In today’s globalized economy, road freight has become one of the most important transport modes, helping businesses move goods with flexibility, cost efficiency, and reliability.
With over 15 years of experience and a modern fleet, PTN Logistics is proud to deliver professional road freight services that help businesses optimize their supply chains and enhance operational efficiency.
An overview of road freight services
Road freight is a flexible, fast, and cost-effective transportation solution suitable for a wide range of needs, from domestic distribution to cross-border shipping. With its extensive network coverage and adaptable scheduling, it is a top choice for businesses in the modern supply chain.
Essentially, road transport is the process of moving goods using road vehicles from a point of origin to a destination. It is a popular shipping solution for both domestic and international routes, serving the diverse needs of various industries.
The primary goal of road transport is to ensure goods are moved with flexibility, delivered door-to-door, and at an optimized cost. This mode is perfect for businesses that need to ship cargo from warehouse to warehouse, factory to port, or directly to the end customer.
Key characteristics of road transport
Road freight has several distinct characteristics that make it a preferred choice in many supply chain scenarios:
- Diverse Fleet of Vehicles: Road transport utilizes a wide variety of vehicles. Each type is designed to meet specific shipping requirements, from refrigerated trucks for agricultural products to specialized trailers for industrial machinery.
- Independence from Fixed Infrastructure: Unlike rail transport, which requires tracks, or air freight, which needs airports, road transport only requires a road network to operate. This allows trucks to reach almost any location, from urban centers to remote areas.
- Ideal for Short-Haul and Flexible Routes: Road transport is typically used for short to medium-haul routes (under 1,000 km). Vehicles can easily adjust their routes based on specific requirements, such as making multiple stops in a single journey.
- Seamless Integration with the Supply Chain: Road freight often acts as the critical link connecting other modes of transport. For example, trucks move goods from a factory to a seaport or from a train station to a warehouse, ensuring continuity.
- Decentralized and Independent Operations: Road freight services do not require a centralized dispatch system like air or rail. Companies like PTN Logistics can manage their own fleets, schedule shipments according to specific needs, and deploy both ad-hoc and regular shipments.
These characteristics highlight the flexible and universal nature of road transport, making it a practical and effective shipping method for many types of businesses.
Advantages and disadvantages of road transport
Based on its unique features, we can analyze the advantages and disadvantages of road transport. This information helps businesses make informed decisions and choose the right solution for their needs.
Advantages of road transport
✅ Handles a wide variety of goods: The diversity of vehicles allows businesses to transport many types of cargo, from fresh produce (fruits, vegetables) requiring refrigerated trucks to oversized and overweight cargo (machinery, construction equipment) needing specialized vehicles.
✅ Cost – Effective for short distances: Since it doesn’t rely on complex infrastructure like airports or railways, the cost of road freight is often lower than air freight. This helps businesses optimize their budgets, especially for small to medium-sized shipments, leading to increased profitability.
✅ Fast Door-to-Door delivery: Road transport enables direct delivery to the final customer, even in rural or remote areas where rail or air access is not feasible.
✅ Enhances supply chain continuity: Road transport serves as a bridge, moving goods from a factory to a port or from a train station to a warehouse. This reduces transit delays, optimizes schedules, and improves overall efficiency.
✅ Flexible scheduling: Businesses can flexibly arrange ad-hoc or regular shipments based on their needs, whether daily or weekly. This allows for a rapid response to market demands, especially in fast-paced industries like food or FMCG.
Disadvantages of road transport
❌ Slower speeds on long-haul routes: While efficient for shorter distances, transit times for long-haul international routes can extend to 5-7 days, which is significantly slower than air freight (1-2 days). This is due to the travel speed of trucks and customs processing times at borders.
❌ Vulnerability to external factors: Because it operates on public road networks, road transport is susceptible to disruptions from traffic accidents, congestion, or adverse weather conditions (storms, landslides).
❌ Potential for surcharges: The total cost of road freight can increase due to surcharges such as road tolls, weigh station fees, or customs inspection fees at border crossings.
❌ Limitations on volume and weight: Although the fleet is diverse, road vehicles are still subject to weight (often under 30 tons for a single container) and size restrictions. This makes it unsuitable for extremely large shipments like ore or bulk cargo weighing thousands of tons, which are better suited for sea freight.
❌ Subject to legal regulations: Road transport operations must comply with various regulations, including load limits, driver service hours, and standards for transporting dangerous goods (ADR).
Need speed and top-tier safety? Check our air freight services.
Types of vehicles and cargo suitable for road transport
Road transport utilizes a diverse range of vehicles, from light-duty trucks to specialized equipment, to move a wide variety of goods:
- Containerized cargo: This includes import/export goods such as textiles, electronics, or FMCG, typically transported in 20-foot or 40-foot containers from factories to ports or warehouses.
- Temperature- controlled cargo: Fresh agricultural products (fruits, vegetables), frozen foods, or pharmaceuticals that require refrigerated trucks with climate control systems.
- Oversized and Overweight Cargo: Industrial machinery, construction equipment, or wind turbines that require specialized vehicles and special transport permits.
- Bulk cargo: Construction materials (cement, sand) and agricultural products (rice, corn) are often transported using dump trucks or open-bed trucks.
- Dangerous goods (HAZMAT): Chemicals and fuel must be transported in strict compliance with ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage Dangerous Goods by Road) regulations.
- High- value cargo: Electronic components, precious metals, and jewelry require enhanced security measures and comprehensive insurance coverage.
The diversity of our fleet makes it easy for businesses to select the perfect solution tailored to their specific cargo and requirements.
Moving large volumes at competitive cost? Consider our sea freight solutions.
