Career
Transportation by high-speed trains from China has become common for global electronics manufacturers, European fashion retailers, spare parts manufacturers, and other businesses in industries where speed is of the essence. This type of transportation is the “golden mean” between sea and air transportation.
Despite the many advantages of high-speed trains, senders often turn down this service in favor of other modes of transport. The main reason is often the necessity of getting a container from the station of arrival to the final recipient. Dmitry Pokhodenko, Head of Operations Division, AsstrA China, tells how to have such containers to anywhere in Europe quickly and economically.
- Dmitry, what are the options for the onward shipment of containers arriving at high-speed rail stations?
Transportation by high-speed train on one of the most popular routes between Chengdu, China, and Malaszewice, Poland, takes up to 16 days. After the train arrives at the Malaszewice station, the client has two options: use a container truck or deliver the goods to the recipient’s railway station by rail. AsstrA experts recommend the railway option if there is a direct block train from Malaszewice to the recipient’s station. Otherwise, it must be via container trucks.
I will give an example involving a client shipping between Chengdu and Prague. There are no regularly scheduled block trains between Malaszewice and Prague. When selecting a railway pickup, the AsstrA team would need to make a single shipment on the platform in the normal queue order, thereby completely negating the advantage of the high-speed delivery from China. As a result, the “accelerated” transportation would ultimately take 3-4 weeks. In such cases, shipping the containers via truck is the optimal scheme for the delivery of the cargo to the final recipient.
The choice of container carrier is depends on the following factors:
First is speed. The train arrives at the Malaszewice station, where AsstrA subsequently provides a full range of services for the client. Company specialists independently arrange T1 and CMR, pay station collection fees, and transfer the container from the platform to a two- or three-axle trailer. Within 1-2 days, depending on the place of unloading, the goods are delivered to the final recipient.
The second is maneuverability. The possibility to take a detour in the event of accidents or road section closures and freedom of movement outside of special access roads guarantee delivery of cargo directly to the recipient’s warehouse doors. In the case of delivery to Ukraine, road transport saves significant time over railway transport, which requires moving the car to another track for last mile delivery.
Finally, reliability. Thanks to cooperation with trusted partners, strictly enforced speed limits, and the AsstrA team’s commitment to safety, the transshipment to the container is carried out as quickly and safely as possible. Furthermore, AsstrA specialists track the container carrier via tracing technology which allows clients to receive regular information on the location of cargo.
- Are there any restrictions on the use of container trucks?
Restrictions on container transport coincide with the restrictions applicable to high-speed trains, i.e. no dangerous goods are accepted for transportation.
There are certain restrictions on weight. In Europe this limit is up to 22 tons. Upon delivery to Ukraine, the cargo weight cannot exceed 16.5 tons, since only biaxial container transporters are used there.
There are no geographical restrictions. The most popular routes on which AsstrA customers use container cars for last-mile delivery cargo involve Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic countries, and Finland.
Through the use of their own machines and the presence of the AsstrA office in Malaszewice, corporate customers enjoy individual, tailored delivery options. In case of long-term and fruitful cooperation, customers receive premium conditions for the delivery of high-speed trains from China, transit clearance, and the onward shipment of the containers. Don’t be shy – it’s time to try!
