What Is Groupage?
Groupage (also called LTL — Less Than Truckload) is a shipping model in which multiple customers' cargo is transported within the same truck. You only pay for the m³ or loading metres (loading metre / ldm) that your cargo occupies.
Groupage Advantages
- Economical: Far cheaper than booking a whole truck for small cargo
- Regular departures: Scheduled weekly groupage lines
- Flexible: From 1 pallet to half a truck
- E-commerce friendly: Ideal for small exporters
Groupage Disadvantages
- Slightly longer total transit time than FTL (due to consolidation time)
- Loading/unloading of other cargo during the journey
- Risk of contact with other cargo on sensitive shipments (tight packaging is important)
What Is FTL?
FTL (Full Truck Load) is a shipping model where you book the entire truck for yourself. The truck departs Turkey loaded only with your cargo and goes directly to the destination with no intermediate stops.
FTL Advantages
- Fastest transit time: 6–9 working days (Turkey → Ireland)
- Direct shipment: No intermediate stops
- High security: The trailer is loaded with your cargo only
- Flexible departure date: Dispatched per your schedule
- Ideal for sensitive / valuable cargo
FTL Disadvantages
- Fixed cost since you rent the entire capacity (even if there's empty space)
- Inefficient for small cargo
Which One Should I Choose?
| Situation | Recommendation | |---|---| | Cargo 1–6 m³ or 1–6 pallets | Groupage | | Cargo 13 m³+ or fills entire truck | FTL | | Urgent delivery required (5–7 days) | FTL or Express | | Cost is the primary concern | Groupage | | Cargo very sensitive / fragile / valuable | FTL | | Regular monthly small shipments | Groupage (contract) | | Refrigerated (temperature controlled) | Groupage or FTL depending on size |
Hybrid Solutions
In some cases, a hybrid approach makes the most sense:
- Semi-groupage + semi-FTL: We send a shared truck to two different destinations in the same country
- Consolidated FTL: Combine multiple small loads into a single FTL departure from Turkey
- Refrigerated sharing: When two customers' temperature requirements are compatible, share a multi-temp vehicle
Our Recommendation at İrlanda Nakliye
Before your first shipment, our expert team will assess your cargo, delivery sensitivity and budget to recommend the most suitable option. Most of our Turkish exporters use:
- Groupage for small sample shipments
- FTL for main order shipments
within the same month. Our mixed strategy optimises both budget and delivery times.