Transito launches Total Freight as low-water challenges on the Rhine persist

Dutch chartering firm Transito has introduced Total Freight, a service merging sea and inland shipping on a single contract amid ongoing low-water challenges and other disruptions affecting cargo journeys between European ports and inland areas. The service encompasses sea transport, port operations, transhipment, and subsequent inland delivery.

Shippers pay a single price per tonne, receive one contract, and obtain one invoice for the entire journey. Transito also manages any waiting time between seagoing and inland vessels within a set limit. This service targets companies shipping various commodities, such as dry cargo from Scandinavia, the UK, Poland, and northern Spain to the German and Dutch hinterland.

In the past, such shipments often required four distinct contracts. Low water levels, port congestion, vessel delays, or missing documentation can lead to extended waiting times for cargo owners. Bas Weinberg, managing director of Transito, explained that the company now handles both vessels, ensuring that delays in one do not impact the other.

Total Freight is particularly beneficial for industrial buyers and mid-sized firms without dedicated freight departments, especially those transporting agribulk, construction materials, fertilizers, minerals, recycling goods, and project cargo. The company manages cargo from the overseas loading port to the European hinterland's port.

Weinberg emphasized that the main challenge often lies in coordinating the seagoing vessel, terminal, and inland vessel. By arranging both shipping legs, Transito can adapt schedules in response to changes at sea, in port, or on the river. The service operates in both directions, including cargo moving from inland to overseas destinations.