We handle the container transport of your goods from the Port of Antwerp to their final destination. From the terminal to you or your customer, within Belgium and towards France and Germany. We plan the haulage, monitor the timing and keep you informed through a single point of contact.
What does container transport from Antwerp involve?
A container arrives at one of the terminals in the Port of Antwerp. It stays there until someone plans the trip and collects it. That collection is what we internally call the haulage: taking the container off the quay and moving it to the unloading point.
It sounds simple, but there is more work between arrival and delivery than most shippers expect. The pickup has to be scheduled at the right moment. The free days on the terminal run out. And if the paperwork is not right, the container stays put.
We take on that entire journey. You supply the data, we handle the rest.
Why does a container stay stuck in the Port of Antwerp?
The most common reason is a document that is not correct. An error on the invoice, a missing piece in the file, a declaration that is not finalised. As long as that is not sorted, the container cannot leave the terminal.
The second problem is less visible: too little knowledge of how the port works. Anyone who does not deal with terminal procedures daily underestimates how tight the timing is. A missed pickup slot or an expired free day costs money, because demurrage and detention then build up with the shipping line.
That is why we prefer to handle transport and customs together. This way we check the file before the container arrives, not after something has gone wrong. If the mistake is already on your side, we are honest: fixing a wrong document once the container is stuck is not our strength. Keeping it from going wrong in the first place, that is where we add value.
Which terminals in Antwerp do we collect containers from?
Our drivers visit the major terminals in the port every week. MPET 1742, PSA 913, PSA 869 and 1700, among others, are fixed points in our planning. Because we know these terminals, we know where the bottlenecks are and which mistakes to avoid.
That routine counts above all for timing. We monitor the free days on your container and plan the pickup so that you avoid unnecessary demurrage or detention. You do not have to track the slots yourself. We do that.
Where do we transport the containers?
The largest share of our trips stays within the country. From the Antwerp quay to destinations across Belgium, often the same day or the next.
On top of that, we move a substantial part of the containers towards France and Germany. For those international trips the approach is the same: one plan, one point of contact, and a clear view of where your container is.
Why outsource your container transport to PLS?
We have been active in the Port of Antwerp for 19 years and move several containers there every week. That experience is exactly the point. We do this often enough to know where things go wrong and how to stay ahead of it.
We have ample capacity and think along where a standard carrier gets stuck. If a trip does not go as planned, we look for a solution rather than leaving the container standing.
And you get the same person on the line every time. No call centre, no transfers. One point of contact who knows your file and arranges the entire chain for you, from the quay to delivery.