Land freight hub
Land freight in the Middle East: FTL, groupage and cross-border trucking
Midtrans Shipping And Services arranges road freight for commercial and industrial cargo across the Middle East. We move full truck loads and groupage between the UAE, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria, match the trailer to the cargo, prepare the consignment note and transit paperwork, and follow the vehicle to unloading. This hub explains how the equipment is chosen, when FTL or groupage makes sense, which corridors we work and what a border crossing involves. Routes are options assessed per shipment.
FTL and groupageTrailer selectionCross-border documentation
MIDTRANS operations deskRoad corridors
Full truck load and groupage road freight between the UAE, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria
UAE to Syria
Dubai and Jebel Ali to Damascus, Latakia and Tartous by sea, road and multimodal.
Turkey to Syria
Road and short sea, FTL and groupage, Turkish export file and Syrian clearance.
Jordan to Syria
Cross-border road transport under customs transit, with the Aqaba sea leg when needed.
Lebanon to Syria
Short-haul road freight where part loads leave when they are packed.
International Shipping & Customs Assistant
MIDTRANS Operations Desk
Team review before pricing or operationsHub overview
Road freight across the region, planned shipment by shipment
Land freight carries cargo by truck from the loading bay to the consignee, crossing borders under transit procedure without a change of mode. On the corridors we work it is often the practical option for inland destinations and for consignments that fill a truck rather than a container.
Midtrans Shipping And Services has offices in Syria and the UAE and a partner office in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. The road desk works with the land freight service page for the method, the regional road routes overview for the comparison between corridors, and the transit cargo service for movements that cross several countries.
Every routing on this page is an option, not a promise. Which corridor, trailer and load type suits a shipment is assessed from the cargo list, the addresses and the documents at the time of booking.
- Full truck load and groupage
- Trailer matched to the cargo
- Consignment note and transit paperwork
- Vehicle followed to unloading
- Customs transit and Syrian clearance coordinated
Equipment matrix
Which trailer suits which cargo
The trailer is chosen from the cargo, never the other way round. The table lists the equipment we book most often on Middle East road corridors, the cargo each one suits and the constraints that decide whether it is workable on a given shipment. Dimensions, payloads and axle limits depend on the vehicle and on every country on the route, so they are confirmed per shipment rather than published here.
| Equipment | Suits | Constraints |
|---|---|---|
| Curtain-side (tautliner) | Palletised and cartoned general cargo, packaged production output, goods loaded by forklift from the side | Side loading through sliding curtains; not sealed against weather the way a closed box is; cargo must be strapped to the deck |
| Flatbed | Steel, pipe, sections, crated machinery, pieces wider than an enclosed body | Open deck exposed to weather; loaded by crane or side-loader; lashing and blocking rated to the load; tarpaulin where the cargo needs it |
| Low-bed (low-loader) | Tracked and wheeled machinery, tall or heavy plant, out-of-gauge pieces | Out-of-gauge movement; permits, route survey and escort vehicles on some sections; clearance of bridges and gantries checked on the route |
| Reefer (refrigerated trailer) | Food, pharmaceutical and other temperature-sensitive goods | Setpoint declared by the shipper and agreed in writing; pre-trip inspection of the unit; cargo pre-cooled before loading; temperature record kept |
| Tanker | Bulk liquids, including regulated chemicals subject to acceptance | Product compatibility with the tank and its previous cargo; cleaning certificate; dangerous goods documentation where the product is classified |
| Box van (closed trailer) | General cargo that must stay dry and locked, cartons, high-value consignments | Rear loading only; sealed at the doors for cross-border transit; no side access and no over-height pieces |
Load type
FTL versus groupage (LTL): when each makes sense
Full truck load (FTL) gives one consignment the whole trailer. The vehicle is loaded at one place, sealed and driven to one place. Nothing else rides on it. FTL makes sense when the cargo fills the deck, when it must not be handled in transit, when it is fragile or high-value, and when a sealed vehicle simplifies the crossing.
Groupage, also called less than truck load (LTL), shares the trailer between several consignments. Each pays for the space it occupies and the cargo passes through a terminal where loads are combined on the way out and separated on the way in. Groupage makes sense for part loads when the schedule leaves room for terminal handling, and on short corridors where part loads can leave when they are packed.
Road freight is priced on whichever is greater, the gross weight or the floor space the consignment blocks, so stackability matters as much as weight.
To quote either we need the pickup address, the delivery address, a cargo list with commodity and packaging, the gross weight, the outside dimensions of the largest piece, whether the cargo stacks, the ready date and the dangerous goods status of every item. From that we choose the trailer, size the movement and prepare the quotation. Start a quote request when the list is ready.
