Why does backhaul cargo matter in logistics?
Backhaul cargo reduces empty running, which lowers fuel use, tolls, driver time and vehicle wear. For carriers, it improves the margin on a route that would otherwise lose money. For shippers, it offers a lower rate on lanes where direct capacity is limited, provided their cargo can match the vehicle’s return schedule and route.
What is the difference between backhaul cargo and standard freight?
Standard freight is booked on a route and timetable chosen by the shipper, and the carrier plans the vehicle around that booking. Backhaul cargo is booked into capacity that already exists on a vehicle’s return leg, so the dates and routing are set by the outbound journey. Backhaul cargo is cheaper but less flexible, because the cargo must fit the vehicle’s existing itinerary.
Transport types that use backhaul cargo
- Full truckload (FTL) return loads
- Cross-border road freight
- Pallet and groupage transport on return legs
- Middle-mile transport between warehouses and hubs
- Van and truck networks serving regional routes
Example in practice
A van carrying electronics from Vienna, Austria to Zagreb, Croatia has unloaded its cargo and is due to return to Vienna. A furniture distributor in Zagreb needs 8 pallets of flat-pack furniture delivered to a warehouse in Graz, Austria, which is on the route back. The distributor books the space on the return leg at a lower rate than a dedicated van, and the van collects the pallets in Zagreb on its return journey and delivers them to Graz before continuing to Vienna.