What is Groupage?
Logistics is in motion all the time. This means that companies operating in this industry cannot stand still either. Constant development is necessary to provide customers with solutions that will meet all their needs. Sounds like a cliché? Not at all! That is why at Coyote Logistics we are working non-stop to expand our portfolio of services in Europe, so that we can provide shippers with a comprehensive package of solutions tailored to the volume of their loads and the frequency of their shipments. The latest addition in our offer is groupage service.
How to define groupage?
The best way to define groupage is to compare it with full truckload, because in both cases, loads –placed on pallets –are moved using semi-trailers, usually of the tarpaulin type (or frigo, when the load must be transported in controlled temperature conditions) with a length of 13.6 m.
In the case of full truckload, one shipper books the entire cargo space on the semi-trailer for their cargo. However, this does not mean that a trailer has to be fully loaded every time. Sometimes, the type of cargo being transported requires to choose, for safety reasons, a full truckload mode, albeit without covering the whole available cargo space. The essence of full truckload is that the load shipped by one customer is delivered to one or more destinations with only one truck that only carries this one specific load.
When it comes to the groupage service, pallet loads are grouped (hence the name) on one semi-trailer, the transport of which is commissioned by several different shippers. The customer can send a load of 1 to 6 pallets. One truck delivers these loads to their destinations, and the route is arranged so that it is carried out in the most optimal (route based on the most efficient order of each destination) way.
Who is the groupage for?
Groupage is a solution especially recommended for shippers who send –as mentioned –loads of up to 6 pallets, and their goods are more durable (or are properly packaged) in the event of additional handling during transport.
This mode of transport should be particularly interesting to those companies for which optimization of transport costs is a priority, not transit time.
In groupage, the shipper pays only for the cargo space that will actually be occupied by the pallets sent on the semi-trailer, which means lower transport costs. Shippers must remember that the transit time of their loads will be longer than in the case of a full-truck solution, because before the truck sets off on the road, it is necessary to wait until the semi-trailer is fully loaded with pallets sent by other customers, and once this is done, on the way there may be several stops (places of delivery of each load). At the same time, the loads are grouped on the truck in such a way that their destination points are as close as possible to each other or that they all go to one recipient (e.g. to a logistics center). There is also a possibility that before the loads reach the recipient, they will be reloaded several times on the way to other trucks. However, they will never be split.
And what if you want to ship 1 –10 pallets, delivery time is crucial for you, but you don’t want to choose full truckload service? Then we have another solution in our portfolio which perfectly suits your request: Express Van service.
Benefits of groupage
We have already mentioned cost savings. What are the other benefits of the groupage transport service? Also worth mentioning is the avoidance of the need to split the load, which would occur if the load was transported by several smaller vehicles. Groupage also reduces the risk of damage or loss of part of the load.
Groupage is also distinguished by one more aspect: its positive impact on increasing the sustainability of road transport. Groupage allows better utilization of truck capacity. Instead of several vehicles delivering several loads, only one goes on the route, which helps to reduce the carbon footprint in road transport.
The role of Coyote Logistics in groupage
If you want to send your loads via groupage transport, Coyote logistics experts will take care of the organization and coordination of the entire transport process: from collecting loads, through grouping them on one truck and delivery to the destination. The fact that you send only a few pallets does not matter to us, because we always treat each order, regardless of the size of the load, with the highest commitment, ensuring the highest quality of service.
Groupage: this is what you need to remember
- Logistic service for shippers sending smaller loads (from 1 to 6 pallets).
- Loads moved by several shippers are grouped on one semi-trailer.
- Focus on cost savings, not transit time.
- Sustainable solution (depending on the load size).