A direct transport means: one vehicle exclusively for one shipment, without transhipment, straight from loading to delivery. This is the fastest and safest form of transport – and naturally more expensive than shared groupage, because you carry the entire vehicle capacity alone. The question “What does a direct transport cost?” however depends on several screws, not just on distance. This guide explains the price factors so you can assess when the express direct transport pays off and what the price depends on.
Why the direct transport is calculated exclusively
Unlike with groupage, where several customers share a vehicle, with the direct transport the complete vehicle including driver capacity is dispatched for one shipment. The price therefore pays for exclusive availability, the direct route without detours via transhipment warehouses, and delivery reliability. Whether your goods fully utilise the vehicle or comprise only a pallet changes little about the basic principle – the capacity is booked, not the pallet-space kilo. Precisely for this reason the direct transport seems “expensive per kilo” for small but urgent shipments and is nonetheless often the right choice.
The most important price factors
- Distance and route: The driving distance forms the base load; tolls and possible ferry sections come on top depending on the route.
- Vehicle type: From the Sprinter (3.5 t) via the rigid truck to the 40-t articulated truck – the class determines the base price.
- Two-driver crew: On long routes, two drivers keep the vehicle moving almost continuously in a compliant manner. This shortens the transit time drastically but costs additional personnel hours.
- Time pressure: A run available on immediate call within the next hour is more expensive than one planned with lead time.
- Weight and volume: They decide whether a smaller vehicle suffices or an articulated truck is needed.
- Special requirements: ADR dangerous goods, temperature control, lift platform, crane unloading or premium securing for high-value goods increase the effort.
- Customs for non-EU countries: If the direct transport crosses an EU external border, customs clearance and border clearance come on top.
- Return load and empty runs: Runs without a secured return load must price in the empty kilometres – the biggest hidden cost block of the direct transport.
- Time of day and weekend: Night, weekend and holiday runs can trigger surcharges.
When the direct transport pays off
The extra price compared with groupage is put into perspective as soon as a fixed date, an impending production stoppage or sensitive, high-value goods are involved. A line-stop spare-parts shipment that is at the recipient the next day by direct transport often replaces expensive air freight – and prevents downtime costs that amount to a multiple of the freight. Where several days of buffer exist and the goods tolerate transhipment, on the other hand, groupage is the more economical choice. How to optimise freight costs in general is shown in the guide Reducing Transport Costs.
The hidden lever: empty runs and lead time
The most frequently underestimated cost factor is the return load. If a vehicle runs exclusively to a destination without freight being secured for the return, the empty kilometres must go into the price. Anyone who is flexible on the destination region or grants a little lead time gives the dispatch team the chance to combine the run with a return load – and thus lowers the price without compromising on speed or safety. Lead time itself also has an effect: an immediate run called up within the next hour is more expensive than the same run with a day's planning latitude.
Direct transport in European and non-EU traffic
Within the EU the direct-transport calculation is comparatively clear: distance, vehicle, tolls and return load determine the price. But as soon as an EU external border comes into play – for example with a direct transport to Türkiye – the customs and border-clearance block is added, and the two-driver crew becomes the decisive time and price factor on long routes. For short, highly time-critical routes within Germany or to neighbouring countries, by contrast, time pressure dominates. The direct transport is therefore not a uniform product with a fixed per-kilometre price, but a form of transport whose costs recompose depending on range, border situation and urgency. Precisely for this reason a fixed price per concrete shipment is more meaningful than any flat rate.
How you get to a reliable price
Concrete flat rates would be misleading, because distance, vehicle, return load and special requirements shift the price strongly. Tell the dispatch team collection and destination point, goods, dimensions, weight, desired date and specifics – from this Speed Logistics produces a fixed price within a few hours, without hidden surcharges. Personal dispatch around the clock on +49 (0)30 346 467 850 or via the enquiry form.
For the full overview of all price factors and the customs process, see our guide Understanding Transport Costs.