital services

Take advantage of our online tools to access your shipment information anytime. With our track & trace feature, you can see every step of your shipment’s journey, down to the truck, shipment and package details. Our user-friendly Rhenus WebOrder tool lets you book shipments anytime and enjoy a variety of additional services.

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Save on the cost of transporting your goods now!

Our LTL trucking experts are just a click away. Together we will find the best solution for you.

Frequently asked questions

Groupage can be described as a combination of multiple LTL shipments on one truck from different companies, while LTL is used when goods from one company do not completely fill the available truck space and are therefore consolidated for the sake of better shipping rates and minimized costs.

LTL stands for less-than-truck load. Consider this option if you don’t have enough goods to fill an entire truck but want to share space for greater efficiency and less waiting time. LTL shipping saves you money while giving you the flexibility you need.

With FTL, you need to pay for the entire truck. It is advisable to have enough goods to ship when booking this option as the loading space is reserved exclusively for your goods. LTL allows for more flexibility tailored specifically to your needs. With LTL, time-sensitive shipments can be transported without having to wait until you can fill an entire truck yourself.

Transit time may be longer than with FTL because shipments may have to make multiple stops. In addition, LTL loads may be handled several times during transit.

The price for LTL trucking depends largely on the route and the shipping quantity. Other factors, such as express shipping, also influence the price.

The Rhenus partner portal for freight forwarders

Partnership rhe-loaded

A RHE-X partnership offers various types of collaboration. You choose the ones that suit you best. Being a permanent RHE-X partner gives you the security to accurately plan the utilization of your fleet.

Visit rhe-x.com