International groupage: what it is and when it pays off
What international road groupage is, how consolidated freight works and when it is more convenient than FTL. A practical guide for businesses.
What is groupage
Groupage, also known as LTL (Less Than Truckload) or consolidated freight, means combining shipments from multiple clients onto a single vehicle. Each company pays only for the space it occupies. The rest of the truck is shared with other shippers heading to the same area.
It is the standard service for businesses that need to ship regularly to Europe but do not have enough goods to fill an entire semi-trailer. Italfrance S.r.l. has operated this service since 2011 with weekly departures to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Luxembourg.
How a groupage shipment works
The process follows precise steps. Goods are collected from the sender and brought to the consolidation warehouse. There they are combined with shipments from other clients going to the same destination. The truck departs when the load is complete.
At destination, goods are sorted and delivered to individual recipients. The entire cycle, from collection to delivery, typically takes 4-7 working days depending on the destination.
- Collection from the sender or delivery to warehouse
- Consolidation with other shipments on the same route
- Transport to the destination country
- Sorting and delivery to the final recipient
When groupage really pays off
Groupage is the right choice when the load does not exceed 5,000 kg or does not fill more than half a semi-trailer (about 40 m³). In these cases, paying for a full truck would be a waste.
It is also suitable for recurring shipments to the same destinations. Fixed weekly departures allow you to plan deliveries regularly without accumulating goods waiting for a full load.
Groupage vs FTL: the practical difference
With groupage you pay by weight or volume. With FTL you pay for the entire journey. If the load exceeds two-thirds of the truck capacity, FTL often becomes more convenient than groupage even without filling the vehicle to 100%.
FTL is also faster because the truck goes direct without consolidation stops. For urgent or high-value goods, full load remains the best choice. For everything else, groupage offers the best value for money.
Our groupage service
Italfrance S.r.l. operates weekly groupage from Puglia to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Luxembourg. Collection is at the client's premises. We have a 5,000 sqm warehouse in Bisceglie (BT) for goods consolidation.
We serve over 500 active clients with a company-owned fleet and qualified drivers. For a quote, just provide weight, volume, collection point and destination.