LTL & Shared Capacity on Planned Routes
Not every shipment needs a whole vehicle — what matters is available capacity on the relevant route leg.
Start an LTL or shared-load request
Enter the route and shipment details. iTranspo can use them as the basis for checking suitable transport options and available capacity.
Capacity belongs to a route leg, not only to the vehicle
On a planned route, the same load space can be occupied differently on different legs. A shipment may travel only from stop 2 to stop 4; after delivery, that capacity becomes available again. That is why iTranspo treats LTL not simply as “some space left in the vehicle”, but as available capacity along specific route segments.
What the iTranspo LTL model takes into account
The planned route remains the basis of the capacity search.
Planned stops
Pickup or delivery can take place at stops that are already part of the route.
Additional stops
If the carrier allows it, new stops can be checked within the detour limits defined by that carrier.
Capacity by route leg
After deliveries, load space becomes available again; additional pickups use capacity on the following segments.
When LTL can make sense for the shipper
LTL/shared capacity can be useful when the shipment is smaller than the available vehicle capacity and its timing fits an already planned route. Unlike direct transport, it does not necessarily require a whole vehicle to be dispatched exclusively for that shipment. For particularly urgent or exclusive transport, direct or express transport will usually be the clearer category.
How to create a suitable LTL request
1
Define the shipment
Dimensions and weight
Reliable shipment data is required to check available capacity correctly.
2
Match the route
Pickup and delivery
Check whether origin and destination fit planned stops or permitted detours.
3
Reserve the route leg
Capacity by segment
The booking uses capacity only on the route segments actually travelled by the shipment.
Request shared capacity for pallets, boxes and parcels
If your shipment needs only part of the load space, you can request shared capacity on a suitable route segment. Include package quantity, dimensions, weight, packaging and required time windows. For pallets, height, stackability and loading assistance are important. Capacity is considered for the segment between your collection and delivery. Existing cargo and additional stops must be compatible. Spare space at one point therefore does not automatically mean that the whole required segment is available. On the scheduled Cologne–Antwerp and Cologne–Stuttgart lines, full-route pallets start at €130 and compatible pallet route segments at €50. These starting prices apply to the respective line; other LTL requests follow the actual offer terms.
Questions about LTL and shared loads
Is LTL the same as an empty run? No. An empty run describes a planned trip with empty or largely unused capacity. LTL can also take place on a route that is already partly loaded. Does pickup have to be at an existing stop? Not necessarily. If the executing transport company allows additional stops, a new stop can be checked within the detour rules it has defined. Why does capacity by route leg matter? Because a shipment does not necessarily travel the entire route. Load space can therefore become available again after a delivery.
Cologne–Antwerp: route & prices
Cologne–Stuttgart: schedule & prices