How to reduce road freight costs: 3 booking mistakes to avoid

Three booking mistakes behind higher road freight costs

In our work, companies overpay for road freight most often because of three booking mistakes. They book the truck at the last minute, send inaccurate cargo data or plan the route and times too late. Each mistake changes what happens on the road. The table shows what happens, why it costs more and what to do instead.

We see these mistakes often on loads between Lithuania and other European countries.

Last-minute bookings and fewer trucks to choose from

A last-minute booking costs more because few trucks are free near your loading place at short notice. Carriers often plan the next load for each truck before the current load ends. When you book the day before loading, we choose from the trucks that are still free. Those trucks are often further away, so the price is higher.

A truck that drives empty to reach you still costs money, and the carrier adds those kilometres to your price. Tell us the loading date as soon as you know it, even if it can still change. If your dates are flexible, say so. Flexible dates give us more trucks to choose from.

Inaccurate cargo data and the wrong truck

Inaccurate cargo data raises the price because we plan the truck for one load and a different load waits at the dock. If the real load is heavier, larger or not stackable, it may not fit. Then you need a second truck, a different trailer or a new date. Each of these costs more than the first plan.

Weight is one example. In international traffic, EU rules limit a tractor with a three-axle semi-trailer to 40 tonnes in total, truck included. Within that limit, a standard curtainsider trailer takes about 24 tonnes of goods.

Stacking and size change the price too. Pallets that cannot be stacked need more floor space, so a part load can become a full truck. Under EU rules, a vehicle with its load may be at most 4 metres high.

A curtainsider truck loads from the side or the back, with a forklift or at a loading dock. If a site has neither, or you need top loading, tell us before we price the load.

Route planning, time windows and EU driving limits

Weak route and time planning costs money at the dock and on the road. A truck that misses its loading slot can wait for hours. A truck that loads late also starts driving late. The driver must still stop for breaks and for the daily rest. So the delivery can move to the next day.

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 sets the driving and rest limits for truck drivers in the EU. The tachograph records the driving and rest times, and inspectors check the records at the roadside.

Loads to Sweden cross the sea by ferry, so the truck must reach the port on time. Where EU countries charge truck tolls, the toll depends on the distance and the vehicle type. Since 2024, it must also depend on CO2 emissions. We include ferries and tolls in the price.

Send the time windows, the opening hours and any booked slot at both ends. Give us a contact on site who answers the phone.

The cheapest offer and the real cost of a load

The cheapest offer is not always the cheapest load. Compare what each price includes: the truck type, the dates, the ferry and tolls, and who drives the truck.

A shipper also needs delivery on time and as agreed.

Damage is a risk too. Under the CMR Convention, the carrier pays at most 8.33 SDR per kilogram, about 10 euros per kilogram. Tell us the value of the goods when you book, so we can talk about cover before the truck leaves.

We do not try to be the cheapest offer on the market. We try to answer when a problem appears and to do what we promise.

How to book road freight without overpaying

You can avoid all three mistakes before you ask for a price. Collect the cargo data, check the time windows and book as soon as you know the date. RNJ Transport asks for the same details on every load, on our own trucks and on partner trucks. You get one contact person for your load and one invoice.

1. 1

   Collect the cargo data

   Count the pallets, measure them and weigh the load. Check if the pallets can be stacked.

2. 2

   Check the time windows

   Ask both sites for their opening hours, their loading slots and their closed days.

3. 3

   Book early

   Tell us the loading date as soon as you know it. Tell us if the date can move.

4. 4

   Send the booking brief

   Email the booking brief to info@rnjtransport.lt. Or send the route in the price form.

5. 5

   Check the offer

   Check what the price includes. Before loading, we send you the truck and trailer plates.

Booking brief template

The booking brief lists the twelve details we need to price a road freight load correctly. Copy the table and replace each example with your own data. Each line changes the truck we choose or the price. The examples show a full truckload from the Netherlands to Lithuania.