Transport & Forwarding
FTL and LTL transport services for freight forwarders seeking steady capacity
Gab-Trans of Suwałki provides predictable, contracted road capacity for forwarding teams — from full loads to partial shipments — with a focus on punctuality, transparency and operational compliance. We integrate with your TMS via EDI/API and provide GPS telematics, so your customers can rely on capacity on your key lanes.
- Fixed lanes and weekly load slots
- TMS/ERP integration via EDI/API
- GPS telematics with geofencing and ETA
- CMR and electronic e-CMR
- Compliance with the Mobility Package and cabotage limits
- In the transport industry since 1991
AUTHORISED PARTNERS
In the European market, road transport carries the bulk of logistics work. For freight forwarders, that means the certainty of carrier capacity and service quality translates directly into the performance of the supply chain they run for their own customers.
Road transport accounts for around 77% of freight transport work in the European Union. (Eurostat — Road freight transport statistics)
Below we explain how we combine FTL and LTL into one consistent operating model that secures stable capacity on your lanes — whether you need one-off support during a seasonal peak or a permanent carrier partner on selected relations.
Scope of service
Transport for freight forwarders — what can we handle?
We support forwarding teams as a carrier subcontractor on selected lanes or across the whole order portfolio:
We tailor the cooperation model to your order structure: the number of lanes, weekly slot volumes, your end customer's quality requirements and the scope of system integration.
FTL or LTL?
Two transport modes — definitions, use cases and benefits
Full truck load on behalf of the forwarder
FTL (Full Truck Load) means one shipper's cargo fills the whole vehicle — the right choice for large, homogeneous volumes and your customer's short lead times. A standard trailer typically carries up to 24–25 t and 33 Euro pallets (1200×800 mm), which sets the practical limits for load optimisation.
FTL stop times are shorter on average — usually 1–2 loading slots — which limits the number of handling points and shortens order set-up compared with LTL.
We especially recommend FTL for:
- large, homogeneous volumes from a single shipper
- short lead times required by the end customer
- relations not worth consolidating with other cargo
- cargo requiring full control over route and schedule
- cross-border and cross-trade orders
- seasonal volume peaks in the forwarder's portfolio
For the forwarder, the benefit is a predictable delivery date, a single operational point of contact and full control over the transport documentation.
Consolidation of partial shipments
LTL (Less Than Truck Load) consolidates partial shipments from different shippers in one vehicle. It's the right choice for smaller batches where unit cost and a dense delivery network matter most — the process requires sorting and cross-docking, which adds handling points but enables efficient consolidation.
LTL consolidation can cut unit shipment cost by 15–30% thanks to better load utilisation and shared line costs — relevant when your portfolio contains many pallet-sized batches.
LTL works well for:
- many pallet-sized batches in your order portfolio
- smaller volumes where unit cost is the priority
- a dense delivery network to many recipients
- flexibly topping up volume between FTL runs
- orders with variable, hard-to-predict volume
- urban deliveries constrained by LEZ/ULEZ zones
For the forwarder, the benefit is cost flexibility and the ability to serve smaller orders without sacrificing service quality.
Steady road capacity
Lane planning and stable transport capacity
We build stable transport contracts around fixed lanes (origin–destination pairs) and volumes captured in weekly load slots — this keeps lead times, costs and fleet availability predictable during peaks.
Fixed lanes and weekly slots
We agree origin–destination pairs and volumes on a weekly cycle, letting you reserve capacity in advance instead of searching the spot market.
Cutting empty runs (backhaul)
Steady capacity cuts empty running by as much as 10–20% through backhaul planning and buffering volumes across the days of the week.
Cabotage and cross-trade in line with the Mobility Package
We run cross-border operations, cabotage and cross-trade in compliance with the EU Mobility Package — after three cabotage operations a 4-day cooling-off period applies, which we factor into fleet rotation planning.
Contracts as the foundation of predictability
Pressure for predictability and punctuality in European road operations keeps growing — contracts built on fixed lanes and weekly volumes are becoming the foundation of service stability for forwarders' customers.
Visibility and system integration
EDI/API, telematics and real-time decisions
We integrate with the forwarder's TMS/ERP systems to reduce manual operational work and speed up the flow of order status information:
-30–50%
Order confirmation via EDI/API
TMS/ERP integration via EDI/API cuts average order confirmation time by 30–50% and reduces data errors compared with email-based communication.
+5–10 pp
OTIF with telematics and geofencing
Telematics with geofencing delivers automatic status updates and precise ETAs, improving the OTIF (On-Time In-Full) rate by 5–10 percentage points.
