European pallet and groupage services allow your goods to travel through an established freight network alongside shipments belonging to other importers.

Your goods will normally be collected from the required address and taken to a local depot, where they enter the freight network. They may then travel through one or more further depots before reaching the UK and being delivered to their final destination.

Because the cost of the transportation is shared across numerous shipments, this can provide an economical option for smaller quantities of palletised goods where a faster dedicated service is not required.

This type of service is also commonly referred to as Less than Trailer Load (LTL), as your goods occupy only part of the available trailer space rather than requiring the complete trailer.

Transit times will vary depending on the country and collection location, the network being used and the final UK delivery address.

If you have one or more pallets to import from Europe, send us the collection and delivery details together with the pallet sizes and weights and we can check the available services.

A dedicated vehicle is used exclusively for your shipment and will generally travel more directly from the collection point towards the UK delivery address, rather than moving through a pallet or groupage network.

One of the advantages of dedicated transport is that the vehicle can be selected to suit the shipment. Depending on the dimensions and weight of your goods, this could be a van, Luton, 7.5T, 18T or another appropriate vehicle.

Because your goods do not need to wait for consolidation with other freight or pass through the normal network of depots, a dedicated vehicle will usually provide a faster service and reduce the amount of handling during the journey.

A dedicated vehicle will usually be more expensive than sending the same goods through a European pallet or groupage network. However, for urgent shipments it can often provide a more economical alternative to air freight, while still offering a fast and direct service.

If your shipment is urgent, tell us when the goods will be ready and when you need them delivered. We can then check the vehicle and service options available.

A Full Trailer Load (FTL) is used for larger-volume shipments requiring a complete articulated trailer. The trailer is allocated to your shipment rather than your goods sharing the available space with other importers’ freight.

As a general guide, a standard 13.6 metre curtain-sided trailer provides around 90m³ of loading space and can typically accommodate up to 33 Euro pallets (120 × 80cm) or 26 standard UK pallets (120 × 100cm), assuming their weight and height are within the permitted limits.

Note: These figures are provided as a general guide only. Any overhang beyond the dimensions of the pallets may reduce the number that can be loaded. Heavy pallets may also mean that the vehicle reaches its maximum permitted weight before all of the available pallet spaces can be used.

The goods will normally be collected directly from the required address in Europe and transported towards the UK without passing through the pallet or groupage network.

Using a complete trailer can also reduce the amount of handling involved, as the goods do not normally need to be unloaded and reloaded at freight depots during the journey.

The type of trailer required will depend on the goods being transported, their dimensions and weight, and how they need to be loaded and unloaded.

If you have a larger shipment and are unsure whether you require a Full Trailer Load, send us the number of pallets or packages together with their dimensions and weights and we can advise you.

To provide a European road freight quotation, we will normally need:

• Full collection address
• UK delivery postcode
• Description of goods (please advise if hazardous)
• Number and type of packages or pallets
• Dimensions of each package or pallet
• Gross weight of each package or pallet
• When the goods will be ready for collection
• Agreed Incoterm, if known

The dimensions and weights are particularly important because they help us determine the amount of vehicle space required and whether a pallet/groupage service, dedicated vehicle or Full Trailer Load is likely to be the most appropriate option.

If you do not have all of the final information yet, don’t worry. We can often work with the information currently available to give you an indication of the likely costs and then refine the quotation once the final shipment details are known.

Transit times will depend on where the goods are being collected from, the service being used and the final UK delivery address.

Pallet and groupage shipments will normally take longer because time needs to be allowed for collection, consolidation and movement through the freight network.

A dedicated vehicle will usually provide a faster service because the vehicle can travel more directly from the collection point towards the delivery address.

For Full Trailer Loads, the journey will also normally be direct, although the overall transit time will depend on the collection and delivery locations, permitted driving hours, the Channel crossing and the Customs arrangements required for the movement.

The day of collection can also affect the transit time. Some European countries have restrictions on when larger commercial vehicles can travel. In France, for example, goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are generally prohibited from travelling between 22:00 on Saturday and 22:00 on Sunday, with additional restrictions applying around some public holidays and at certain other times. If a vehicle does not reach the Channel before a weekend restriction begins, this could delay its arrival into the UK. Traffic, accidents or a vehicle breakdown can also cause unexpected delays and may result in a planned ferry or Channel Tunnel crossing being missed.

If your shipment is particularly urgent, let us know when requesting your quotation. We can check the available services and provide an estimated transit time based on the planned route.

Goods travelling from the EU into Great Britain will normally require an export Customs declaration in the country of departure and an import Customs declaration for entry into Great Britain.

UK Import Services can arrange the export declaration through our European partners, together with the UK Customs declaration required for the goods to enter Great Britain.

The information and documentation required will depend on the goods being transported and the shipping terms agreed between the buyer and seller. Certain products may also require additional documentation or be subject to specific border controls.

It is important that the necessary Customs arrangements are made before the vehicle reaches the border. Missing or incorrect information can result in the vehicle being delayed while the required documentation is obtained or corrected.

If you are unsure what information or documentation will be required, contact our Imports Team before arranging the collection.

Road freight from continental Europe will normally enter Great Britain by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel, depending on the route being used.

Once the necessary border and Customs formalities have been completed, the vehicle can cross into the UK and continue towards the agreed delivery address. Depending on the goods being transported, additional border procedures or inspections may sometimes be required.

For dedicated vehicles and Full Trailer Loads, the same vehicle will normally continue through to the delivery address. Pallet and groupage shipments may instead travel through the UK freight network before making their final delivery.

Let UK Import Services take care of your European road freight shipment, from collection and transportation to UK Customs clearance and final delivery, while keeping you informed along the way.