Understand your trucking company's fee schedule

What criteria are included in a professional carrier's price list?

Your road haulier’s price list contains all the elements that affect the price of your services. These grids may seem complex for one simple reason: road haulage has many facets!

The distance covered by your carrier

The more kilometers your carrier has to cover to deliver the goods to the recipient, the more expensive the road haulage service will be. Driving more kilometers also means consuming more fuel and spending more time on the road on the driver’s side. Whether we’re talking about fuel costs or the employee’s salary, it’s easy to understand why a longer journey costs the shipper more.

On the other hand, it’s worth pointing out that there may be disparities between certain itineraries: in fact, a journey may cost more or less, regardless of the number of kilometers covered, depending on your contact’s transport plan. At Goëvia, for example, we have a number of regular routes serving the whole of France, offering our customers good value for money. We also take care to avoid tolls whenever possible, in order to keep our transport costs under control.

Weight and volume of merchandise

A shipment of goods will cost more if you need to deliver 2.5 tons of goods rather than less than one ton, for example. Please note: weight is not the only criterion. It’s important not to forget that volume also plays a part in determining your freight rates: this is referred to as the weight/volume ratio or volumetric weight.

The nature of the goods to be delivered

If you need to ship palletized general merchandise, this is the best way to get the best value for money. This standardized format combines reliability, efficiency and economy (in terms of both time and space). Unfortunately, not all goods can be palletized: this is the case for indivisible lengths and masses, among others.

The customer’s shipping requirements

A more complex type of goods transport is more likely to be at the upper end of your professional carrier’s price scale: handling of hazardous goods (ADR), bulk, temperature-controlled transport, overnight delivery and/or total autonomy, fragile goods requiring special precautions, etc. At the same time, you run the risk of seeing your transport costs rise if you express an urgent need.

Understand what weighs on your carrier's costs

To better understand how your road haulage operator’s rates work, we need to take the time to distinguish the expenses he faces on a daily basis, those that have a direct impact on the quotes he provides to shippers.

Employee compensation

One of the main expenses of a freight transport company is the remuneration of all its employees. It’s important to point out that many companies are also facing recruitment difficulties, which can create additional tension.

Purchase, renewal and maintenance of equipment

To operate, a freight forwarding company naturally needs a fleet of trucks and light vehicles (if necessary), handling equipment (pallet trucks, for example), and warehouses to store materials. All this costs money, not to mention the associated expenses: vehicle parking, fuel, insurance, repairs and even leasing costs. All the equipment used is associated with regular expenses, which will have an impact on the price of your carrier’s services and structure its transport rates.

The need to make business profitable

Every company needs to keep an eye on its rate of return. This issue corresponds to the following question: how long should human and material resources be required for a profitable activity? This rate of return is affected by a number of factors, including the time spent loading and unloading goods, and empty returns.

How can I keep transport costs under control?

Faced with all the factors that can affect the price of your road freight, here are a few tips to help you keep your transport budget under control.

Anticipating your needs

When it comes to transport, as with many other services,urgency represents an additional cost. In the TRM (Transport Routier de Marchandises) sector, as elsewhere, we observe a seasonal pattern: demand is highest around peak consumer periods, at Christmas and during the summer in tourist areas. You need to think ahead, both to pay less and to avoid finding yourself in tricky situations, where your carrier can no longer meet your emergency.

Choose a carrier capable of grouping and ungrouping

Choosing a road haulage company that includes groupage and unbundling in its carrier rates is a plus. In concrete terms, you share the cost of your transport with other customers loading into the same truck as you. If you choose Transports Goëvia, you can take advantage of our groupage and unbundling network with the Volupal and Volulots services offered by Évolutrans. A way of spending less and gaining easier access to affordable long-distance transport services.

Reduce the weight of your shipments

The less your goods weigh and the smaller they are, the more you’ll save on pallet shipping. For example, make sure you choose the right packaging. If you usually use triple-flute cardboard, consider double-flute with reinforcements, which can save you money while maintaining good protection. There are also cushioning methods that lighten the weight of your parcels, by replacing wood with paper. Whenever possible, use bubble envelopes rather than cardboard boxes.

To make the most of your road transport experience and get a simple, clear and easy-to-understand transport price list, rely on the expertise and transparency of Transports Goëvia.