Construction Supplier Saves €18,000/Year on Spain–Romania FTL Shipments

A Spanish building materials manufacturer based near Castellón — one of Europe's largest ceramic tile production clusters — supplies architectural ceramics, porcelain panels, and adhesive compounds to a network of construction distributors across Romania. With Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca as primary delivery points, the company ships an average of four full truckloads (FTL) per month along the 2,600 km Spain–Romania corridor.

The Challenge

Managing regular FTL freight over one of Europe's longer east–west road corridors presented the manufacturer with persistent operational and financial difficulties:

• Extreme spot market volatility. FTL spot rates on the Spain–Romania lane fluctuated wildly depending on seasonal demand, driver availability, and fuel costs. The manufacturer had seen quotes for the same Castellón-to-Bucharest route range from €2,800 to €4,200 within a single quarter — making accurate landed-cost calculations nearly impossible and complicating sales pricing to Romanian distributors.
• Unreliable carrier availability. Sourcing trucks through freight exchanges and spot brokers meant that capacity was never guaranteed. On three occasions during the previous year, the manufacturer had been unable to secure a truck within their required loading window, resulting in delayed shipments that disrupted construction project timelines for their Romanian customers. Two of these delays triggered penalty clauses in their supply contracts.
• Inconsistent service quality. Working with a different carrier on nearly every shipment meant no consistency in vehicle condition, driver professionalism, or communication standards. The manufacturer reported issues ranging from trucks arriving without adequate load-securing equipment to drivers unable to communicate with warehouse staff at either origin or destination.

The Solution

Transroad structured a contracted FTL programme that provided rate stability, guaranteed capacity, and consistent service standards:

• Fixed annual FTL rates based on a commitment of four loads per month (approximately 48 FTL shipments per year). The contracted rate of €3,150 per Castellón–Bucharest load was locked for 12 months, with a transparent fuel surcharge adjustment mechanism tied to the EU diesel index. This gave the manufacturer a reliable per-truck cost for budgeting and margin calculations.
• Guaranteed weekly loading slots. Transroad reserves dedicated truck capacity every Wednesday for the manufacturer's Castellón facility. Even during peak freight season (September–November, when construction activity in Eastern Europe drives intense carrier demand), the manufacturer has a guaranteed truck available. Additional ad-hoc loads can be booked with 72 hours' notice at the same contracted rate.
• Consistent fleet and driver standards. All trucks assigned to the route are Euro 6 curtainsiders with full load-securing kits (straps, corner protectors, anti-slip mats) and meet Transroad's vehicle age and condition requirements. Drivers are vetted, trained on ceramic goods handling procedures, and carry multilingual CMR documentation. The manufacturer deals with a single Transroad account manager for all shipments rather than negotiating with a new broker each week.
• Real-time GPS tracking from loading to delivery, with automated ETA updates sent to both the manufacturer and the Romanian receiving warehouse. Any delays due to border crossings, weather, or traffic are communicated proactively with revised delivery estimates.

The Results

After the first full year on the contracted FTL programme, the financial and operational benefits were clear:

• €18,000 in annual freight savings compared to the prior year's average spot market spend — a 12% reduction in total freight costs on the Romania corridor. The savings came from eliminating both rate spikes during peak season and the premium pricing that last-minute spot bookings attracted.
• 100% loading slot availability, with all 48 scheduled weekly pickups fulfilled on time. Zero shipments were delayed due to truck unavailability, eliminating the supply contract penalties the manufacturer had previously incurred.
• 5-day average transit time from Castellón to Bucharest, with a 97.9% on-time delivery rate against the contracted 5-day window. The single delayed shipment was caused by an unplanned Romanian border inspection and was communicated to the customer 6 hours in advance.
• Administrative time reduced by 60%, as the manufacturer's logistics coordinator no longer needed to request, compare, and negotiate spot quotes for each shipment. A single monthly invoice covers all shipments with itemised CMR references.

Looking Ahead

The manufacturer is now expanding their contracted programme with Transroad to include FTL shipments to Bulgaria and Serbia, where they are developing new distributor relationships in the rapidly growing Balkan construction market.

If your company ships regular full truckloads on long-haul European corridors (such as the Spain to Romania route) and is tired of spot market unpredictability, Transroad's contracted FTL programmes can deliver cost certainty and guaranteed capacity. Use our online freight calculator to benchmark your current rates, or request a custom FTL quote from our commercial team to lock in competitive pricing for your specific routes.