--- title: "Road freight cost: 3 booking mistakes | RNJ Transport" description: "Late bookings, wrong cargo data and weak route planning raise road freight costs. See what each mistake does on the road and what to send for a correct quote." url: https://rnjtransport.lt/en/guides/road-freight-booking-mistakes/ language: en --- # How to reduce road freight costs: 3 booking mistakes to avoid Written by - [Nerijus Daujotas](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/about/) Director, RNJ Transport - Vytas Dargis Consultant Updated 19 October 2026 7 min read RNJ Transport sees three booking mistakes that make companies overpay for road freight: late bookings, inaccurate cargo data and weak route and time planning. Each mistake leaves fewer trucks to choose from, or adds waiting time and empty kilometres. Send a complete booking brief as early as you can, and you avoid all three. - Late bookings, inaccurate cargo data and weak route and time planning most often make companies overpay for road freight. - A wrong weight, pallet count or size can mean a different trailer, a second truck or a new date. - EU rules allow a truck driver 9 hours of driving a day, 10 hours twice a week, and 56 hours a week. A late loading can move the delivery to the next day. - The cheapest offer is not always the cheapest load. Compare what each price includes. Transport team, Klaipėda A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. [Get a price](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/guides/road-freight-booking-mistakes/#callback) [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time ## 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. __Three booking mistakes and their cost__ | Mistake | What happens on the road | Why it costs more | What to do instead | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | Booking at the last minute | Few free trucks are near the loading place | The truck comes from further away, and your price includes the empty kilometres | Tell us the loading date as soon as you know it | | Inaccurate cargo data | The load is heavier or larger than planned, or it cannot be stacked | You need a different trailer, a second truck or a new date | Measure and weigh the load, and send the booking brief | | Weak route and time planning | The truck misses its loading slot or waits at the dock | Waiting time and the driving limits can add a day to the trip | Send the time windows, the opening hours and a contact on site | ## 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. __EU driving and rest limits for truck drivers__ | Rule | Limit | What it means for your load | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Break | At least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving | Every route plan includes the breaks | | Daily driving | 9 hours, or 10 hours twice a week | A late start can move the delivery to the next day | | Daily rest | At least 11 hours, or 9 hours up to three times a week | When the driving day ends, the truck stops, even close to delivery | | Weekly driving | 56 hours | A driver with long days earlier in the week has fewer hours left | | Driving in two weeks | 90 hours | A driver cannot drive 56 hours two weeks in a row | ## 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. ### Collect the cargo data Count the pallets, measure them and weigh the load. Check if the pallets can be stacked. 2. ### Check the time windows Ask both sites for their opening hours, their loading slots and their closed days. 3. ### Book early Tell us the loading date as soon as you know it. Tell us if the date can move. 4. ### Send the booking brief Email the booking brief to info@rnjtransport.lt. Or send the route in the price form. 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. __Booking brief template__ | What to send us | Example | Why it changes the price | | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Pickup and delivery address with postcode | 5047 Tilburg, Netherlands, to LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania | Sets the distance and the tolls | | Loading and delivery dates and time windows | Loading on Tuesday 08:00–12:00, delivery by the next Monday 08:00–15:00 | Shows which trucks are free and if the driving limits allow the trip | | Goods description | Machine parts in wooden crates, not dangerous goods | Shows if the goods need a special truck or extra care. We do not carry dangerous goods (ADR). | | Number and type of pallets | 33 euro pallets | Sets the floor space in loading metres | | Dimensions | 120 × 80 × 150 cm per pallet | Shows if the load fits the trailer length and height | | Gross weight | 16,000 kg in total, with pallets and packing | A heavy load can need a whole truck, even with free floor space | | Stackable or not | Not stackable | Stackable pallets take less floor space and cost less | | Loading method | From the side at pickup, from the back at the delivery dock | Sets the trailer type. Top loading needs a roof that opens. | | Tail lift or forklift on site | Forklift at pickup, loading dock at delivery | With no forklift and no dock, the load needs a different truck | | Goods value | 250,000 EUR | The CMR limit is about 10 EUR per kg. Above it, we talk about cover before loading. | | Documents | Commercial invoice and packing list | Missing papers can stop the truck at loading. Loads to or from Norway also need customs papers. | | Contact on site | Name and phone number of the warehouse contact | The driver can call before arrival, so the truck waits less | ## Frequently asked questions 1. How early should I book road freight? As early as you can, ideally on the day you know the loading date. An early booking gives us more trucks to choose from near your loading place. Tell us the date even if it can still change. If your dates are flexible, say so. Flexible dates give us more trucks to choose from. 2. Can the driver drive longer if loading starts late? No. EU rules limit driving to 9 hours a day, or 10 hours twice a week. After 4.5 hours of driving, the driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes. When the driving day ends, the driver must rest. The daily rest is at least 11 hours, or 9 hours up to three times a week. So a late loading can move the delivery to the next day. 3. Should I choose the cheapest freight quote? Not always. Compare what each price includes: the truck type, the dates, the ferry and tolls, and who drives the truck. The cheapest offer is not always the cheapest load. 4. Do I need the exact weight of my load? Yes. Send the gross weight in kilograms, with the pallets and the packing. The weight decides which truck can take the load. In international traffic, a tractor with a three-axle semi-trailer may weigh at most 40 tonnes in total. If the real load is heavier than planned, the truck may not take it, and you need another truck. 5. Are tolls and ferries included in the price? Yes. Tolls and ferry crossings are part of the fixed price we agree with you. Where EU countries charge truck tolls, the toll depends on the distance and the vehicle type. Since 2024, it must also depend on the truck’s CO2 emissions. So the route changes the price. 6. What should I send to get a freight quote? Send the twelve details in the booking brief template in this guide. The most important are the addresses with postcodes, the dates and time windows, the pallets, the size and the weight. With all twelve, we can check a truck and give you a fixed price in one step. ## Sources (6) 1. [Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/561/oj) 2. [European Commission: Driving time and rest periods](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/social-provisions/driving-time-and-rest-periods%5Fen) 3. [Council Directive 96/53/EC on maximum authorized dimensions and weights for road vehicles (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1996/53/oj) 4. [European Commission: Road charging (tolls and vignettes)](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/road/road-charging%5Fen) 5. [RNJ Transport on LinkedIn: “3 klaidos, dėl kurių įmonės permoka už transportą” (June 2026)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uab-rnj-transport%5F3-klaidos-d%C4%97l-kuri%C5%B3-%C4%AFmon%C4%97s-permoka-u%C5%BE-activity-7470155687185088512--SHe) 6. [RNJ Transport on LinkedIn: “Radome pigiau” (June 2026)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uab-rnj-transport%5Fradome-pigiau-neseniai-kalb%C4%97jau-su-klientu-activity-7472719260268822529-%5F16J) We checked these sources on 19 October 2026. ## Send us your booking brief Email the booking brief to info@rnjtransport.lt. Or send the route in the price form, and we call you back with one fixed price. [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) - [info@rnjtransport.lt](mailto:info@rnjtransport.lt) ### Get a price Send your route and your phone number. We call you back about the price. --- RNJ Transport (UAB "RNJ Transport", company code 305801389), Šilutės pl. 105A, LT-95112 Klaipėda, Lithuania. Phone: +370 698 38573. Email: info@rnjtransport.lt. Company summary for AI assistants: https://rnjtransport.lt/llms.txt. All pages: https://rnjtransport.lt/sitemap.xml.