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Transport across Europe at OTSL runs on one road network: the whole European Union plus three markets outside it, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway. We move full loads (FTL), part loads (LTL) and groupage from a single pallet, and we consolidate flows at our warehouses in Kielce and Legnica in Poland. Within the EU single market goods travel without customs clearance; on routes outside the EU we run the transport together with clearance through our own customs agencies. One forwarder is responsible for the order from loading to delivery, and for every link in between.
How the network is built
The centre of the network is Poland, the operating base of OTSL. We collect cargo across the country and from shippers around Europe, consolidate it in Kielce and Legnica and route it onto three corridors:
- Western corridor: Germany, the Benelux with the Netherlands, France, then the Channel crossing to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- Southern corridor: Czechia, Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal, with a variant through Switzerland where Alpine transit shortens the route.
- Northern corridor: Scandinavia, including Norway, with ferry crossings planned from Polish and German ports.
Goods in free circulation move between EU member states without customs clearance; that is the core of the single market. The formalities do not disappear entirely: international carriage is documented by a CMR consignment note, and under Article 17 of the CMR Convention the carrier is liable for the goods from take-over until delivery. This is why we check the full set of documents before loading, not after a claim.
Groupage or FTL: how we choose the mode
A badly chosen mode costs money in both directions. A full truck for three pallets means paying to move air; groupage for urgent, sensitive cargo means extra transshipments and a longer transit. We start with four questions:
- How much is moving: pallet count, dimensions and weight; the reference point is the EUR pallet, 800 by 1200 mm under the EPAL standard.
- By when: FTL runs direct, groupage follows the consolidation schedule on the lane.
- What is moving: ADR, temperature-controlled and oversized cargo narrows the choice and requires the right equipment.
- What a delay costs: when a stopped production line costs more than the rate difference, we recommend FTL or an express van.
Both modes are described in our services: road transport FTL and groupage LTL.
Routes outside the EU: the border is part of the plan
Three markets in our network sit outside the EU customs union, each with its own procedures:
- United Kingdom: since Brexit, movements between the EU and Great Britain require customs declarations, and entry through ports using GVMS requires a GMR number (gov.uk).
- Switzerland: declarations in the Swiss customs system Passar and the LSVA road charge, settled within the order.
- Norway: an EEA member, but outside the customs union, so clearance applies to every commercial shipment.
On these routes we run clearance through our own customs agencies, in parallel with the transport and in the same order: customs clearance.
How we combine lanes into one order
The network works because the lanes interlock. A truck returning from the west picks up export cargo from Germany and Czechia for consolidation in Legnica; groupage from several Polish regions leaves for the Benelux on one vehicle; ferry and Eurotunnel crossings are booked against specific delivery windows. Cabotage and cross-trade stay within Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009, which allows up to three cabotage operations within seven days after an international delivery. Planning accounts for weekend and holiday driving bans, in Germany based on section 30 of the StVO road traffic code, because a day parked at a closed border or ramp erases the saving from a cheaper rate.
The same machinery serves trade fair logistics: stand and exhibit deliveries are booked against assembly slots, and outside the EU we arrange an ATA carnet for exhibits returning home.
See also
- FTL or LTL: when a full truck, when groupage
- Groupage LTL across Europe
- FTL rate Poland to Germany and the UK: what you pay for
- Ferry or Eurotunnel: how we choose the crossing
- Ferries to Scandinavia: routes from Polish ports
- Cabotage and cross-trade: rules and risks
- ATA carnet for trade fairs: when it is needed and how it works
- Ferry booking
- All OTSL destinations
