P4D is committed to providing our customers with door-to-door road freight services using our network of trusted and strategically placed partner couriers throughout Europe. This includes Spain, Poland, Ireland, Germany and France.

Whether you are looking to send a single pallet, a multi pallet or LTL shipment which takes up a portion of the truck, or a full truckload (FTL), when your freight fills up the entire space of a trailer, we will provide a quick, easy and efficient service for you.

Our road freight delivery service will carry full loads, crates, pallets, boxes and even small parcels. 

There are many components that make up the supply chain for road freight andP4D are committed to eliminating all the effort associated with dealing withcarriers, customs, paperwork, etc. We will work with you to meet yourrequirements, and for the process to be as efficient as possible.  

What is Road Freight? 

Road freight is the transportation of goods from their point of origin to their destination by a motor vehicle on a road network. It’s one of the most popular forms of freight transportation as it’s cost effective, relatively flexible and fast in comparison to shipping and rail.

Different trucks are used for road freight in accordance with the goods they are transporting, from vans and semitrailers to vacuum trucks for liquid and refrigerated vehicles. There are also different sets of regulations to comply with depending on the country of transport, or which countries the freight will pass through.

For example, In EU member states road freight regulations only apply to vehicles with an empty weight of more than 3.5 tonnes. However, since February 2022, vehicles over 2.5 tonnes are also subject to road freight transport regulations when crossing EU borders.

In Europe, trucks are also restricted to a maximum length of 18.25, but in some countries, special permits are granted for Longer Heavier Vehicles (LHVs) with lengths of more than 25 metres. At P4D, we know all the relevant regulations inside out and take care of the stressful parts of logistics – so you don’t have to.

‍What are the advantages of Road Freight? 

Road freight is not only relatively fast and cost-efficient, but it utilises by far the largest transport infrastructure – the road network.

Globally speaking, the road network is by far the most advanced and well-connected infrastructure, with few places where resources are required inaccessible by road.

Even with other methods of freight transportation such as shipping and air, the road is still required to some extent to take the goods to and from the port.

‍Full Truck Load and Less Than Truckload

‍FTL and LTL stand for Full Truck Load and Less Than Truckload respectively. As the names suggest, these terms are used to differentiate between whether only part of a truck’s capacity has been booked, or if an entire truck is booked.

FTL is the best choice if the entire truck space is needed, or if your freight delivery is time sensitive or fragile/should not be delivered together with other goods, as you will avoid unnecessary stopovers and increase the load’s security.

LTL is the cheapest option, but will also be potentially the slowest as your load will be subject to the loading and unloading locations of the rest of the cargo.

‍Things to be aware of 

Road freight’s biggest drawback is its carbon footprint. Through the constant development and evolution of more environmentally-friendly driving technologies and optimised route planning and transport volumes, P4D is constantly striving to improve our eco-credentials.

LHVs are also expected to help reduce CO2 emissions as they can transport more goods in fewer trips.