-24–48h
Document flow with electronic e-CMR
We work under the CMR Convention; on request we also support eCMR, which typically cuts document turnaround time by 24–48 hours and speeds up settlement.
real time
Supply chain visibility
Real-time status visibility enables proactive operational decisions and reduces the risk of delays in your customer's supply chain.
Cargo security
Standards and practices for high-value cargo
For higher-risk cargo we apply proven industry standards that reduce operational risk without extending lead times:
TAPA TSR — procedures, routes, audits
For high-value cargo we apply a TAPA TSR (Trucking Security Requirements)-aligned approach: secured routes, operating procedures and regular audits, which can cut cargo theft risk by several dozen percent while maintaining required SLA levels.
CMR and electronic e-CMR
Every shipment is documented with a CMR consignment note; on request we also support electronic e-CMR, speeding up document flow and settlement after transport.
CMR carrier liability insurance
Shipments are covered by the carrier's liability insurance, protecting the forwarder's and their end customer's interests in the event of transport damage.
LTL operations
Cross-docking, standardisation and predictable lead times
Effective LTL consolidation requires an optimised handling network and standardised logistics data:
Cross-dock network optimisation
Optimising the cross-docking network and handling points cuts inter-regional lead time by 12–25%, while keeping delivery windows consistent for recipients with different receiving profiles.
GS1 SSCC labelling and scanning
In LTL operations we label and scan logistics units to the GS1 SSCC standard, making it easier to track batches and integrate statuses with EDI/API in real time.
Consolidating multiple forwarder orders
We combine partial shipments from different orders into a single run, cutting unit cost while keeping every item visible in the forwarder's system.
Sustainable transport
High fill rates and urban deliveries (LEZ/ULEZ)
A high trailer fill rate (over 90%) in FTL lowers the carbon footprint per tonne-kilometre compared with partial runs, while route planning that accounts for LEZ/ULEZ urban zones and weight restrictions helps keep last-mile LTL costs under control — relevant when your end customer reports emissions across its supply chain.
How to get started
How to start working with Gab-Trans?
To prepare a proposal for stable transport capacity, we need a few details about your lanes and volumes:
01
List of lanes (OD pairs)
You provide the list of relations you want to cover with steady capacity.
02
Volumes in weekly slots
You define the expected load volumes on a weekly cycle for each lane.
03
Loading and unloading windows
We agree the required time windows at shippers and consignees.
04
Scope of system integration
We define the scope of EDI/API, status updates and e-CMR support.
05
Capacity and rotation proposal
We present a stable capacity proposal and a fleet rotation plan on a weekly cycle.
06
Start of cooperation and monitoring
We launch transport with GPS telematics and ongoing KPI reporting.
Cooperation models
Ad-hoc support, recurring volumes and steady capacity
A forwarder can book a single FTL or LTL shipment during a seasonal peak, but for regular volumes it's worth agreeing a broader cooperation model with fixed lanes, a schedule and reporting standards.
Long-term cooperation
Regular volumes? Check out contracted FTL capacity
For regular volumes on selected lanes, you can move to contracted FTL capacity — with fixed relations, shipping frequency and cooperation terms.
Explore contracted FTL capacityFor regular volumes, we can agree on:
Why Gab-Trans
Why Gab-Trans?
Gab-Trans has been a transport company since 1991. As a carrier subcontractor for forwarding teams, we provide:
Quote
What data do we need for a quote?
To prepare a capacity proposal, we need operational data. The more precise the data we receive up front, the faster we can confirm feasibility.
Information needed for your enquiry:
- List of lanes (OD pairs) to be covered
- Expected volume in weekly load slots
- Cargo type, weight, number of pallets or loading metres
- Required trailer type
- Loading and unloading windows at shippers/consignees
- ADR, TAPA or controlled-temperature requirements, if applicable
- Scope of EDI/API integration and status handling
- e-CMR and documentation requirements
- Information on cabotage or cross-trade operations, if applicable
- Contact details at the loading and unloading points
- Whether the order is one-off, recurring or contracted
Send us your list of lanes, volumes and integration requirements — we'll check feasibility and come back with a stable capacity proposal tailored to your order portfolio.
Send an enquiry about transport capacity
SERVICES
Other Gab-Trans services
Reserve steady transport capacity
Contact the Gab-Trans team in Suwałki to share your lanes and volumes — we'll prepare a stable FTL and LTL capacity proposal for your forwarding business.
Reserve capacity