Every transport quote is built on the information given. Change the information and the plan changes; change the plan and scope and cost follow. A revision is rarely arbitrary: it is the measurement brought back into line with reality.
The information that moves a plan is always the same handful of figures, and every one of them is knowable before departure.
When the dimensions change
On partial transport the charge depends far less on weight than on the floor space occupied, measured in loading metres (ldm):
Loading metre = (length of the goods × width) ÷ 2.4
A EUR pallet of 1200 × 800 mm takes 0.40 ldm. Any gap between declared and actual footprint feeds straight into the capacity plan: ten pallets are declared, the goods overhang, the real footprint is larger, and the four loading metres reserved are not enough.
When stackability changes
Where another consignment can sit on top of yours, the same floor area is used twice. A quote given on the basis of "stackable" lapses the moment the loading crew is told nothing may go on top: the area is now reserved for your cargo alone.
When weight distribution causes trouble
Even where the total stays inside the legal maximum, badly distributed weight can breach the axle limits. Directive 96/53/EC sets 10 tonnes on a single non-driving axle and 11.5 tonnes on a driving axle, against a maximum authorised weight of 40 tonnes for a five- or six-axle articulated vehicle.
Axle loads are enforced separately from the gross figure: staying under 40 tonnes proves nothing about an individual axle, and no allowance on the total forgives an overloaded one. Restowing costs time and money.
When delivery conditions arrive late
- Where a semi-trailer cannot enter the address, a transfer or a smaller vehicle is required.
- Where there is no forklift, unloading takes longer or equipment has to be hired.
- Where the slot is missed, the vehicle waits for the next one.
None is a surprise. They are questions asked too late.
When documents are missing
On shared capacity, one incomplete document set can hold the entire vehicle. Discovering at the border that a EUR.1 was needed rather than an A.TR can mean days of waiting.
The delivery term belongs here too. Under EXW export clearance is the buyer's task; under DDP import duty is the seller's. Change the term late and the cost lines change with it.
Tell us this and nothing moves
| Information | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Unit pallet or carton dimensions | Determines the loading metres |
| Gross weight | Governs the weight limit and axle distribution |
| Stackability | Determines the use of shared capacity |
| Packaging type | Indicates tolerance to transhipment |
| Ready date | Feeds the consolidation schedule |
| Delivery address and appointment | Settles vehicle type and delivery plan |
| Incoterms | Divides cost and customs responsibility |
| Product group and HS code | Determines the document set |
Where those eight are clear, quote and invoice do not diverge.
How we discuss a revision
When one is needed, we first say what has changed: which measurement, which document, which condition. Then we show its effect on the plan. Explaining the reason before naming a new figure stops the same thing recurring next time.
Our aim is not to defend a price but to make the scope of carriage visible.
Share dimensions and delivery details early and we can weigh partial and groupage transport against full truckload transport using your own cargo. Browse all of our services, then send the measurements and the date through the quote form.
