Groupage transport is a particular type of shipment that consists in combining goods ordered by different customers into a single transport operation. In order to efficiently carry out groupage transport, it is necessary to precisely follow process at all times, that is, reception, storage, order preparation and dispatch of the goods.
This activity has the potential to become rather complex. For this reason, to guarantee an efficient and safe groupage service here at C.T.I. International Forwarder, we put our competent operational staff at your disposal, who are dedicated to managing each operational phase with care, attention, and speed.
What is groupage transport in logistics?
Groupage transport is becoming increasingly popular in national and international trade. But what exactly is it? Groupage is a type of transport that consists in grouping and consolidating goods that have the same or similar origins and destinations so that a single means of transport is used.
When a customer needs to ship small consignments of goods that do not take up the entire space of the required vehicle, they can opt for groupage transport by purchasing individual truck lots or containers. The products are then grouped together with those of other senders and shipped in a single loading unit. This optimizes transport management and thus saves shipping costs.
Groupage is therefore the ideal solution for companies that do not have a high volume of shipments, which is often the case for the eyewear sector. CTI has specialized in this growing sector, becoming a point of reference for transportation to hard-to-reach countries, as we also offer our clients a complete service in customs assistance.
The stages of the groupage process
The groupage process consists of several stages that must be organized and managed in detail by professionals in order for the shipment to be a success:
- Collection of goods by pre-defined zones
- Consolidation of articles according to destinations
- Transfer of goods, by appropriate means of transport
- Sorting of the packages, which are then grouped according to destinations
Delivery to various destination areas
Shipper obligations for groupage transport
The shipper that relies on a groupage transport service must provide the carrier with all the necessary documents for the shipment, especially in the case of dangerous, perishable, or valuable goods. In addition, they must fill out information documentation for the carrier, including:
- Recipient’s delivery address
- Number of packages, weight, volume and maximum overall dimensions
- Name of recipient
- On-call hours and closing times of the institution or establishment of destination
Carrier obligations for groupage transport
Once the groupage service has been commissioned, the shipping company commits to dispatching the goods by the deadline set by the customer. However, as far as the provision of the service is concerned, the company is free to choose which routes and means of transport are to be used, as well as the itinerary to be followed. At C.T.I. International Forwarder, having operated in the shipping sector since 1997, we ensure precision and a speedy service thanks to state-of-the-art transportation and, above all, an expert team that studies the best solutions, predicting and preventing possible criticalities to guarantee a successful shipment, whatever the destination.
