Types of European Transport for Removals

There are 3 main ways/methods of moving in European countries. They are listed below in order of cost, from most to least expensive.

1) Direct Transport
Direct or dedicated shipping can be compared to being picked up at the airport by a chauffeur-driven car. A driver or a small team of 2 persons picks up a truck, loads it with the customer's goods and goes directly from point A to point B. This is a very convenient shipping method for most European destinations and the journey will take 1-3 days (depending on the number of drivers). This method is usually only undertaken for large shipments as it is quite expensive, as all the resources involved are dedicated to one shipment.

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2) Courier Transport
Courier shipping is not as expensive as direct shipping, but it is still very convenient. It is not applicable to all shipments as it depends on the size of the items. If a shipment includes large bulky items that do not conform to certain standards, the shipment cannot be sent by courier.
A courier shipment can be compared to entrusting a parcel to an express delivery company. It is prepared in advance by the mover, so that it is adequately protected for international transport, and then entrusted to a courier who will deliver it to the other end (All courier companies have dedicated cargo departments for deliveries within Europe).
A courier shipment is similar to an air shipment. The packing team will pack goods, then take them to the warehouse, where the warehouse workers will create an airvan, preparing the shipment as if it were loaded onto an aeroplane. This involves the construction of a rigid cardboard outer container called an airvan, which can be of different sizes. Bolliger UK uses a 220cm by 115cm airvan, which can be compared to the size of a small room. The airvan is made of a very sturdy cardboard called ‘tri-wall’ cardboard). The goods collected from the home are stowed inside the airvan and the packed airvan is then taken to a courier (such as DHL or UPS) with a cargo department. The shipment is then sent to another mover's warehouse, where the airvan is unloaded. And finally, the goods are placed in a van and then delivered to the destination address.
The transport time for this method is 5-9 days with an average of 7. As an average, Bolliger UK achieves a transit time of one week, i.e.: collection on Tuesday and delivery the following Tuesday... or Wednesday to Wednesday.... or Thursday to Thursday... etc. This allows the customer to determine the dates of the move in advance. Something not easily possible with the next form of transport.

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3) Groupage (or ‘Part-load’) Transport
Part-load' is the English term, while “groupage” is the French term and also the most common. Of the European transport types, it is the cheapest, but requires flexibility on the part of the customer. The movers will pack at the home, transport the items to the warehouse and load the shipment onto the next available ‘line truck’ following the most suitable route. One truck can transport 10-20 different shipments from 10-20 different customers, passing through Europe and delivering them to the customers' various homes or to the warehouses of fellow movers, who in turn will deliver them to the customers.
The maximum transit time for a groupage shipment is 3 weeks, on average 2 weeks, because once the shipment is picked up and then taken to the warehouse, the next available truck to be loaded may not be there for 2 weeks, or 10 days, or maybe 1 week. Once loaded, the shipment takes about 1 week to reach its destination. [It takes a week for the truckload of goods to move away from London, taking it to destinations such as Belgium, Holland, Paris, Geneva, Florence, Rome and so on until it reaches its final destination].
Groupage shipping is convenient because the resources, transport and driver costs are shared between several customers. It is like taking a bus, it is convenient as a price, but the shipper must be flexible with the delivery time to the destination.

Regardless of the mode of transport, the mover will always be responsible for the customer's goods during transport. Even with a courier, the mover's insurance will cover the value of the goods and it is up to the mover to make sure that the packaging and covering of the goods in the airvan or truck is suitable for international transport.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)