Part load or full truck: how to choose

Full truck, part load and groupage

A full truckload (FTL) gives one shipper the whole trailer. A part load shares one truck with other loads, and your goods stay on that truck until delivery. Groupage collects small shipments at a terminal, sorts them and loads them onto other trucks. The three options differ most in handling, timing and the risk of damage.

The standard curtainsider trailer

A standard curtainsider trailer has about 13.6 metres of loading length and is about 2.45 metres wide inside. It takes 33 euro pallets on the floor and carries about 24 tonnes of goods. EU rules limit a tractor with a semi-trailer to 16.5 metres and, in international traffic, to 40 tonnes.

The 40 tonnes include the truck, the trailer and the goods, so the payload is about 24 tonnes. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks pull curtainsider trailers of this type.

Loading metres and pallet conversion

A loading metre is one metre of trailer length across the full trailer width. Forwarders use it to price part loads by floor space. The usual formula is length × width ÷ 2.4, in metres. The 2.4 is the width of three euro pallets side by side.

Euro pallet: 1.2 × 0.8 = 0.96 square metres, and 0.96 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 loading metres. Three euro pallets stand across the trailer (3 × 0.8 = 2.4 m). Each row takes 1.2 m of length. 13.6 ÷ 1.2 = 11.3, so 11 rows fit, and 11 × 3 = 33 pallets.

Industrial pallet: 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 square metres, and 1.2 ÷ 2.4 = 0.5 loading metres. Two industrial pallets stand across the trailer (2 × 1.2 = 2.4 m). Each row takes 1.0 m of length. 13 rows fit, so 13 × 2 = 26 pallets.

For goods without pallets, use the floor area they cover. A crate of 3 × 1.6 m uses 3 × 1.6 ÷ 2.4 = 2 loading metres.

Non-stackable goods and floor space

Non-stackable goods use more loading metres, because nothing can stand on top of them. The space above them stays empty, but the floor is still taken. Stackable pallets share one floor place. Twelve euro pallets stacked two high use 2.4 loading metres. The same twelve pallets, not stackable, use 4.8 loading metres.

Tell us before loading if your goods cannot be stacked. If the load does not match the booking, the driver can refuse it at pickup.

What decides the choice

Six things decide between a part load and a full truck. They are the size of the load, its weight, its value and fragility, your time window, the number of stops and how often you ship. Size and weight decide most loads. The other four can make a full truck the better choice, even for a small load.

Weight and floor space work together. A full trailer carries about 24 tonnes on 13.6 loading metres, about 1.75 tonnes per loading metre. Goods heavier than that reach the weight limit before they fill the floor.

Value matters because the carrier’s CMR liability depends on weight, not on value. The limit is 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, about 10 euros per kilogram. For 500 kg of goods, that is about 5,000 euros. Tell us the value of the goods when you book, so we can talk about cover before the truck leaves.

The half-trailer rule

A part load stops being the clear choice above half a trailer: more than 17 euro pallets, 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. At that size, a full truck can cost less per pallet, and few trucks have that much free space. Above three quarters of a trailer, book a full truck.

Three cases need a full truck at any size: a fixed or urgent delivery date, fragile or high-value goods, and goods that must not travel with other loads.

RNJ Transport focuses on full truckloads. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks carry full loads, mostly between Lithuania and Sweden. On other routes, checked partner carriers drive the loads we arrange. If your load fills a large part of a trailer, send us the details.

How to choose in five steps

You can choose in five steps with a tape measure and your packing list. Each step gives you one number or one answer. With all five, you know which option fits. For a full truck, our team gives you a price for your route.

1. 1

   Count and measure

   Count the pallets. Note the pallet size, the height and the gross weight of each one.

2. 2

   Check stacking

   Decide which pallets can carry another pallet on top. Count floor places, not pallets.

3. 3

   Convert to loading metres

   Multiply length by width and divide by 2.4. A euro pallet is 0.4 and an industrial pallet is 0.5.

4. 4

   Compare with half a trailer

   Half a trailer is 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. Above either number, ask for both prices.

5. 5

   Check date, value and fragility

   If the date is fixed or the goods are fragile or of high value, choose a full truck.

Decision table: part load or full truck

The decision table shows the usual choice for each load size. Find your row by floor space and by weight. If floor space and weight point to different rows, use the row further down the table. Count floor places, so two stacked pallets count as one. The last row applies to every size.