Businesses today have plenty of options when it comes to shipping goods. From trucks covering extensive road networks to the speed of air freight or the efficiency of rail transport, you might wonder when to choose road freight.
Each mode comes with its benefits and drawbacks, but road freight is often overlooked despite its hefty advantages in certain circumstances.
In this blog, we take a look at this freight mode in more detail, compare it to other methods and explore real-world examples. Let’s go.
What Is Road Freight?
Road freight is the movement of goods via truck, van or lorry. This can be within a country (domestic) or across borders (international).
Domestic road freight vehicles travel using the extensive UK road network to get shipments from their point of origin to their destination, whereas cross-border road freight moves goods from the UK to other destinations across Europe via the Channel Tunnel or a ferry route.
Want to refresh your memory on the basics? Read this blog.
When Road Freight Makes the Most Sense
With so many transport options to choose from, it’s critical to know when to choose road freight over other modes. Here is an overview of situations where it can work exceedingly well.
Short to Medium Distances
For shipments within the UK or to nearby European countries, road freight offers the perfect marriage between speed and cost. Sending your consignment to its destination using road freight can work well for time-sensitive deliveries without the high costs associated with air freight, and it’s also much quicker than sea freight.
Door-to-Door Service
Another example of when to choose road freight is for direct deliveries. Utilising road freight means you can avoid multiple transfers, instead picking your freight up from one place and taking it straight to the client’s door.
Flexible Scheduling
Where rail and air freight rely on rigid timetables, road freight offers a more adaptable shipping solution. This can be especially useful for smaller loads or urgent deliveries.
Regional or Remote Destinations
Trucks and other freight vehicles can reach smaller villages, rural areas and other destinations where access is difficult. This makes it more convenient than other freight modes, and often more cost-effective.
Special Handling Needs
Some shipments require a temperature-controlled environment, extra care due to fragility or special precautions for hazardous materials. Road freight vehicles can be kitted out with refrigeration, secure storage and even custom loading options to make sure your consignment remains in pristine condition in transit and beyond.
Road Freight vs Other Modes
When you’re choosing how to move your goods, it’s a good idea to pit road freight against other modes to see what makes sense.
Knowing when to choose road freight can help you find the perfect balance of cost-efficiency, speed and environmental impact.
Road Freight vs Sea Freight
Sea freight is a good match for large and heavy shipments, especially over a long distance, but it is much slower and less flexible than road freight.
When to choose road freight over sea freight? Opt for road freight if you require faster delivery, more adaptable scheduling or direct access to tricky locations.
Road Freight vs Air Freight
Air freight is the best shipping solution for urgent international consignments, and it’s also extremely secure. However, air travel emits the most carbon dioxide of all of the freight modes and can be extremely expensive.
Though road freight is slower than air, it is far more affordable and a greener option.
Road Freight vs Rail Freight
Rail freight excels at moving large volumes of goods over long distances quickly. Its drawbacks? Rigid timetables and routes.
Unsure when to choose road freight over rail freight? Road freight offers door-to-door, flexible shipping and direct access to even the most inaccessible of destinations, although it can be impacted by traffic and driver regulations.
Real-World Examples
Let’s explore the benefits of road freight in action.
Example 1: Just-in-Time Delivery
A UK manufacturer supplying components to a business in France requires regular shipments to be made reliably, direct to their doorstep. What’s more, is that they often need to meet just-in-time delivery expectations.
Enter road freight. Using scheduled collections and direct Channel routes, the UK manufacturer can reduce the risk of delays and avoid the higher expense of air freight.
Example 2: Urgent Shipments
Sometimes, you need things yesterday. For the UK business in this example, it was urgent spare parts that were needed to prevent production downtime.
This is the perfect example of when to choose road freight. The speed, adaptability and door-to-door delivery of road freight meant the UK business could get what they needed in a short timeframe and maintain the running of a smooth supply chain – avoiding costly delays.
How Millennium Cargo Supports Road Freight Customers
Millennium Cargo’s approach ensures your shipments are handled with care at every stage of their journey.
A Family-Run Approach
Millennium are a family-run business featuring two generations of experts. We aren’t another faceless company; we offer a personalised, heartfelt service where every customer benefits from our care and consistency.
Real People, Efficient Communication
When you give us a call or send us an email, you won’t be passed around an endless loop of automated messages. Instead, expect to speak directly to friendly, knowledgeable members of our team who understand your needs and can take action.
A Trusted Network of Carriers
With a reliable network of vetted carriers stationed across the UK and Europe, your shipments are in safe hands. With so many options, we can create the perfect carrier and route combination to meet your specific freight requirements.
Strong Cross-Border Support
Customs can be a headache. For international shipments, Millennium provide full cross-border customs support, helping you to lower your stress levels and avoid delays.
Is Road Freight Right For You?
Do you need door-to-door delivery without multiple re-loads? How about access to a rural destination without an air terminal or railway station in sight?
For short to medium distances, urgent shipments and otherwise inaccessible destinations, knowing when to choose road freight is key – it could improve your bottom line and streamline your efficiency, too.
Ready to access tailored freight solutions that actually meet your shipping needs? Get in touch with Millennium Cargo today.