Co-Load
A co-load means: your shipment shares the free load space of a vehicle that is already travelling on a particular route — you pay only for the space you use, not for the whole run. This makes the co-load considerably cheaper than a direct run (as a rule of thumb often 30–50% below it, because there are no empty kilometres and no return trip solely for your goods) and, at the same time, more flexible and gentler than a groupage line, because your goods are not sorted through a handling warehouse. The co-load is ideal for non-urgent, bulky or individual items that do not fill a whole truck: single machines, furniture, exhibition pieces, remaining stock. The distinction is important: with a part load (LTL) you book a fixed, reserved share of load space with a plannable deadline; with groupage the goods run over hub handling in the line network. The co-load, by contrast, makes use of capacity that becomes free at short notice on a suitable tour — cheap, but with a more flexible time window. Your transport manager checks which free tours suit your lane and quotes the fixed price within 30 minutes.
Service features
- You pay only for the load space you use on a tour that is running anyway — no empty kilometres
- As a rule of thumb, often 30–50% cheaper than a direct run
- No handling through a groupage warehouse — the goods stay on one vehicle
- Ideal for non-urgent, bulky or individual items below a full truck load
- More flexible time window than the direct run, in return for a considerably lower price
- Dispatch of suitable free tours across Europe, fixed price within 30 minutes
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When a co-load is the right choice
The co-load plays to its strength when the price matters more than the exact date. It is ideal for individual, bulky or heavy items that do not fill a whole truck and have no hard deadline: a single machine, furniture and fittings, an exhibition piece, remaining stock, a piece of relocating equipment or a plant bought second-hand. For private individuals who want to send a large single item cheaply, it is often the most economical way too. The precondition is flexibility on the collection and delivery time window, because departure depends on when a suitable tour with free residual space runs on your lane. Anyone who needs a fixed date or fast delivery is better served by a part load or a direct run.
How the dispatch of free tours works
The co-load makes use of capacity that would otherwise stay empty: vehicles that are already travelling on a lane and still have residual space. Your transport manager matches your shipment — dimensions, weight, loading metres, lane — against planned and running tours and books the suitable free space. Because your goods stay on one vehicle throughout and are not sorted through a handling warehouse, there are fewer interfaces and therefore less handling risk than with groupage. The more flexible your time window, the greater the choice of suitable tours and the cheaper and faster the match. Load securing here too follows VDI 2700; when co-loading, we ensure compatibility with the rest of the cargo so that your shipment takes on neither pressure nor contamination.
Co-load, part load and groupage — how they differ
All three share load space, but differ fundamentally in reservation and method. With a part load (LTL) you book a fixed, reserved share of load space with a plannable deadline — guaranteed space, handling-free, but more expensive for it. With groupage your goods run over handling points in the fixed line network — a predictable standard transit time of 24 to 72 hours, but with one to two transhipments. The co-load, by contrast, makes use of space that becomes free at short notice on a tour running anyway — this is the cheapest option and handling-free, but it requires the most flexible time window, because departure depends on a suitable tour. In short: part load = reserved space with a deadline, groupage = line network with handling, co-load = opportunistic free residual capacity at the best price.
What does a co-load cost?
The co-load is costed by the load space used — loading metres or pallet spaces — and the lane, not as a whole run. As a rule of thumb it is often 30 to 50 percent below a direct run, because you share the run and the empty kilometres with other freight and there is no return trip solely for your goods. For orientation: if a direct run on a lane in the Sprinter van costs, say, €600, the same goods as a co-load are frequently in the €300–420 range, depending on the space used and the tour situation. The more flexible your time window, the better the price, because more tours come into consideration. Your transport manager quotes the exact, binding fixed price after checking suitable free tours within 30 minutes.
Co-load compared with part load and groupage
| Feature | Co-load | Part load (LTL) | Groupage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load space | free residual capacity | reserved share | share in the line network |
| Handling | none | none | 1–2 handling steps |
| Time window | flexible | plannable/fixed | standard transit 24–72 hrs |
| Price level | cheapest | medium | cheap |
| Ideal for | individual, bulky items | medium quantities with a deadline | 1 pallet up to ~2.5 t |
Frequently asked questions
What does a co-load cost?
The co-load is costed by the load space used (loading metres or pallet spaces) and the lane — as a rule of thumb it is often 30 to 50 percent below a direct run, because you share the run and the empty kilometres with other freight. Your transport manager quotes the exact, binding fixed price after checking suitable free tours within 30 minutes.
How does a co-load differ from a part load and groupage?
With a part load (LTL) you reserve a fixed share of load space with a plannable deadline; with groupage your goods run over handling points in the line network. The co-load, by contrast, makes use of space that becomes free at short notice on a tour running anyway — this is the cheapest option, but it requires a more flexible time window, because departure depends on a suitable tour.
How flexible do I need to be on transit time?
The more flexible your collection and delivery time window, the cheaper and faster we find a suitable co-load tour. For fixed deadlines, the part load or direct run is the better choice; if the goods are not urgent, the co-load plays its price advantage to the full. Your transport manager tells you honestly which option is more economical for your shipment.
Are my goods safe on a co-load?
Yes. Your shipment stays on one vehicle and is not sorted through a handling warehouse — which means fewer interfaces and less handling risk than with groupage. Load securing follows VDI 2700, and when co-loading we check compatibility with the rest of the cargo so that your goods take on neither pressure nor contamination.
Which goods are suitable for a co-load?
Above all individual, bulky or heavy items with no hard deadline: a single machine, furniture, exhibition pieces, remaining stock or plant bought second-hand. For private individuals with a large single item, it is often the cheapest way too. It is not suitable for deadline-, refrigeration- or dangerous-goods-critical shipments — those go via part load, refrigerated or ADR transport.