Part Load & Full Load (LTL/FTL)
Part load (LTL) and full load (FTL) are the Logisticoo solutions for everything that goes beyond groupage: from around four to six pallet spaces or 2.5 tonnes, the part load becomes attractive — your goods travel handling-free in the vehicle with at most one or two further compatible consignments, and are thus on the road faster and more gently than in the general-cargo network. The full load gives you the entire vehicle exclusively: up to 34 pallet spaces and around 24 t payload in the standard semi-trailer combination, from ~€1.95/km, with a direct run from ramp to ramp. Which variant works out depends on quantity, deadline and lane — your personal dispatcher calculates both transparently and delivers the fixed-price quote within 30 minutes. All body types are available (curtain-side, box, Mega with 3 m internal height, refrigerated), load securing to VDI 2700 included; with part loads we watch the compatibility of the co-loaded goods, so that your goods take on neither pressure nor dirt. We dispatch from 147 German cities into 55 countries — also as a round trip with a return load, which lowers the per-kilometre price even further.
Service features
- Part load: handling-free from approx. 4–6 pallet spaces or 2.5 t, faster than general cargo
- Full load: exclusive vehicle, up to 34 pallet spaces / 24 t, from ~€1.95/km
- All body types: curtain-side, box, Mega (3 m internal height), temperature-controlled
- Compatibility check of the co-loaded goods on part loads
- Round-trip concepts with a return load for better per-kilometre prices
- Load securing to VDI 2700 and documented handovers
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When part load, when full load — the use cases
The consignment size sets the direction. The part load (LTL) takes over above groupage — from around four to six pallet spaces or 2.5 tonnes: your goods travel handling-free with one or two compatible consignments, ideal for medium quantities that are too big for the general-cargo network but too small for a whole truck, and for goods in need of gentle handling that cannot withstand a transhipment. The full load (FTL) applies when you fill the vehicle (from around 15 to 20 pallet spaces) or when exclusivity, a fixed deadline or the avoidance of any co-loading counts. FTL is also set for very heavy, bulky or sensitive goods that tolerate no second load beside them. You do not need to know the threshold yourself — the dispatcher calculates both variants for your lane.
Body types, round trips and load securing in detail
We run both traffics with the appropriate body: curtain-side with side and roof opening for forklift, crane and long-goods loading, box for goods sensitive to moisture and theft, Mega trailer with 3 m internal height for voluminous, light loads, and temperature-controlled refrigerated bodies. Load securing follows VDI 2700 ff. — positive-fit securing, lashing down with the appropriate LC rating, anti-slip mats and, on Code XL tarpaulins, the certified positive-fit securing. On part loads we check the compatibility of the co-loaded goods, so that your goods take on neither pressure, moisture nor contamination from the neighbouring load. A key cost lever is the round trip: if we can dispatch a return load for the return direction, the empty kilometres fall and with them your per-kilometre price. We document handovers with a proof of delivery, on request with a time-window notification at the ramp.
Part load, full load, groupage and part load (spare capacity) — the distinction
Four routes, one spectrum from cheap-and-slow to exclusive-and-fast. Groupage is the cheapest for individual pallets, but runs via handling points. The part load using spare capacity (Beiladung) makes use of load space that becomes free at short notice on a run in progress — very cheap and handling-free, but with a flexible time window. The part load reserves a fixed share of load space and runs handling-free with one or two compatible consignments — a plannable deadline, gentler than groupage. The full load gives you the entire vehicle exclusively, with no third-party goods at all, from ramp to ramp. The main difference between a part load and a part load using spare capacity: with the part load you book guaranteed, reserved space with a fixed deadline; with spare capacity you make opportunistic use of free residual capacity. As quantity, urgency and protection needs increase, the most economical route moves from spare capacity via groupage and part load through to the full load.
What do part load and full load cost?
Both are calculated on a per-kilometre basis by vehicle class (±15%): 7.5 t truck ~€1.45/km from €169, 12 t truck ~€1.65/km from €219, semi-trailer combination (FTL) ~€1.95/km from €379. With the part load you pay pro rata for the load space taken up, with the full load for the whole run. Example: a full load Dortmund–Munich (around 610 km) on the semi-trailer combination lies roughly in the range €1,010–1,370; a half part load on the same lane correspondingly below that. The strongest cost lever is the return load: a dispatched round trip lowers the per-kilometre price noticeably. Cost drivers, by contrast, are a missing return load, waiting times and special bodies such as refrigerated or Mega. Your dispatcher weighs up both variants transparently against each other — fixed price within 30 minutes.
Part load and full load at a glance
| Characteristic | Part load (LTL) | Full load (FTL) |
|---|---|---|
| Worthwhile from | ~4–6 pallet spaces / 2.5 t | ~15–20 pallet spaces / full utilisation |
| Load space | reserved share, 1–2 consignments | entire vehicle exclusively |
| Handling | none | none, ramp to ramp |
| Cost basis | pro rata, per-kilometre | whole run, from ~€1.95/km |
| Deadline | plannable | fixed, highest exclusivity |
Frequently asked questions
From what consignment size is a full load worthwhile instead of a part load?
As a guide value from around 15 to 20 pallet spaces, or when deadline and exclusivity count: from that size the price advantage of the part load shrinks, while the full load offers a direct run, a fixed time window and zero co-loading risk. Your dispatcher calculates both variants concretely for your lane.
Does a part load really run without handling?
Yes — that is the core advantage over groupage: your consignment is loaded at the sender and unloaded again only at the recipient; the vehicle merely picks up one or two further compatible consignments on the same route. No warehouse handling, no stacking by third parties, fewer interfaces, less risk.
What does the compatibility check on a part load mean?
Before co-loading, we check whether the co-loaded goods suit your goods — that they exert no pressure and transfer no moisture, odour or contamination, and that both consignments can be safely separated and secured. This is how we prevent sensitive goods from being damaged by unsuitable neighbouring loads. For very sensitive loads, we recommend the full load instead.
How does a round trip lower the price?
A vehicle that brings your load to the destination and drives back empty has to earn back the empty kilometres of the return direction. If we can dispatch a return load for the return trip, the run is spread across two customers — this lowers your per-kilometre price noticeably. On heavily travelled lanes with a good chance of a return load, this effect is greatest.
What do part load and full load cost?
Both are per-kilometre based (7.5 t ~€1.45/km, 12 t ~€1.65/km, FTL ~€1.95/km, ±15%); part load pro rata, full load as a whole run. A full load Dortmund–Munich on the semi-trailer combination lies at roughly €1,010–1,370. The biggest lever is the return load on a round trip; a missing return load, waiting time and special bodies drive the price up. The dispatcher weighs both variants against each other — fixed price within 30 minutes.