Full truckload freight (FTL): a whole truck for your shipment
When your goods fill a truck or cannot wait, we book a vehicle for your shipment only: loading at your site, unloading at the consignee, no transhipment on the way. About two thirds of our shipments travel on a dedicated truck.
Reviewed by: Alen Protić, Head of Logistics · October 2026
of our shipments travel on a dedicated truck
EUR pallets fit a standard 13.6 m semi-trailer
partner carriers
loading and unloading countries
What full truckload means
With a full truckload (FTL) the truck carries your goods only. There are no other pickups and no transhipment, so timing is more predictable and the goods are handled less.
A standard semi-trailer is 13.6 m long and takes up to 33 EUR pallets (120 × 80 cm) and up to about 24 tonnes. A dedicated truck also pays off for a smaller load when the deadline matters or the goods must not travel with other shipments.
We choose the vehicle to fit the cargo: from a van for an urgent small shipment to a mega trailer for light, bulky goods.
Vehicles we organise
Share of our orders from July to September 2026.
13.6 m curtainsider
A semi-trailer with curtains that open at the side and top. Three in four of our shipments use one.
Mega trailer
Extra loading height for light, bulky goods. About 9% of our shipments.
Reefer
Controlled temperature for food and other sensitive goods. About 9% of our shipments.
Rigid truck and drawbar
A rigid truck for smaller loads and tight sites, a drawbar (jumbo) combination for the largest volume.
Walking floor
For bulk cargo unloaded without a forklift.
Van
For urgent small shipments that cannot wait for a truck to fill.
How a full truckload runs
The same dispatcher handles it from enquiry to unloading.
Enquiry
Lane, number of pallets or loading metres, weight, type of goods and loading date.
Choice of vehicle
The dispatcher chooses the vehicle type and carrier and sends a quote with price and timing.
Loading
The truck arrives at the agreed slot. We check the documents and the departure.
Delivery
We follow the shipment to unloading and send you proof of delivery.
What affects the price of a full truckload
With FTL you pay for the whole vehicle, so the price depends mostly on the lane, not the number of pallets:
- Distance and return load
- Whether the carrier has a load back towards where it came from.
- Vehicle type
- A reefer, mega trailer or walking floor costs more than a standard curtainsider.
- Timing
- Same-day loading or a fixed delivery slot narrows the choice of carriers.
- Extra stops
- Each extra stop lengthens the trip. About one in five of our orders has more than one loading or unloading point.
- Tolls and waiting time
- Tolls by country and time spent waiting at the dock.
Before loading
Three details that most often decide whether loading runs without waiting.
Slot and dock
Opening hours at loading and unloading, and whether there is a dock or the truck is side-loaded by forklift.
Exact quantity
Number of pallets, dimensions and weight. They decide between a curtainsider, a mega trailer or a smaller vehicle.
Special requirements
Temperature, goods that cannot be stacked or fragile parts. Put them in the enquiry, not at the dock.
Guides for planning your shipment
How to prepare a freight enquiry (and get an accurate quote faster)
Learn the six details a useful freight enquiry should include and which mode-specific information helps produce a clearer quote.
Seasonality in transport: how to plan shipments through the year
Learn how seasonal patterns affect capacity, prices and shipment planning throughout the year.
A logistics glossary: what the words in your freight quote actually mean
Freight forwarding, FTL and LTL, intermodal transport, Incoterms and CMR explained plainly, phase by phase.
Frequently asked questions
A standard 13.6 m semi-trailer takes 33 EUR pallets (120 × 80 cm) in a single layer, with a maximum of about 24 tonnes. If the pallets can be stacked, more fit.
When the goods fill most of the truck, the deadline is short, or the goods must not travel with other shipments. The dispatcher will tell you in the quote which option costs less.
Both are 13.6 m semi-trailers. A mega trailer has a higher loading space, which suits light, bulky goods. A standard curtainsider is enough for most goods.
Yes. About one in five of our orders has more than one loading or unloading point. List every stop in your enquiry so we can plan the trip.
Yes. About 9% of our shipments travel in a reefer with controlled temperature. State the required temperature in your enquiry.
Have a shipment? Tell us where from, where to and what.
For transport, send a quote request — a dispatcher checks the route and capacity and comes back with a concrete proposal. For general questions about working together, use the contact form.
or call +385 91 111 8209 · info@humble-logistics.com
