Road freight for wine covers two very different realities: the full pallet, dedicated to a single shipper, and groupage, where several consignments share one truck. Choosing between them changes the price, the lead time and how often the bottles are handled.
When road suits wine
Road remains the reference option for intra-European flows: no pressure swings as in air freight, no crossing time as at sea, and a pickup at the winery without a pointless extra handover. It becomes attractive as soon as the volume passes a few cartons, while express courier keeps the edge on small shipments and urgent deliveries to distant markets.
Full pallet or groupage
- Full pallet: the consignment travels alone and is not touched between pickup and delivery. Shorter lead time, less breakage risk, a higher cost per bottle on small volumes.
- Groupage: several shipments share the truck, which lowers the cost for a volume that does not fill a pallet. In exchange, the consignment passes through a sorting hub, so it is handled more often.
Temperature and time on the road
A European road journey is counted in days, not hours, and a truck parked in the sun heats up quickly. Marked heat or cold can affect a wine's quality, and ATP-certified carriers exist for exactly those cases. On short routes outside extreme spells, insulating packaging is often enough, which our guide to preparing a wine shipment covers.
Excise and paperwork on road freight for wine
Moving within the European Union under suspensive regime, wine travels with an electronic administrative document (DAE) and a GAMMA2 declaration. Vastorg prepares and follows that paperwork with you, without standing in for the declarant. The principle is set out in our guide to wine excise duties in Europe, and what to check in a provider on this front is in the guide to choosing a wine logistics company.
Weighing road against express
The comparison turns on four points: volume, destination, lead time and temperature sensitivity. Our overview of wine transport solutions sets the modes side by side, and the pallets and B2B flows page describes what a quote covers on this kind of shipment. For volumes that fit in parcels, the Expédier comparison shows carrier offers on your route directly.
Frequently asked questions on transport modes and B2B flows
Who can use Vastorg?
Vastorg is reserved for wine professionals: producers, négociants, wine merchants, distributors, importers, agents and online retailers.
The platform is built for shipments from a professional to their end customer, whether that customer is a business or a private individual.
Can I ship several pallets?
Yes. On a quotation basis, Vastorg can arrange B2B shipments for pallets, groupage, full loads, and containers, depending on the destination and logistical need.
Where can Vastorg pick up the bottles?
Pickup takes place at the professional shipper’s premises: estate, winery, warehouse, wine merchant’s shop, and so on.
The pickup address is entered at booking, and the collection is then scheduled from your member area.
Can I choose a pickup date?
Yes, subject to operational availability.
Is the EORI number mandatory?
It is typically required for customs operations carried out by a business in the European Union. Vastorg can indicate whether the number is required for your shipment.
Which transport modes are available?
For your destination, the comparison tool shows the offers of the various carriers.
You are the one who picks the carrier and the offer, based on the transit time and price displayed. Vastorg imposes no transport mode and does not choose the routing on your behalf: the platform presents the options, the decision is yours. Vastorg does not act as a commissionnaire de transport (transport commission agent under French law).