Road freight across Europe — full and part loads
Road freight to and from Bulgaria across Europe in three modes, with pickup, documentation and door-to-door delivery on every shipment.
- FTL (full truck loads), LTL (part loads) and groupage lines across Europe
- CMR, T1/EX1 documentation and customs coordination when required
- Weekly groupage departures from Sofia to major European hubs
- A forwarder since 2012
Road freight covers three core modes: FTL (full truck loads), LTL (part loads) and groupage lines, for destinations across Europe and Turkey. KG Cargo arranges pickup, documentation (CMR, T1/EX1), customs coordination where needed and door-to-door delivery, with weekly departures from Sofia.
FTL (Full Truck Load) — full truck loads
FTL means hiring the whole truck for a single shipper. A standard tilt truck (mega or tautliner) carries up to 13.6 LDM (loading meters), typically 33 euro pallets with a total gross weight of up to 24 tonnes. You pay for the truck as a whole, whether or not you use its full capacity, which makes FTL predictable on time and safe from damage by neighbouring cargo.
The document set includes the CMR consignment note, packing list, commercial invoice and, for non-EU destinations, a T1 transit declaration. Dangerous goods also require an ADR vehicle and a certified driver. Where the quantity allows, we recommend the limited quantities (LQ) regime.
LTL (Less than Truck Load) — part loads
LTL suits shipments of roughly 2 to 10 LDM or 1,500–10,000 kg, when a full truck isn’t justified. You pay in proportion to the space you occupy (LDM or CBM, whichever is less favourable), plus hub-handling charges at the consolidation point.
The break-even with FTL usually falls around 7–10 LDM; above that threshold hiring a whole truck is often the better option, because of the consolidation charges. Route, direction (import vs export) and season can shift the threshold.
Groupage lines — weekly departures from Sofia
Groupage is a form of LTL on a fixed schedule: weekly departures from Sofia to major European hubs, without waiting for a truck to fill. It suits small shipments from 100 kg up to around 2,000 kg, and shippers who value predictable departures over maximum flexibility.
Active lines: Sofia to and from Germany, Austria, Italy, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. UK routes carry post-Brexit customs formalities; intra-EU lines run without customs.
What the service includes
- Door-to-door pickup and delivery — coordination with the shipper and consignee, slot booking at warehouses with time-window requirements.
- Documentation — CMR consignment note, packing list, commercial invoice, T1/EX1 declaration for non-EU routes.
- Customs coordination (when required) — for non-EU routes we align with our customs clearance desk for import/export procedures in Bulgaria and partner brokers at the destination.
- ADR transport where applicable — certified drivers and equipment for the dangerous-goods classes; LQ regime where the quantity allows.
- Track & trace — milestone updates at departure, border crossing and delivery; ETA corrections on any deviation.
- Cargo insurance coordination — we recommend cargo insurance, because the CMR Convention (1956, art. 23) caps the carrier’s liability at about 8.33 SDR/kg — the market value of high-tech cargo often exceeds that many times over.
Why KG Cargo for road freight
Transparent quotes
A written, itemised quote within working hours — no waiting on a “we’ll call you back” cycle.
No hidden charges
Customs charges (where they apply), ADR surcharges, waiting time, set out up front, not after delivery.
A forwarder since 2012
KG Cargo Ltd. since 2012, across road, sea, air and rail, with an active partner network in the EU and its neighbours.
Ready to request a road freight quote? Send your cargo details and we’ll get in touch.
Request a quoteRoad freight FAQ
How soon will I get a quote?
We get in touch to clarify the details you’ve sent. We prepare a complete, transparent quote with all its terms once we have all the shipment data. For specific cargo (batteries, liquids, food and similar) that requires document checks, and for EXW, DAP and DDP delivery terms, we send the quote once we have all the costs in hand. We handle each shipment as per its specifics, so you get a correct and optimized quote. International logistics is a complex process, and considering every factor and cost sometimes takes time.
When is road freight worth it versus sea or air?
Road is best for European routes — direct door-to-door delivery on a predictable time (1–7 days) and with no transshipment at ports or airports. For the USA, Asia and Australia, sea is more economical at larger volumes, and air when the timing is 24–72 hours. KG Cargo compares on TCO, not on a single metric.
What happens with road transport to Russia and Belarus?
Since the EU sanctions packages from 2022 onwards, road transport to the Russian Federation and Belarus by EU operators is heavily restricted. KG Cargo does not offer routes to these destinations.
Does CMR insurance cover the full value of the cargo?
No. The CMR Convention (Geneva, 1956), art. 23 §3, caps the road carrier’s liability at about 8.33 SDR/kg of gross weight lost. For high-value cargo (electronics, pharma, machine components) that sum is often well below market value. Additional cargo insurance (ICC A or ICC C) closes the gap — we coordinate cover on request.
Can you carry dangerous goods (ADR)?
Yes, through partners with certified ADR drivers and equipment. Where the quantity allows, the limited quantities regime (LQ, ADR Chapter 3.4) removes part of the requirements — the marking is simpler and no ADR driver is needed for some classes. Before quoting we assess whether LQ applies to the specific UN number and packaging.