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AustraliaRoad Freight from China — flexible cross-border trucking, door to door.
Cross-border trucking — door-to-door to Europe, Russia & Central Asia.
Get a Free QuoteFour Road Corridors
Europe, Russia, Central Asia and Southeast Asia via Khorgos, Alashankou, Manzhouli and Mohan.
Faster Than Sea, Cheaper Than Air
12–25 days to Europe, 10–18 to Moscow, 5–12 to Central Asia.
Factory-to-Door
Pickup from your supplier, customs at each border, final delivery included.
FTL, LTL and Part Loads
Full trailers, shared truck space, or one pallet up to a mixed load.
Quick Answer: Road Freight from China — Costs & Delivery Times
Road freight from China is cross-border trucking that delivers door to door to Europe, Russia, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. Cargo moves by truck through crossings such as Khorgos and Alashankou (Kazakhstan), Manzhouli and Suifenhe (Russia), and Mohan (Laos), with customs handled at each border. Typical transit: 12–25 days to Europe, 10–18 days to Moscow, 5–12 days within Central Asia and 3–8 days to Southeast Asia.
Road freight fills the gap between sea and air — faster than a vessel, far cheaper than a flight. It suits eCommerce and marketplace stock, machinery, auto parts and palletised cargo. Book a full truckload (FTL), a part load, or share space by pallet or CBM (LTL). Trucks leave on fixed weekly schedules, so you are not tied to a vessel or train departure.
What Is Road Freight from China?
Road freight is overland trucking from your supplier in China to the delivery address, using border crossings into Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, Laos or Vietnam and then the road networks beyond. Each border has its own customs procedure, and the trailer that leaves China is not always the trailer that arrives — containers and trailers are transferred at the crossing, especially for European destinations.
The advantage over rail and sea is flexibility of departure. Rail needs a full train slot and sea needs a vessel; a truck can be loaded when your cargo is ready, which matters for restocking cycles and for cargo that will not fill a container.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
When Road Freight Is the Right Call
- You want faster than sea — 12–25 days to Europe against 30–45 days by vessel
- Air freight is too expensive for your weight, and rail space is full that week
- Your cargo is palletised and needs flexible, frequent departures rather than a fixed sailing
- You are replenishing eCommerce or Amazon FBA warehouses in Europe on a scheduled cycle
- Your goods are restricted on rail — many battery and sensitive items can travel by road on selected routes with the right documentation
- The cargo is oversized or awkward, where truck loading is more forgiving than container stuffing
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Main Road Corridors from China
Reference corridors, border crossings and typical transit times:
| Corridor | Border crossings | Typical transit | Main destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| China → Europe | Khorgos or Alashankou (Kazakhstan), then Russia and Belarus to Poland | 12–25 days | Germany, France, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy |
| China → Russia | Manzhouli or Suifenhe direct, or via Kazakhstan | 10–18 days | Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk |
| China → Central Asia | Khorgos, Alashankou or Irkeshtam | 5–12 days | Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan |
| China → Southeast Asia | Pingxiang–Huu Nghi (Vietnam), Mohan–Boten (Laos) | 3–8 days | Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Road vs Rail vs Air vs Sea (China to Europe)
How the four options compare on the Europe lane:
| Method | Transit | Cost level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 3–7 days | High | Urgent, light, high-value cargo |
| Road freight | 12–25 days | Medium — often 30–60% of air | Palletised freight, eCommerce and FBA stock, flexible departures |
| Rail freight | 16–20 days | Medium — often 30–50% of air | Full containers, heavy and bulk cargo |
| Sea freight | 30–45 days | Low | Large volumes, non-urgent cargo |
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
FTL, Part Load or LTL — Which to Book
- LTL (less than truckload) — you share the trailer and pay by pallet or CBM; suited to 1–4 pallets
- Part load — 4–13 pallets; often cheaper than LTL once consolidation and handling are counted
- FTL (full truckload) — your cargo fills the trailer, from about 13–15 pallets upward; direct routing, no shared handling, fastest border processing
The right answer is not only about pallet count. A part load that waits two days for consolidation can be slower than an FTL that leaves immediately, and on some corridors the truck rate per CBM drops sharply above a certain volume — which is why we quote two or three options rather than one.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Borders, Transit Documents and Compliance
Overland freight is won or lost at the border. Trailers queue at Khorgos, Alashankou and Brest in peak periods, and a missing transit document can add days.
- Transit declarations for the Eurasian Economic Union, and T1 documentation for the EU leg
- CMR consignment note and the commercial invoice and packing list for each consignment
- Customs transfer at the crossing — container or trailer change, with seals checked and re-sealed
- Driver documents, permits and the bilateral quotas that apply on some routes
- Commodity screening — some goods and consignees cannot transit certain countries, and that is checked before loading
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
What Road Handles Best — and What to Check First
- Machinery, production equipment and project cargo that does not fit standard containers
- Auto parts, tyres and industrial components
- Furniture, appliances, textiles and general merchandise
- eCommerce and marketplace stock on scheduled European replenishment runs
- Pallets that need to arrive intact without LCL deconsolidation handling
Two constraints to confirm before booking: axle and gross-weight limits differ by country, so evenly distributed density matters on heavy loads; and dangerous goods acceptance varies by corridor — batteries, aerosols, liquids and powders travel on selected routes only, with the correct documentation.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
What Can Delay a Road Shipment
- Border queues — Khorgos, Alashankou and Brest are the bottlenecks, and seasonal volumes make them worse
- Transit documentation — a missing permit or an inaccurate invoice stops the trailer, not just the paperwork
- Weather — winter storms on the Kazakh and Russian legs add days to transit
- Public holidays — Chinese New Year on the origin side; European and Central Asian holidays on the delivery side
- Trailer availability — reefers and specific equipment book out first during peak weeks
- UK and island deliveries — the ferry or tunnel leg adds a handover, and booking it late costs days
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
What Is Moving Road Rates in Q3 2026
- Q4 volume — European importers push inventory through October and November, and part-load space fills first
- Pre-Chinese New Year rush — the four weeks before the holiday are the busiest on every overland corridor
- Fuel and toll adjustments — diesel prices and crossing fees are passed through and can change within a month
- Border conditions — infrastructure work or temporary restrictions at a crossing redirect volume to a longer route and reprice the lane
How to read these numbers: our published transits are planning ranges. A booking is confirmed against the truck space actually reserved, the border conditions at the time of loading and the customs status of the goods.
* Reference rates for planning only — final quotes depend on weight, volume, season and exact route. Contact us for today's rates.
Road Freight to top destinations
Check reference rates and local know-how for the routes this service covers best.
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