Road freight services at PTN Logistics
We take pride in offering comprehensive road freight services designed to meet all our clients’ needs with flexibility, efficiency, and safety. We understand that transportation is a critical link in your supply chain, which is why we continuously improve and expand our services to deliver the best possible experience.
Domestic trucking
We operate a diverse fleet of vehicles with various payloads and types, from small trucks to container haulers, ready to handle all shipping demands—from LTL (Less-than-Truckload) and FTL (Full Truckload) to oversized and overweight cargo.
Drivers are well-trained and highly experienced across all routes, ensuring safe and on-time delivery.Our prominent cross-border routes include:
- Vietnam – Cambodia route: Connecting your cargo to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other regions in Cambodia via major border gates such as Moc Bai and Xa Mat.
- Vietnam – China route: Ensuring smooth cargo flow through critical border gates like Huu Nghi Quan (Lang Son), Mong Cai (Quang Ninh), and Tan Thanh (Lang Son). We can transport goods to major Chinese cities such as Nanning, Guangzhou, and other border provinces.
We commit to fast lead times, competitive costs, and a transparent transport process; track easily via our road waybill.
Cross-border trucking
We are a trusted partner in cross-border transportation, seamlessly connecting Vietnam with neighboring countries like Cambodia and China. With extensive experience and strong relationships, we ensure expedited and smooth customs clearance at key border gates.
Our prominent cross-border routes include:
- Vietnam – Cambodia Route: Connecting your cargo to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and other regions in Cambodia via major border gates such as Moc Bai and Xa Mat.
- Vietnam – China Route: Ensuring smooth cargo flow through critical border gates like Huu Nghi Quan (Lang Son), Mong Cai (Quang Ninh), and Tan Thanh (Lang Son). We can transport goods to major Chinese cities such as Nanning, Guangzhou, and other border provinces.
With PTN Logistics’ cross-border services, clients receive comprehensive support with customs procedures and necessary documentation, guaranteeing that goods are transported safely, compliantly, and delivered in the shortest possible time.
Explore our end-to-end transport services to optimize your supply chain.
Why choose PTN Logistics for road freight?
Choose a trusted road freight service with a professional process, flexibly meeting all your business’s shipping needs. Partnering with us is the first step toward an efficient and secure delivery journey.
Extensive experience
With over 15 years in the industry, PTN Logistics has successfully handled more than 3,000 road shipments for over 1,500 clients. This extensive experience allows us to deeply understand your business needs and provide optimal supply chain solutions.
Solid expertise
We pride ourselves on a team of leading logistics experts trained to international standards, who are well-versed in road transport and customs regulations. We provide tailored solutions for various industries, from agriculture and textiles to oversized and overweight cargo. Our dedicated and experienced staff ensure you receive professional and effective service every time
Modern transport system
Our company continuously invests in and updates our technology and modern infrastructure. This commitment ensures that every shipping process runs smoothly, ultimately saving our clients valuable time and money.
Industry-recognized certifications & awards
PTN Logistics is a trusted partner, recognized with prestigious certifications and awards:
🔒 FIATA certified: The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations.
🔒 IATA certified: The International Air Transport Association.
🔒 ISO 9001:2015: For quality management in supply chain services, affirming our professional management system.
🔒 Top 10 reputable logistics companies in Vietnam (2023): A prestigious award recognizing our market leadership.
🔒 “Excellent customer service” award: From the Vietnam Business Association, a testament to our dedication and service quality.
Golden service commitments
We are committed to delivering superior service that adheres to the highest standards:
↪️ Door-to-Door delivery: We pick up goods at the origin and deliver them directly to the recipient’s hands, ensuring maximum convenience for your business.
↪️ 24/7 support: Our team of experts is always available 24/7 to assist and advise on any shipping-related matters.
↪️ Cargo insurance: All shipments are insured throughout the transportation process, providing you with complete peace of mind
↪️ 100% guarantee: We commit to compensating 100% of the cargo’s value in the event of damage or loss during transit (as per contract terms).
Factors that influence road freight costs
The cost of road freight is determined by several key factors:
- Type of Cargo: Temperature-controlled, oversized/overweight, or dangerous goods typically incur higher costs due to the need for specialized vehicles and strict handling regulations.
- Weight and Dimensions: Costs are calculated based on weight (kg), volume (m³), or container type (20-foot or 40-foot).
- Shipping Distance: Rates for domestic routes (e.g., Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City) will differ from those for cross-border routes (e.g., Vietnam – China).
- Surcharges: Additional fees may include road tolls, weigh station charges, or warehousing fees.
Read more insights in our Transport Services category.
Key benefits of using PTN Logistics’ road freight services
Using our transportation services not only helps your business solve its import-export challenges but also delivers exceptional advantages:
🚙 Optimize logistics costs: With competitive freight rates and optimized routes, your business can save up to 20% on transportation costs compared to other methods.
🚙 Ensure cargo integrity: Temperature-controlled goods are kept at a stable temperature, and oversized/overweight cargo is transported safely with specialized vehicles.
🚙 Increase supply chain efficiency: On-time deliveries and transparent shipment tracking help your business manage its inventory more effectively.
🚙 Receive comprehensive support: From customs consulting and bill of lading processing to shipment tracking, PTN Logistics is your partner every step of the way.
Let PTN Logistics help you elevate your supply chain to the next level with our professional, flexible, and reliable road freight services! Contact us now via our hotline or visit our website to receive a quote in just 5 minutes.
Contact us for tailored advice and a detailed quote.
Contact information
- Hotline: 1900 2197 – 0935 333 999
- Email: nam.nguyen@ptnlogistics.com
