Tel: +353 (01) 5312821 -
Dublin, Ireland
Copyright Atlas Forwarding 2021 -
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ATLAS FORWARDING LTD
In order to get the very best price possible for your shipments, avoid un-
Most forwarders use banded IRL freight tariffs based on county so it is important that you provide the full Irish town including County.(The county is important as well as the towns name as sometimes there can be more than one town with the same name). Inclusion of the Eircode is not essential, so don't worry if you don't know it.
2) EUROPEAN TOWN INCLUDING POSTCODE
Forwarders use banded European freight tariffs based on postcode so it is important that you provide the full town name in Europe including the postcode. (The postcode is important because in many countries there can be more than one town with the same name, and it helps traffic planners when organising shipments)
3) THE EXACT WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMMES
Transport tariffs can be based on weight bands so it is important that you provide the exact weight of the pallet. The bands are usually in 100 kilo increments so 101 kilos will cost more than 100 kilos, therefore the more accurate you are, the cheaper the quote will be. If you can provide the exact weight in kilos it will save you money on freight costs.
In the USA they still use lbs (pounds) the conversion from lbs to kgs is : 1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms.
4) THE EXACT DIMENSIONS OF ALL PIECES IN CENTIMETRES (LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT)
It is important that you provide the exact dimensions of the shipment because Freight forwarders work on a weight to size ratio. This is because there are both weight and size restrictions for transport by road in Ireland, The UK and in Europe.
We hear the phrase "it is the size of a normal pallet" regularly. There is no such thing as "a normal pallet".
In Europe they prefer to use 120 x 80 centimetre pallets ( EURO PALLETS) and in the British Isles 120 x 100 centimetre pallets (STD PALLETS) are more popular. The base size of the pallet can vary depending whether the goods over-
On average, international trucks are 240 centimetres wide so pallets with a width of 120 or 80 centimetres are used to maximise the number of individual consignments that may be loaded at any one time.
If the goods overhang the pallets edges, you could be unnecessarily paying for extra space on the vehicle. When palletising shipments its good practice to keep the overall weight and size to a minimum.
International trailers vary in height but a safe maximum pallet height of 200 centimetres would apply on average.
(We can offer heights of 270 to 300 centimetres on request.)
In the USA they still use inches the conversion from inches to centimetres is :1 inch = 2.54 centimetres.
5) IF THE PALLETS ARE STACKABLE
Most groupage and part loads will share space on a vehicle with other goods, the dimensions will help us to make sure that everyone is paying the correct amount for the space their shipment occupies on the vehicle.
We therefore need to be advised if the goods are stackable i.e. if they can have other goods loaded on top of them. If you are shipping short/low pallets and they are not stackable you are likely to be charged for the entire pallet space. To save you money, our recommendation is therefore that pallets are either a maximum of 120 centimetres tall and stackable or if non stackable that the pallets are built as tall as possible i.e. up to the full height of the vehicle (200-
The rule of thumb for delivery dates is that the quicker the delivery has to happen, the more expensive the freight cost will be. It therefore pays to be organised and arrange shipping before the goods become urgent. We can arrange ECONOMY, GROUPAGE, PART LOAD, FULL LOAD, EXPRESS GROUPAGE and DEDICATED EXPRESS COURIER shipments but to get an economical quote please give us as much time as possible to group your shipment with others to help bring the costs down.
7) ACCESS RESTRICTIONS
Deliveries are cheaper sometimes if delivery can be made directly off the international trailer. This is not possible on some occasions due to problems with access, for example in city centres. If we are supplied with details of access at the collection and delivery point it can avoid extra costs in the form of wasted journey charges for failed deliveries.
8) LOADING / OFF-
Some companies do not have a fork lift truck for collections or deliveries and may require a tail-
Some companies close early on Fridays or close for longer lunches periods on the continent. The bigger the collection or delivery window, the cheaper we can make your freight charges. If we are advised about special timed delivery requirements at the collection and delivery point it can avoid extra costs in the form of wasted journey charges for failed deliveries.
10) WHAT ARE THE TYPE OF GOODS ?
Some goods are unsuitable for certain modes of transport. We will always advise the best way to transport and ship to avoid loss, damage and other problems.
