If you are shipping to Italy from the UK for commercial purposes it is worth knowing a little about the haulage industry and some of the options you have.
Due to the distance from the UK to Italy and the size of Italy, transit times typically range from between 5 – 10 days and prices will vary from a couple of hundred pounds for a single pallet to fifteen hundred pounds for a full load.
This is definitely the most cost effective method of transport and is perfect if you can be flexible on transit times and delivery dates. Forward delivery will usually take place when a full vehicle can be dispatched and this can add an extra day or two to transit times.
Pallet delivery to Italy from the UK
Cost rule of thumb: £200 for the first pallet, £100 per pallet thereafter. Weight and final destination will impact price (Italy is a big place!)
For a small number of pallets Groupage is likely to provide a cost effective and reliable service. Groupage is where several haulage firms will collect pallets form a broad geographical area and take them to delivery point 1, which will be a warehouse. Here the pallets are sorted and consolidated based on destination and they will either be taken on for final mile delivered on to another warehouse (closer to the destination) for secondary consolidation and delivery.
Full and Part loads
Full load from the UK to Italy expect to pay anything from £1,395 to £1,595. Final destination will impact price due to the size of the country.
Part Loads from the UK to Italy expect to pay from £895 to £1,195 depending on the size of your load and the final destination.
What is a full load?
This is typically anything that takes up the majority of the available space on the vehicle trailer (80% and over). Although freight is often moved on pallets, large crates or especially long items may make up the majority of a load.
Unlike Groupage, full and part loads typically remain on the same vehicle between collection and delivery and are often chosen when there are more than 10 pallets on a shipment or when the goods are of significant value. When high value goods are being transported you may not want the loading, unloading and multiple handling of a Groupage service.
How many pallets fit onto a trailer?
If you are using Euro Pallets (800x1200mm) your haulier will be able to fit 33 onto a full load.
If your goods are on Standard Pallets (1000x1200mm) your haulier will be able to fit 26 onto a full load up to a weight of around 26 tonnes, the maximum weight may be slightly higher or lower depending on the weight of the un-laden vehicle as the maximum gross weight limit is 44 tonnes (some lighter vehicles can load up to 30 tonnes).
Express Delivery to Italy
Express delivery to Italy would be by one of our dedicated vans door-to-door but due to the distances involved there are some challenges.
Due to the distance between Italy and the UK express delivery can still take two days and would only be available for loads of 4 pallets or fewer. A Luton van can hold 4 pallets and drivers of Luton vans are not required to use a Tachometer to regulate their driving and rest hours. As such 4 pallets can travel further in the same time than a load on a bigger vehicle where the driver would be legally required to rest for many hours during the transit. If you have more than 4 pallets and need rapid transit then two drivers can be used (one rests whilst the other drives) at significant increase in costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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For continental land transit the hauliers liability to you, the owner of the goods, is calculated at around £8 per KG. Additional insurance up to £10k coverage can be purchased for £20, and for higher value goods we will provide you a bespoke quotation.
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As the roads and ferries can be unpredictable we do not guarantee delivery timescales however we do work hard to ensure rapid transit where required.
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Yes. To ensure smooth transit it may be necessary to discuss access and timings with our service personnel and we can ensure that a tail lift vehicle is used where required.
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'Standard Pallets' are 120x100cm and 'Euro Pallets' are 120x80cm. Anything bigger than this would be classed as oversized or if your goods overhang the pallet (not recommended unless the goods are sturdy) it would also be classed as oversized. If possible it is best to keep the height to a maximum of 220cm as anything taller may not fit through the doors of many standard vehicles. Our oversized pallet quotes are calculated on the exact measurements of your load so you will not pay for more space that you use.
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Typically 5 working days is a good rule of thumb for most western European countries.
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For domestic pallets and Exports, we can sometimes collect same day If booked before 10am. On most occasions though collection will be next working day and for Imports it is best to allow 2 days.
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Yes (depending on the distance). This will require a dedicated vehicle.
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Yes. Engines or vehicle parts must be fully drained of any oil or fuel prior to transport as spill and leaks can create a slip hazard and a fire risk.
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Yes, often we can provide an online tracking link. If this is not available our service personnel can keep you updated on transit.
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If your goods can be moved by hand (small and lightweight) or by forklift then it may not be necessary to put them onto a pallet. Typically though a pallet is essential for transit.
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Kerbside refers to the position and availability of goods. Collections must be from a place accessible by the vehicle and goods will not be move further once off the vehicle.
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Customer feedback
Thank you very much for taking the time to understand what we needed, the goods arrived this morning exactly as planned.
Emma Trusson
Purchasing Manager
They always answer the phone when i call and keep me updated when i have something urgent being delivered
Jack Ford
Purchasing Manager
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