Deliveries to a construction site: truck schedule and unloading

Order of arrival and the assembly sequence

The order of arrival follows the order in which the site builds. The first truck brings what the crew installs first. Each later truck brings the next stage. A site usually has little storage space, so a truck should bring only what the crew uses next. Plan the trucks backwards from the assembly sequence.

As an illustration, take a solar park. The crew mounts the frames first, then fixes the modules on them, then connects the inverters and cables. So the frames arrive first, the module pallets follow, and the inverters and cable drums come last. The figure shows this order with one unloading slot per truck.

Before the first truck, agree each item in the table with the right party. With these answers, we set a loading date for each truck so it can reach its slot.

Unloading slots and site working hours

An unloading slot is the time window in which the site unloads one truck. Book one slot per truck, inside the site’s working hours, with time for the unloading itself. Leave a gap between two trucks if the site has one machine. Tell us each slot when you book, so every driver knows it before the truck leaves.

Check the calendar on the route as well as on the site. Many sites close on weekends and public holidays. In Germany, trucks over 7.5 tonnes may not drive on Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00 (StVO §30). For a Monday morning slot in Germany, the truck can drive again from 22:00 on Sunday.

RNJ Transport follows every truck on the road. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks run full loads mostly between Lithuania and Sweden, and checked partner carriers drive the other routes. When a truck is late, we call the site contact before the slot and agree a new time or a new order of trucks. You hear about the change from one contact person.

Site access for an articulated truck

Under EU rules, an articulated truck (a tractor with a semi-trailer) may be up to 16.5 m long, 2.55 m wide and 4 m high. The road to the gate, the gate and the unloading place must fit these sizes. The ground must carry up to 40 tonnes. The truck also needs room to turn or a way through.

The same directive requires every truck to turn within a ring with an outer radius of 12.5 m and an inner radius of 5.3 m. If the truck must turn on site, plan a free area at least 25 m across. If there is no such area, plan a route where the truck drives in and out forwards.

Check the last kilometres to the gate as well. Local roads can have lower weight limits, marked with road signs. In Sweden, a private road has no official weight class, and its owner decides the limit. In spring, roads with little traffic can get temporary weight limits while the ground thaws. Ask the site which road the trucks should use.

Some pieces do not fit a standard truck. A standard curtainsider has about 13.6 m of floor. Longer, wider or heavier pieces need a special trailer. A vehicle above the EU limits also needs a special permit from the road authorities (Article 4(3) of the directive). Tell us the size and weight of the largest piece before booking, and we tell you whether a standard truck fits.

Unloading equipment and the curtainsider

The site provides the unloading machine. A standard curtainsider trailer has no crane. The curtain opens along the whole side, and a forklift or telehandler unloads from there. When a crane lifts the goods from above, the trailer needs an opening roof. Tell us at booking which machine unloads, so we book a trailer that fits.

Agree in writing who unloads. As a general rule under CMR Article 17(4)(c), the carrier is not liable for damage caused by unloading done by the consignee or by people acting for the consignee. Check your contract with the buyer as well. A truck with its own crane is possible with partner carriers, on request.

Ask the supplier to load each truck in the order the site unloads it. When a crane lifts from above, the pieces needed first should be on top. Our load securing guide explains how the goods stay in place on the trip.

Site details for the forwarder

We need the site details in writing before the first truck loads. Send them once for the whole project, and tell us when something changes. A map pin matters most. Many sites have no street address yet, and the truck gate is often away from the main address. We give every detail to each driver before the truck leaves.

• Site address and a map pin (coordinates) of the truck gate
• Name and phone of the site contact, and a second person if the first is away
• Site working hours and the unloading slot for each truck
• Access rules: the road to use, height and weight limits, and where to wait
• Site rules for drivers, for example a helmet, a safety vest or a sign-in at the gate
• Who unloads, with which machine, and the weight of the heaviest piece
• Documents the site needs, such as the delivery note, the packing list and your order number on the CMR note

CMR signature and remarks at the site

The person who receives the goods on site signs the CMR note for the consignee. Name that person before the first truck, and agree with the buyer whether a company stamp is needed. Before signing, count the packages and look at the goods with the driver. Write any missing or damaged package on the note, then sign.

Under CMR Article 30, a signature without remarks lets the law presume that the goods arrived as the note describes them. Visible damage must be noted at delivery. Damage you cannot see needs a written reservation to the carrier within 7 days, not counting Sundays and public holidays. Our guides to the CMR consignment note and to CMR insurance explain the fields and the deadlines.

Write short, plain remarks, for example “2 pallets missing” or “1 pallet damaged, film torn”. Take photos before the goods move. Send us the photos and the signed note the same day. With RNJ Transport, you get a copy of the signed CMR after each delivery.

Delivery schedule template

The template has one row per truck. Fill it in with the supplier and the site, then send it to us with the booking. We add the plate numbers and the driver phone for each truck before loading. The rows below are an illustration for a solar park, not a real project.