Shipping Guides
Shipping guides for pallet labelling, parcel weight limits, freight transit times, Incoterms, HS codes and sending fragile items, sorted into six sections.
Go Trans shipping guides explain how to choose, prepare and document shipments across Europe, with 68 guides covering parcels, pallets, freight, paperwork and specific goods. Each guide answers one shipping question in full. Go Trans arranges parcel, courier, pallet, van and road freight shipments through DSV, DHL, DPD, UPS and FedEx.
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Jump to: Service and Carrier Comparisons · Pallet Shipping Guides · Parcel Shipping Guides · Freight Shipping Guides · Shipping Documents and Customs Guides · Item-Specific Shipping Guides
How the Shipping Guides Are Organised
The guides are grouped into 6 sections in the order a shipment is planned: choose the service, prepare the goods, plan the freight, complete the paperwork, then check the rules for the item itself.
Following that order prevents delays. A shipment that reaches the depot with the wrong packing or missing documents waits there until the problem is fixed.
Business shippers use the guides to set up repeat shipments correctly. Private senders use them for one-off jobs, from a single document to a full household item.
The first decision in every shipment is the service, so the library starts with the comparisons.
Service and Carrier Comparisons
The 13 shipping service comparisons match a shipment to the right service and carrier before a quote is requested.
Three questions decide the choice, in this order: how large the load is, how fast it must arrive, and which carrier network suits the lane. Answering them in sequence narrows dozens of possible combinations down to one or two services worth quoting.
Choosing a Service
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| FTL vs LTL freight | Dedicated trailer versus shared trailer space, compared by load weight, transit and pricing basis |
| FTL, LTL and pallet comparison | Weight thresholds that separate pallet, part load and full load shipments |
| express vs same-day delivery | Next-day against within-the-day transit, compared by reach and booking cut-off |
| parcel vs pallet vs van delivery | Which service fits long, bulky or mixed-size goods |
| express vs economy parcel | The price gap between standard and next-day parcels for regular senders |
| parcel vs courier delivery | Network sorting against dedicated handling for valuable or urgent items |
| sea freight vs air freight | Cost per kilogram against transit time for island and overseas cargo |
Choosing a Carrier
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| DHL, DPD, UPS and FedEx compared | The 4 parcel carriers set side by side on European lanes |
| how to choose a courier | 4 selection criteria: price, transit time, tracking and claims handling |
| UPS vs FedEx | Two global express networks compared on European coverage and express options |
| UPS vs DSV | A parcel carrier against a freight forwarder for loads between parcel and freight size |
| FedEx vs DSV | Parcel or freight network, decided by shipment size and service type |
| DHL vs DPD | International express against the US postal service for transatlantic senders (USPS is not a Go Trans carrier partner) |
Choosing a pallet service raises the next questions: how the load is built, sized and received.
Pallet Shipping Guides
The 7 pallet shipping guides follow a pallet from the warehouse floor to the delivery address.
A pallet shipment succeeds or fails on preparation. The load has to survive forklift handling, hub sorting and hours of trailer movement. The delivery address also has to be able to receive it, so access is checked before the truck leaves.
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| how to prepare a pallet for shipping | Stacking, stretch wrapping and corner protection for a stable load |
| pallet dimensions and sizes | Euro pallet 1,200 × 800 mm, industrial pallet 1,200 × 1,000 mm and half pallet 800 × 600 mm compared |
| how much pallet delivery costs | The 4 price inputs: weight, footprint, distance and service tier |
| pallet labelling | What a pallet label must show and where it is fixed |
| loading and unloading pallets | Forklift, pallet truck and tail-lift options matched to each site |
| pallet delivery access requirements | Street access, surface and unloading checks made before a vehicle is booked |
| pallet damage claims | Delivery note remarks, photos and the claim process for damaged pallets |
Shipments below pallet weight travel through parcel networks with their own rules.
Parcel Shipping Guides
The 7 parcel shipping guides cover a parcel from booking to hand-over.
Parcel networks run on automated sorting, which handles each box without human attention. That speeds up delivery but puts the burden on the sender: the box, its packing and its label all have to meet carrier rules before collection.
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| how to send a parcel | Booking, labelling and handing over a parcel in 3 stages |
| how to pack a parcel | Double-wall boxes, void fill and H-taping for safe transit |
| parcel delivery pricing | How weight, size, destination and speed set a parcel price |
| parcel packaging guidelines | Carrier rules on box type, label space and banned fillers |
| parcel weight limits | The 70 kg limit and how volumetric weight is calculated |
| courier drop-off points | Where to hand in parcels across Belgium and Europe |
| ParcelShop vs home collection | Drop-off flexibility against door collection convenience |
Shipments too large for parcel and pallet networks move as freight.
