Transport for Automotive & Suppliers
Logisticoo keeps the automotive industry's supply chains running on beat — from just-in-time delivery to the assembly line to the emergency direct run when a line stoppage looms. Since 2014 we have been driving for suppliers and plant sites across Germany and Europe: sequence-accurate JIS deliveries within firmly agreed time windows, mesh pallets and small load carrier (KLT) goods in plant traffic, press tools and fixtures as special transports. Because every minute counts in automotive logistics, we dispatch express vans and articulated trucks in parallel and quote you a fixed price with a binding time window within 30 minutes. Through our country offices in the Czech Republic and Turkey, we connect two of Europe's most important supplier regions directly to German plants — including customs clearance for Turkey traffic. Your personal dispatcher knows the routines at the plant gate: pre-notification, delivery-note and load-carrier handling, and status updates on critical parts. If a line stoppage threatens, direct runs start at night and on weekends too, with a two-driver crew for the non-stop run on request.
Vehicles & equipment
For urgent parts we deploy vans and curtainsider trucks with lashing systems compliant with VDI 2700; for series volumes, articulated trucks with Code XL bodies. Pallet trucks and a tail lift enable delivery even without a loading ramp.
Typical requirements
- Just-in-time and just-in-sequence delivery with binding time windows at the plant gate
- Emergency express service when a line stoppage looms — around the clock, including weekends
- Handling of load carriers such as mesh pallets, KLT and special containers, including exchange processing
- Customs clearance for traffic with Turkey and other non-EU countries
- Seamless status updates and pre-notification in line with plant requirements
- Scalable capacity from van to articulated truck for fluctuating call-offs
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Typical shipments from the automotive industry
For automotive customers, we most frequently handle four shipment types. First, series parts in the load-carrier cycle: KLT small load carriers on pallets, mesh pallets and plant-specific special containers, mostly as part load or full load on a fixed line rhythm. Second, sequenced JIS modules — cockpits, seats, axles, bumpers — that have to reach the line to the minute in installation order. Third, capital equipment: press tools (5 to 25 t), injection moulds, fixtures and gauges, running as heavy or special transport with a loader crane. Fourth, the classic emergency shipment — a missing part that prevents a line stoppage via an express direct run. Added to this are prototypes and initial samples (ISIR/PPAP), which travel confidentially and damage-free between development, supplier and plant.
Standards and regulations in automotive transport
Automotive logistics is heavily standardised, and we work in line with these requirements. Load securing is carried out in accordance with VDI 2700 ff. and EN 12195, and load carriers and stowage spaces follow VDA recommendations (including VDA 4500 for KLT and VDA 4525 for mesh pallets). For load-carrier exchange, we keep clean container accounts so that empty and full stocks reconcile. Parts with a dangerous-goods aspect — airbag gas generators (Class 1), lithium batteries and battery packs (Class 9, UN 3480/3481), paints and adhesives (Class 3) — we move ADR-compliant with trained drivers and verified transport documents. In Turkey and non-EU traffic, customs procedures, T1 transit documents and, for tooling, often temporary admission are added; our country office handles this on both sides.
How an automotive transport works at Logisticoo
- Enquiry with plant, time window, load carrier and part criticality.
- Fixed-price quote in 30 minutes with a binding time window and vehicle class.
- Dispatch: for series call-offs we set up fixed conditions and a standard procedure; for emergencies the direct run often starts within a few hours.
- Pre-notification in line with plant requirements (time-window booking, gate/ramp slot).
- Transport with status updates at every critical point — collection, border crossing, plant arrival.
- Delivery at the plant gate with delivery-note and load-carrier handling, empties collected on the same run. For recurring lanes, your personal dispatcher remains a fixed point of contact and knows your plant routines.
What does an automotive transport cost?
We quote the price in advance as a fixed price; as a guide, our vehicle rule-of-thumb rates per kilometre driven apply (range ±15 % depending on lane, time window and return-load chance): express van for urgent single parts around 1.10 €/km (from a 89 € minimum charge), truck 7.5 t for palletised load carriers around 1.45 €/km, truck 12 t around 1.65 €/km, articulated truck (FTL) for series volumes around 1.95 €/km (from 379 €). An emergency direct run Stuttgart–Prague (around 500 km) by van is thus roughly in the 550–630 € range. Surcharges apply for a night/weekend start, a two-driver crew on the non-stop run, a loader crane for tooling and customs in non-EU traffic. Fixed series conditions noticeably lower the per-kilometre price compared with one-off orders.
Typical automotive shipments and the right handling
| Shipment type | Example | Vehicle/equipment | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| JIS sequence module | Cockpit, seats, axles to the line | Van / curtainsider truck, time-window bound | same day, to the minute |
| Load-carrier series | KLT & mesh pallets in plant traffic | Truck 7.5–12 t / articulated truck Code XL | line rhythm, plannable |
| Emergency single part | Missing part before line stoppage | Express van, 24/7, 2 drivers optional | a few hours |
| Capital equipment | Press tool, injection mould 5–25 t | Truck with loader crane / heavy haulage | 1–2 days, scheduled |
| Battery/cell (Class 9) | Lithium modules UN 3480/3481 | ADR vehicle, trained driver | plannable, ADR documents |
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can Logisticoo respond to a looming line stoppage?
After your enquiry you receive a fixed-price quote with a binding time window within 30 minutes. A van or truck usually starts within a few hours depending on the collection point, and for long distances two drivers can drive through in shifts on request. Your dispatcher reports every status change so that production control can plan.
Do you also handle transports between German plants and suppliers in Turkey or the Czech Republic?
Yes, this is precisely why we maintain our own country offices in Berlin, the Czech Republic and Turkey. In Turkey traffic we organise the entire customs clearance on both sides, including T1 transit documents; in the Czech Republic we run part and full loads on a regular line rhythm. Both lanes can be set up as a plannable series with fixed conditions.
Do you handle just-in-sequence (JIS) with plant-side time-window booking?
Yes. We pre-notify in line with your plant requirements, book gate and ramp slots and deliver sequence-accurate within the agreed time window. We secure the installation order through separate stowage areas and form-fit securing per VDI 2700, so the goods are unloaded at the line in the correct sequence.
Can you load press tools and heavy capital equipment on site without a crane?
Yes. For tools and moulds from 5 to 25 t we deploy vehicles with a loader crane or truck-mounted forklift, so we can load from the road even without a hall crane or ramp. We clarify the centre of gravity and lifting points in advance; securing is done form-fit on transport trestles rather than by lashing alone.
Do you transport lithium batteries and airbag components?
Yes, ADR-compliant. Lithium-ion modules (UN 3480/3481, Class 9) and airbag gas generators (Class 1) are carried with ADR-trained drivers, verified transport documents and correct marking. We check the UN number, packing group and mixed-loading prohibitions before accepting the order; our dangerous-goods safety adviser oversees the process.
What does an express direct run cost and how is the price determined?
You always receive a fixed price in advance. As a guide: an express van is calculated at around 1.10 €/km (from 89 €), an articulated truck at around 1.95 €/km (from 379 €), each ±15 % depending on lane and return-load chance. A direct run Stuttgart–Prague by van is thus roughly 550–630 €. A night/weekend start, a two-driver crew and customs in non-EU traffic are itemised separately.