FAQs for European Road Freight Shippers

If you are sending a commercial shipment with a commercial value but the cost of sending the shipment is being paid by someone else other than the shipper or receiver, this is called 3rd party billing.

CMR Convention (Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road) is a United Nations convention that relates to various legal issues concerning transportation of cargo by road.

Based on the CMR, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) developed a standard CMR waybill.

The CMR waybill is prepared in three languages. When checked by customs and police, a transport document must be present when the shipment is transported.

This is when cargo is moved between a point of origin and a destination without it entering the country where the shipper is registered.

For information on the current fuel surcharge, visit our surcharge page.

Freight forwarders and carriers have limited liability under international conventions for loss or damage to customer goods. In the case of an incident, your compensation is normally calculated against a "standard" negligent liability clause. DHL Cargo Insurance covers the ‘gap’ between our "standard" liability and the full value of your goods.

We handle every shipment with great care but accidents outside of our control can happen. Natural disasters such as floods may also impact your shipment. DHL Cargo Insurance is a cost effective way of protecting your goods and giving you peace of mind. After all, most people have never suffered a fire at home but continue to insure their homes against the risk.

As is common in our industry, we are a limited liability company. Our liability is dictated by International Transport conventions such as ’CMR’, or local law, which will usually equate to only a fraction of the value of your goods, because it is assessed on weight. We must also have been found to be negligent in our handling of your shipment.

With our insurance you get:

• Our own Cargo Insurance specialists sited globally to ensure the highest service quality
• Broader coverage than most other insurance policies
• No Deductibles or Excesses for you to pay
• Competitive rates, especially if you buy an Annual Policy
• No ‘claims administration’ – we handle all the paperwork on your behalf
• Claims settled within 30 days on average

Our scale means we bundle thousands of insurance demands together so we can cover higher risk profile business. Also our in-country and sector expertise means we can help you lower your risks.

Simply contact your local DHL Freight representative, who will guide you through the claims process and help you gather all of the necessary information.

Please review the details on our How to Prepare a Claim instruction page.

Yes, read more about DHL Cargo Insurance.

DHL Freight is for business users.

Private individuals and customers can find out more about DHL's delivery expertise by visiting their local country sites.

DHL Freight transports dangerous goods in accordance with national and international ADR regulations. Please note that transport schedules for dangerous goods need to be arranged separately so contact us directly and we can quickly set up a suitable solution for your needs.

Visit our dangerous goods and prohibited items page for more on this subject.

If your company does not have a contract with DHL Freight, please contact us to get a quote.

It depends on your shipping requirements, distance, size and weight of goods, insurance and the current surcharges in your country. Please contact us to get a quote

The transit times can be calculated online with our transit time tool. Simply enter the collection and delivery postcodes in to get transit time for your shipment.

DHL Freight offers you the flexibility to ship most goods from a single pallet all the way to a full truck load.

Please check our Road Freight page to find out information about the size and weight for each service. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your local DHL Freight experts.

Our online tools give you the power to manage and track your shipments from dispatch to delivery.

For full details please visit our Online Tools introduction page

If you have not sent your shipment yet, you can use Transit Time Calculator to find out transit times from postcode to postcode.

If your shipment is already on its way and you want to know exactly where it is, you can track your shipment online with our road freight tracking tool

Yes, you are welcome to our depot to pick up your shipment.

Please contact us upfront, and we will prepare the shipment for pick-up.

To track your shipment, simply enter the DHL Shipment Number (either the DHL Order Code or Consignment ID you received from us when booking your shipment) in our online road freight tracking tool.

First, check the tracking status of your shipment with our road freight tracking tool.

This gives you full visibility regarding your shipment's transit status.

For more detailed information, please get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service.

You need the shipment number or order code and ID.

You can follow your shipment step-by-step with our road freight tracking tool that provides up-to-date information on your shipment's location.

The DHL Shipment Number (either the DHL Order Code or Consignment ID) you received from us when booking your shipment.

If you are an existing DHL Freight customer and use our online booking tools, you will receive your DHL Shipment ID when making your online booking.

If you wish to make a claim, please visit our how do I prepare a claim page. There you will find information on how and when to prepare a claim. 

A claim should be made to the carrier with all enclosures within 7 days of receipt of the goods.

Please visit our online tools area for more details about eBilling.

You can also get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service to learn more.

Please get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service for a quick fix.

First, check the tracking status of your shipment with our road freight tracking tool. This gives you full visibility regarding your shipment's transit status.

For more detailed information, please get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service.

If goods are lost or damaged during transport and damage is externally visible, please make a note on the waybill or transfer documents when the shipment is received.

Please also get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service.

If goods are lost or damaged during transport and damage is externally visible, please make a note on the waybill or transfer documents when the shipment is received.

Please also get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service.

Please get in touch with your local DHL Freight customer service for a quick fix.

Follow the link to find out more about DHL Corporate Responsibility.

As the world’s largest logistics service provider, we have a special obligation to minimize the negative impact of our business on the environment.

Follow the link to find out more about Environmental protection program GoGreen

As one of the largest employers worldwide DHL Group has established its Group-wide program GoTeach as a way to improve educational opportunity for young people and prepare them for the working world.

Follow the link to find out more about GoTeach.