Part of the van
or all of it?

Freight · 27 April 2026

Paying for space versus the whole vehicle

A full load means the vehicle is yours: you book the whole van or lorry whether or not every inch is filled. A part-load means you pay for the portion of the deck your freight occupies, which can be the sensible choice when a couple of pallets do not warrant a whole vehicle to themselves.

The trade-off is straightforward. A full load gives you the entire space and a single, direct journey for your goods alone. A part-load shares the cost of the vehicle across the space used, so a smaller consignment travels at a price that fits its size rather than the size of the lorry.

How a dedicated part-load still goes direct

On a shared network, a part-load can mean depots, sorting and several handling points along the way. A dedicated part-load is different. Your freight goes on one vehicle and travels direct, even though it is only using part of the deck, so it keeps the clean, point-to-point journey you want without the depot shuffle.

That matters for anything time-sensitive or fragile. Fewer hands and no co-loading carousel mean less chance of damage and a more predictable arrival, with live tracking and photo proof of delivery either way. You get much of the certainty of a full load without paying for space you do not need.

When each one is right

Reach for a full load when you have enough freight to fill a vehicle, when nothing else should share the space, or when the timing has to be entirely under your control. It is also the natural pick for a single large item that takes up the whole deck on its own.

A part-load suits a smaller, well-packed consignment where you still want a direct run but not a whole vehicle. If you are not sure which way to lean, our pallets and freight overview helps size up the job before you book.

Getting a price either way

Whichever route fits, freight is priced per job and on the route, with a fixed quote before the driver sets off. Sharing the footprint, weight and the two postcodes lets the most economical option be matched to your goods, so you are not paying for empty deck or squeezing into too little space.

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