Start of the transport chain
Logistics describes the pre-carriage as the first part of the supply chain. The goods are picked up from various shippers, transferred to another means of transport and sent off on the main run. In pre-carriage, the forwarders transport the goods to a facility such as a freight village where the shipments are sorted for subsequent transport on the main run to a logistics centre near the final destination. Condition and delivery date also play a role in the sorting process. The transportation costs incurred in pre-carriage and on-carriage are referred to as cartage charges.
Transport chain illustrated by groupage transport
Many forwarding agents in groupage transport use networks or partnerships to make the supply chain as efficient as possible. In this case, the shipping forwarder handles pre-carriage. It picks up the goods from the shippers, loads them onto the means of transport and transports the shipments to a terminal, freight village or logistics hub. The shipments are then collected and transported to the destination terminal by rail, ship, airplane or truck on the main run. The shipments are then unloaded, placed on new vehicles and taken to their final destinations.
Pre-carriage in combined transport
Like combined transport , the shipment is transported by truck in pre-carriage, by ship in the main run and by truck in on-carriage. The shippers usually do not have access to a port or the rail network, which is why trucks are often used for pre-carriage.
Pre-carriage in different areas of logistics
Combined and groupage transports are often divided into pre-carriage, main run and on-carriage. This is not necessary for direct transports since the goods are transported directly from the shipper to the recipient.