- Pickup and delivery addresses
- Cargo list: commodity and packaging
- Gross weight and dimensions of the largest piece
- Stackability and ready date
- Dangerous goods status declared
Border crossings
What a cross-border truck movement involves
A cross-border road movement has three customs events, not one. An export declaration is lodged where the cargo is loaded, a transit declaration covers the countries the vehicle crosses without importing, and an import declaration is lodged where the cargo is delivered. Between those events the vehicle travels sealed, and the seal number is recorded on the transport document and checked at each control point.
For every shipment we review the documentation set, the transit declaration, the seals, and the driver and vehicle records for each country on the route. We also review the factors that change throughput at a crossing at the time of booking: the documents presented, the inspection regime for the commodity, seasonal traffic and local conditions.
We do not publish opening hours, waiting times or the current status of any crossing. Those change too quickly to be useful on a web page. The routing and the crossing are confirmed with the operations desk when the shipment is booked. Import procedure in the destination country is handled as its own file; see customs clearance in Syria.
- Export, transit and import declarations
- Seals recorded and checked in transit
- Driver and vehicle records per country
- Throughput factors reviewed at booking
- No published hours, waiting times or status
Refrigerated transport
Temperature-controlled cargo by road
Refrigerated road legs run in a reefer trailer with its own cooling unit. The setpoint is declared by the shipper and agreed in writing, the unit is inspected before the trip, and a temperature record is delivered with the cargo. Cold-chain handovers are planned one by one so that the cargo is not left on a dock between legs.
Reefer road legs can connect with reefer sea and air legs on the same file. The refrigerated and temperature-controlled transport page sets out the method for Syria, the UAE and Egypt.
- Setpoint agreed in writing
- Pre-trip inspection of the unit
- Temperature record with the cargo
- Handovers planned per leg
Dangerous goods by road
Regulated cargo on a road corridor
Dangerous goods, regulated chemicals, petrochemical products and industrial liquids can move by road subject to shipment-specific acceptance. Each consignment is assessed on its classification, packaging, documentation, handling requirements and the route, and some classes or routes may not be workable by road.
Tanker and ISO tank movements add product compatibility and cleaning certificates to the review. The dangerous goods shipping page explains acceptance by sea, air and road.
- Classification and packaging reviewed
- Documentation per country on the route
- Product compatibility for tanks
- Acceptance decided per shipment
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers on load types, trailer selection, quotation details and border documentation.
What is the difference between FTL and groupage on a Middle East road corridor?
Full truck load (FTL) gives one consignment the whole trailer. It is loaded at one place, sealed and driven to one place. Groupage, also called LTL, shares the trailer between several consignments and is handled through a terminal at each end. FTL suits full decks, sealed movements and cargo that must not be handled in transit. Groupage suits part loads where the schedule allows terminal handling. We size each shipment from the cargo list rather than assume one or the other.
How do you choose the trailer for my cargo?
The trailer is chosen from the cargo. Dry palletised goods go in a box van or a curtain-side trailer. Steel, pipe and crated plant go on a flatbed. Tall or heavy machinery goes on a low-bed. Temperature-sensitive goods go in a reefer with an agreed setpoint. Bulk liquids go in a tanker. Weight and dimension limits of every country on the route are checked before the equipment is confirmed.
What do you need from me to quote a road shipment?
Pickup address, delivery address, a cargo list with commodity and packaging, gross weight, the outside dimensions of the largest piece, whether the cargo stacks, the ready date, and whether any item is classed as dangerous goods or needs temperature control. With that we choose the trailer, size the movement as FTL or groupage and prepare the quotation.
Do you publish border waiting times or crossing status?
No. Throughput at a crossing changes with documentation, inspection regime, seasonal traffic and local conditions, so a published figure would be out of date quickly. We review the documentation, transit declaration, seals and driver and vehicle records for each shipment and advise on the routing at the time of booking.
Can refrigerated cargo or dangerous goods move by road on these corridors?
Yes, subject to shipment-specific review. Refrigerated road legs run with the setpoint agreed in writing, a pre-trip inspection of the unit and a temperature record delivered with the cargo. Dangerous goods are accepted per shipment according to classification, packaging, documentation and the route, and some classes or routes may not be workable by road.
Which road corridors does MIDTRANS work?
UAE to Syria from Dubai and Jebel Ali, Turkey to Syria by road and short sea, Jordan to Syria under customs transit, and Lebanon to Syria as short-haul freight, with transit through Syria and Jebel Ali linking Turkey, the Levant, Iraq and the Gulf. Each corridor is assessed per shipment from the cargo list, the addresses and the documents.
Next step
Discuss a road shipment, a corridor or a border question
Send the addresses and the cargo list and we return the trailer, the load type and the documents the route calls for.
Commodity, packages, gross weight, dimensions of the largest piece, stackability and DG status.
Pickup address, delivery address and the corridor options we assess for the shipment.
Consignment note, transit declaration, seals, and driver and vehicle records per country.
