Road carriers transport different types of cargo. Many shipments don’t require special transport conditions, and universal vehicles with a standard truck body are sufficient. However, the transport market also includes loads that must meet additional standards and requirements—for example, temperature-controlled transport, the carriage of dangerous goods, or handling oversized loads. See the most common types of transport cargo.
What is cargo in transport?
Transport cargo includes all tangible goods moved from the loading point to the destination using appropriate means of transport. Types of cargo can take many forms—from single pallets and cartons to spatial structures, machinery, and oversized shipments. It’s the carrier handling transport orders who is responsible for choosing the right vehicle, planning the route, and meeting legal requirements (e.g., ADR certificates or permits for oversized transport).
What types of cargo are there?
In road transport, you’ll come across many different kinds of shipments. The most common type of transport cargo is neutral goods—i.e., loads that don’t require special transport conditions. In most cases, the right means of transport for such shipments will be curtain-sided (tautliner) trucks with a standard body. Still, it’s worth staying alert and asking for detailed shipment specifications. Some types of cargo in road transport—for example beverages or other liquids that freeze at sub-zero temperatures—may require temperature-controlled conditions when frost hits. Another example is stretch shrink film, which can be carried in standard trailers only when the ambient temperature is neither too high nor too low.
What types of cargo do we have? Besides neutral shipments, you’ll also often see:
- Refrigerated cargo —goods that require a controlled temperature throughout the entire transport process. This type of transport cargo includes, among others, food, flowers, pharmaceuticals, and chemical products sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Vehicles suitable for carrying this type of transport cargo are refrigerated trailers with thermally insulated walls, floor, and roof. In addition, such vehicles must be equipped with refrigeration units designed to maintain the required transport temperature.
- Dangerous goods —these are types of cargo covered by the ADR agreement. Dangerous goods logistics is complex. ADR shipments are divided into 13 classes, differentiated by hazard level and transport conditions. What’s more, dangerous goods must be properly packed and labeled, including the UN number and usually a classification code and packing group. Quantity and weight also matter, because some dangerous shipments (typically in small quantities or in packages of a specific size) fall under LQ regulations (low quantity). Under these provisions, some types of dangerous cargo—e.g., paints, nail polishes, or aerosols—may be transported in vehicles without special equipment. However, proper shipment labeling is still required. This obligation also applies to goods that must be carried in trucks with ADR equipment, including additional fire extinguishers, wheel chocks, warning signs, protective gloves, and safety goggles.
Drivers transporting dangerous types of transport cargo must hold an ADR certificate. The vehicle used to transport dangerous goods must also have an ADR approval certificate (of the same name).
What are abnormal (oversize) loads in road transport?
The transport market includes numerous types of abnormal loads. In general, oversized shipments are considered to be loads whose dimensions exceed 2.5 meters in width and 4 meters in height, and that are at least 2 meters longer than the truck’s loading space. Oversized types of cargo in logistics also include shipments whose weight—together with the truck’s weight—exceeds 42 tons. Transporting abnormal loads often requires specialized equipment and obtaining the relevant permits before the journey begins.
What are examples of abnormal loads? This type of shipment includes, among others, spatial or construction structures, as well as machines or their components. Types of oversized cargo can be divided into six groups:
- Standard —transport of this type of abnormal load can be carried out using regular road sets, provided they have the appropriate markings and securing measures.
- Special —characterized by low weight and large external dimensions, especially width. These may include, for example, tanks or components used in the energy industry.
- Heavy —loads weighing from 70 to 100 tons, e.g., ship components.
- Heavy concentrated loads —shipments with relatively small volume whose weight reaches 200–300 tons. Multi-axle trailers are used for their transport,
- Heavy spatial —loads with substantial weight and dimensions exceeding the permitted length, height, or width.
- Long loads —shipments whose length exceeds 20 meters.
How do we classify cargo?
When looking for available freight in places such as a freight exchange you can find various transport loads. Shipment types are often divided into:
- Full truckload (FTL) —loads that fully use the vehicle’s cargo space or payload capacity. This option is also chosen by shippers who want the fastest possible delivery, even when the amount of goods is smaller.
- Less-than-truckload (LTL) —shipments that don’t fully use transport capacity. These can be single cartons or pallets, as well as shipments made up of multiple transport packages—provided their total weight or volume is lower than the truck’s transport parameters.