Pallet freight, Melbourne to Sydney

Melbourne to Sydney is the return leg of the Hume: about 878 km from the Dandenong, Laverton and Truganina industrial areas to the Prestons yard, an overnight run for a dedicated vehicle and a routine consignment for shared freight. Freight that goes down the Hume on one day comes back up it on the next, which is why a pallet out of Melbourne into Sydney is priced well when it fills a vehicle already heading home. Shared freight suits one to ten pallets; a dedicated vehicle suits a full load with a firm delivery day, and a Sydney to Melbourne load on the way down makes the round trip cheaper for both.

The lane runs 878 km by road, an overnight run for a dedicated vehicle up the Hume, with the driver working to fatigue rules. We collect across Melbourne Metro and Melbourne Outer through Dandenong South, Laverton, Truganina, Campbellfield and Pakenham and deliver across Sydney Metro, Sydney South West through Liverpool, Campbelltown and Prestons, and Sydney West through Penrith and Blacktown, with Canberra and Goulburn on the way. Anything outside those areas is still quoted, with the extra leg shown as its own line rather than buried in the rate.

Transit: 2 to 3 business days on shared freight, which is the interstate commitment already published on the shared freight page. A dedicated vehicle runs it direct and the date is set when you book.

Cut-offs: a quote asked for before 2pm is answered the same business day. The pickup day and the delivery window are confirmed on the booking before anything moves, and a 7am to 3pm weekday window at the receiving dock keeps waiting time, and the rate, down.

What does it cost?

The price comes back in minutes from the quote tool rather than sitting on this page as a headline that may not match your freight. Put in the two postcodes, the pallet count and the weight and you get a figure for shared freight and for a dedicated vehicle at the same time, so you can see which one is cheaper before you commit to either.

Shared freight or a dedicated truck: which is cheaper on this lane?

Shared freight puts your pallets on a trailer that is already running the lane, so you pay for the space you use. It suits one to about ten pallets, and the trade off is that the vehicle makes other stops. A dedicated vehicle runs your freight only, direct, on your timing. It costs more per pallet until you are filling most of the trailer, and then it costs less.

The vehicles that run this lane:

• 10 Pallet Rigid, 10 pallet positions and up to 7.5 t
• 12 Pallet Rigid, 12 pallet positions and up to 9 t
• 14 Pallet Rigid, 14 pallet positions and up to 12 t
• Heavy Rigid, 16 pallet positions and up to 12.5 t
• Semi Trailer, 22 pallet positions and up to 24 t
• B-double, 34 pallet positions and up to 40 t

Not sure which one? Put the freight in and both come back priced together.

What moves the price on this lane?

Pallet count. The rate per pallet drops as the consignment grows, so eight pallets on one booking beats eight pallets booked separately. If you have regular volume, a committed lane rate beats both.

Weight against space. A pallet is charged on whichever runs out first, the floor space or the weight. Dense freight like liquids, metal or paper hits the weight limit well before the trailer is full. The quote states which one applied so there is no surprise.

Access at both ends. A dock and a forklift are the cheapest way to load and unload. No forklift means a tail lift and a driver moving the freight by hand, which takes time and costs money. Residential and tight access sites cost more again. Tell us up front and it is in the quote instead of in an invoice afterwards.

Fuel. The levy moves with the diesel price and is shown as its own line, not folded into the rate.

Regular freight on this lane? Ring 0494 820 639 and we will price it as a committed lane rather than trip by trip.