Less than truckload shipping services
LeShuttle Freight provides efficient and cost-effective less than truckload or groupage shipping services between the UK and mainland Europe.
Why choose LeShuttle Freight for your less than truckload shipping?
Much of the freight that travels through the Channel Tunnel is less than truckload, and our LTL partners value the speed, safety and efficiency of our service. If you are a groupage service provider, working with LeShuttle Freight will deliver excellent results for your own customers. They place their trust in you, and you can have confidence in us.
How does LeShuttle Freight handle less than truckload shipping?
With crossings taking just 35 minutes, groupage goods can be across the Channel much quicker than by using ferry freight. The cross-channel ferry transit time is at least 90 minutes. Folkestone is also closer to London than Dover, so you will be making time as well as cost savings by booking with us; plus, sending less than truckload consignments with LeShuttle Freight produces 14 times less CO₂ than a ferry, making us the more environmentally sustainable service too.
Before your crossing
If you are a groupage freight provider, simply book your crossing as normal. If you have a freight account with us, you don’t even need to book! Just make sure your company’s fleet details are up to date before using our service. When your driver arrives at our Folkestone or Calais terminals our systems will recognise their registration plate, and after border controls, security and check-in we will direct them onto our first available shuttle.
During and after the crossing
After parking up in the shuttle, drivers exit their truck. All electrical systems (including refrigeration units) have to be switched off. Drivers travel in an air-conditioned ‘Club Car’ where they can relax during the 35-minute crossing.
The great advantage with less than truckload shipping with LeShuttle Freight is the speed of getting across the Channel, and the smooth motorway to motorway transfer. The time drivers spend in the Club Car counts as a mandatory break in their tachograph, so they can be on their way as soon as they exit our terminal after the crossing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between FTL and LTL freight services?
Full truck load (FTL) means that senders of goods have used the entire capacity of a truck for their consignment. They have full control over the shipment and where it travels, and how quickly it can pass through customs clearance. Less than truck load (LTL) is when consignments are not large enough for a full truck, and cargo space is shared by different senders.
What if the truck carrying my LTL consignment is also carrying dangerous goods?
Usually your LTL freight provider will ensure that dangerous goods do not share cargo space with standard goods. But that can’t always be guaranteed, and it is the responsibility of the sender of the dangerous goods to make a pre-travel declaration, if the goods are over a certain weight. Checks mean that there may be some delays, but that is one of the risks of LTL shipping – the lack of full control over the shipment.