Freight Shipping Guides
The 11 freight shipping guides cover cost, insurance, tracking, transit time and the 4 transport modes used on European lanes.
Freight planning starts with road transport and moves to other modes only when road stops fitting the job. That happens when cargo is urgent, bound for an island or overseas port, or travelling long continental distances on a fixed schedule.
Road Freight
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| freight shipping cost factors | Distance, load size, diesel surcharges and tolls in a road freight price |
| freight insurance | Cargo cover for goods worth more than the CMR liability limit |
| how to get freight quotes | The weights, dimensions and goods details a reliable quote needs |
| how to track road freight | Following a load through its CMR reference and carrier tracking number |
| calculating freight shipping time | Distance, EU driver-hour limits, border crossings and loading windows |
| freight transit times in Europe | FTL and LTL transit ranges from Belgium by destination country |
| how to ship heavy machinery | Low-loader trailers, crane loading and route permits |
Air, Sea and Rail Freight
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| air freight in Europe | Chargeable weight pricing for time-critical cargo |
| sea freight in Europe | Full and shared container shipping to island and overseas ports |
| rail freight in Europe | Containers and swap bodies on fixed-timetable continental lanes |
| road freight statistics | Tonnage, cross-border volume and fleet size in the European haulage market |
Every freight mode carries paperwork, and the documentation guides cover it.
Shipping Documents and Customs Guides
The 13 export and customs guides explain the paperwork, codes and trade terms that move goods across borders.
Goods moving between EU member states need no customs declaration. The paperwork load rises sharply once a shipment leaves the EU: every non-EU lane adds export formalities, product classification and an agreed split of costs between seller and buyer.
Core Documents and Trade Terms
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| documents needed for shipping | The commercial invoice, packing list and transport documents for non-EU shipments |
| HS codes | How 6-digit commodity codes classify traded goods |
| Incoterms | The 11 Incoterms 2020 rules on cost and risk transfer |
| exporting parcels from Belgium | Export declarations and documents for parcels leaving the EU |
| bill of lading | Receipt, contract evidence and document of title for sea shipments |
| air waybill | The non-negotiable transport document for air cargo |
| certificate of origin | Proof of where goods were made, for preferential duty rates |
| importer of record | The party responsible for import declarations and duty payments |
Restricted Goods and Special Permits
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| prohibited items for international shipping | Which goods carriers refuse outright and which travel under conditions |
| shipping hazardous goods | ADR classes, UN numbers and approved packaging for road transport |
| export licence | Licensing for dual-use and controlled goods leaving the EU |
| ATA carnet | Duty-free temporary entry for up to 1 year in ATA Convention member countries |
| secure document delivery | Tracked, signed-for handling for contracts, passports and court papers |
General rules leave gaps for goods that need extra care, and the item guides fill them.
Item-Specific Shipping Guides
The 17 item guides cover packaging, service choice and restrictions for goods that need special handling.
Each item group carries its own risk. Fragile and valuable goods risk breakage, bulky goods need the right vehicle more than the right box, and regulated goods depend on duty rules and carrier acceptance before they can travel at all.
Fragile, Valuable and Electronic Items
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| sending fragile items | Double boxing and void fill for glass, ceramics and mirrors |
| shipping fine art | Crating and declared-value cover for paintings and sculptures |
| shipping musical instruments | Hard cases, slackened strings and humidity protection |
| shipping electronics | Lithium battery rules, anti-static packing and declared value |
| shipping laptops safely | Original packaging, data backup and battery requirements |
Bulky and Household Items
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| shipping furniture | Disassembly, blanket wrapping and van or pallet service choice |
| shipping home appliances | Upright transport with drums and doors secured |
| shipping baby products | Packing pushchairs, cots and car seats |
| shipping sports equipment | Skis, golf bags and gym equipment matched to a service |
| shipping a piano | Specialist lifting equipment and trained handling crews |
| transporting building materials | Flatbed and curtain-side trailers for bricks, timber and steel |
Vehicles and Bikes
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| vehicle shipping | Open and enclosed trailers, plus registration paperwork |
| shipping a motorcycle | Low fuel level, disconnected battery and crate or van transport |
| shipping a bicycle | 3 preparation steps: remove the pedals, turn the handlebars, box the frame |
Regulated and Perishable Goods
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| shipping alcohol | Excise duty and carrier acceptance rules between EU countries |
| shipping food | Short transit and temperature control for perishables |
| shipping plants | Ventilated packing, fast transit and plant health checks |