[G05 FREIGHT COSTS]
Calculating freight costs.
A freight rate is not a mystery. It is the sum of space, distance, time and risk. Once you know the components, you can see where your own shipment is expensive — and why.
The short answer
A road freight rate is built from occupied loading metres or chargeable weight, distance and lane, vehicle and driver cost per hour, tolls including the German CO2 component, fuel, and any extras such as tail lift, pre-advice or waiting time.
For part loads, forwarders usually apply the higher of actual weight or volumetric weight — commonly 1 cubic metre counted as 250 to 333 kg, and one loading metre as about 1,750 kg.
The conversion factors that matter
| Basis | Counted as | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 loading metre | approx. 1,750 kg | part loads, non-stackable goods |
| 1 cubic metre | 250–333 kg | groupage, bulky light freight |
| 1 Euro pallet (80 × 120 cm) | 0.4 loading metres | standard case, two rows |
| 1 industrial pallet (100 × 120 cm) | 0.5 loading metres | beverages, machinery parts |
| Non-stackable pallet | double the floor space | space above is lost |
Whichever basis produces the higher figure is charged. This is why declaring dimensions and stackability correctly is not a formality: it is the difference between a quote that holds and one that gets corrected after loading.
A worked example
Eight non-stackable Euro pallets from Hanover to Vienna, 4,200 kg total, no special requirements. Eight pallets at 0.4 loading metres would be 3.2 loading metres — but because they cannot be stacked, the space above counts, so the calculation basis is 3.2 loading metres of exclusive floor.
At approximately 1,750 kg per loading metre, that gives a chargeable weight of around 5,600 kg — higher than the actual 4,200 kg. The rate therefore follows the space, not the scale. Making the pallets stackable, where the goods allow it, would cut the basis roughly in half.
Surcharges you should expect
- toll and CO2 component, since December 2023 a significant factor on German long hauls
- diesel floater, adjusted to the index at the time of carriage
- tail lift or forklift where no dock is available
- waiting time beyond the free period, usually two hours per loading point
- pre-advice, fixed appointment, multi-drop deliveries
- dangerous goods under ADR, temperature control, pallet exchange
Where shippers can genuinely save
Three levers work almost everywhere: make goods stackable where possible, widen the collection window by one or two days, and avoid Friday afternoons and the days before public holidays in the destination country.
A fourth lever is discipline at the dock. Waiting time is charged, and it also blocks the vehicle for the next customer — which is why reliable loading points earn better rates over time.
The details your enquiry needs
- postcodes of the loading and unloading point
- number, dimensions and weight of the packages
- stackable yes or no, over-height packaging
- dock or tail lift, per side
- date window for collection and delivery
- extras: temperature, dangerous goods, pre-advice, pallet exchange, value of the goods
Last updated: September 2026 · Information provided without warranty, not legal advice
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