Operations

Logistics & Consolidation from Rotterdam

Coordinate multiple beer and beverage brands through one European consolidation point. We support pallet, mixed-load and container shipments for professional importers and distributors, with loading and documentation confirmed against the actual products and destination.

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Pallet consolidation: Multiple SKUs and suppliers
Mixed-brand loads: Eligible beer and beverages
20' / 40' containers: Configuration confirmed per load
European hub: Netherlands-based coordination
Worldwide export: Subject to destination requirements

Shipment workflow

How your shipment moves

Seven steps from confirmed order to released documentation. Each has an owner and a checkpoint.

01Order
Buyer confirms order
Brands, SKUs, quantities, destination, Incoterm and shipment window are fixed in writing. Territorial eligibility is confirmed before anything is committed.
02Source
Stock sourced and allocated
Goods are procured across European source markets and importer stock, or allocated from an existing position. Production origin and remaining shelf life are checked against what was agreed.
03Consolidate
Goods consolidated
Consignments from multiple sources arrive at our facilities in the Netherlands, are checked against the packing plan, and are staged for loading.
04Document
Export documentation prepared
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and any excise documentation are prepared so the paperwork matches the goods exactly.
05Load
Container loaded
The final loading plan is confirmed against actual pallet dimensions and gross weight, then the container is loaded and sealed.
06Dispatch
Shipment dispatched
The container moves to the terminal and is booked onto the nominated sailing. Vessel and voyage details are confirmed to the buyer.
07Release
Documentation released
Shipping documents are released in line with the agreed payment terms so the consignee can clear the goods on arrival.

Capabilities

European beverage consolidation capabilities

Coordinated across our Netherlands operation and our freight forwarding network.

European consolidation

Netherlands-based coordination for compatible inbound stock. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest seaport and sits within a day’s road freight of the Dutch, Belgian, German, French and Czech brewing industries, which is why multi-source consolidation works from here.

EU road freight

Inbound collection from breweries, trade warehouses and importer stock across the European Union, coordinated to arrive against a loading schedule.

Ocean freight

Full container loads on all major lanes, and part loads where volume does not justify a container. Booking is coordinated with the appointed forwarder.

Pallet consolidation

Pallet-level movements within Europe, and consolidation of several small consignments into a single onward shipment.

Customs and excise

Export clearance and, where goods move under duty suspension, excise-controlled handling under the relevant authorisations.

Container loading

Loading plans built on real pallet configuration and gross weight, because beverage loads normally reach the payload limit before the floor is full.

Supply models

Pallet, mixed-load and container supply

The same coordination applies whether the requirement is a single pallet or a recurring container programme.

Several brands, shared pallets

Pallet supply

Single or mixed pallets for testing a line or filling a gap in an existing range, moved within Europe or consolidated into a larger shipment.

20' / 40' multi-brand

Mixed-load container

Several brands and categories combined into one container under one invoice and one documentation set, where the combination is commercially and physically compatible.

20' / 40' / 40' HC

Full container

Single-line volume on an established brand, loaded to the container’s payload or floor limit, whichever binds first.

Excise

Excise and stock status

Duty-paid stock: Goods for which the applicable excise has already been accounted for.
Duty-suspended stock: Excise goods moving under an approved suspension procedure between authorised warehouses, where applicable.

The commercial treatment depends on the actual stock offered, the destination, the warehouse procedure and the transaction structure — it changes both the landed cost and the documentation set. State the required excise position on your enquiry so it is settled before a quotation is issued.

Container planning uses actual SKU data

Beverage loads are weight-sensitive. Packaging format, case dimensions, pallet type, product mix and payload can materially change container utilisation, so final loading is confirmed using the specific SKUs included in the order.

330 ml glass bottle

24 units / case

96 cases / pallet

330 ml can

24 units / case

120 cases / pallet

Same volume, same case count, materially different pallet build — which is why floor positions, payload weight and cubic volume are calculated together and whichever binds first sets the limit. The container builder reports indicative utilisation; the real plan is confirmed with the warehouse against the final specification.

Example

Example mixed requirement

How a mixed-brand requirement is expressed before it reaches the loading review.

Product	Format	Qty
Corona Extra	24 × 330 ml bottle	4 pallets
Heineken	24 × 330 ml can	5 pallets
Red Bull	24 × 250 ml can	3 pallets
Coca-Cola	24 × 330 ml can	4 pallets
Total selected		16 pallets

Illustrative only. This is an example of how a requirement is set out — it is not a price, an offer, or a statement that these lines and quantities are available. Final payload and container configuration are confirmed after SKU and warehouse verification.

Before we quote

What we need to plan your shipment

Send these and the first reply can be a real answer rather than a list of questions.

Products and brands
Packaging formats
Quantity by SKU or pallet
Destination country
Destination port
Preferred Incoterm
Target shipping period

Send Shipment Requirement Incoterms Explained

Planning a mixed-brand shipment?

Select beer and beverage products, specify pallet quantities and send the requirement for loading review. Mixed-brand and mixed-category loading is subject to availability, pallet configuration, loading compatibility and destination requirements.

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Logistics by product

What limits a shipment changes with what is in it. These pages set out the working temperatures, container constraints and duty treatment for each category we supply.

Beer

Beer is the format-driven lane. What limits a beer shipment usually has less to do with the beer than with what it has been packed into.

Wine

Wine is the temperature-sensitive lane, and the only one where shipping the liquid separately from its glass is routine practice rather than an exception.

Spirits

Spirits are the regulatory lane. Climate is rarely what complicates a spirits shipment; classification, duty and documentation usually are.

Soft Drinks

Non-alcoholic lines are the simplest lane on paper and the most weight-constrained in practice.

Questions

Logistics and consolidation FAQ

Can different beverage brands be loaded in one container?

Yes. Mixed-brand loading is a core part of what we do — lines from several source markets are consolidated at our facilities in the Netherlands and loaded into a single container under one invoice and one documentation set. Which specific brands can travel together depends on availability, territorial distribution rights for the destination and the physical loading plan.

Can beer and soft drinks be consolidated together?

Usually, yes. The constraint is rarely the category itself but the excise position: alcoholic and non-alcoholic goods can be subject to different duty treatment and documentation, which affects how and where they can be combined. State both categories on the enquiry and the loading approach is confirmed with the quotation.

Do you offer pallet shipments as well as containers?

Yes. Pallet and mixed-pallet movements are supported within Europe, and smaller quantities are routinely consolidated alongside other lines into a mixed container for longer routes. There is no published minimum — volume is agreed per enquiry against the format, the destination and how the shipment is being loaded.

Can goods from multiple suppliers be consolidated?

Yes — that is the purpose of the consolidation model. Consignments arriving from different source markets are received against a single packing plan, checked, staged and loaded as one shipment, so the buyer deals with one commercial relationship rather than one per origin.

Do you handle duty-suspended products?

Whether a consignment moves duty-paid or under suspension depends on the stock position, the destination and the warehouse involved, and is confirmed as part of the quotation.

Which Incoterms are available?

We quote against EXW, FCA, FOB, CFR and CIF. Which terms apply depends on the destination, the routing and the agreed division of responsibility, and the term is fixed in the written quotation rather than assumed.

How is container capacity calculated?

Against the actual SKUs in the order. Floor positions, payload weight and cubic volume are calculated together and whichever binds first sets the limit — for beverage loads that is normally weight. Pallet type, case dimensions, stack height and the glass-to-can mix all change the answer, so a fixed pallet count is never published as though it applied universally.

Can you quote freight to my destination?

Yes. Send the destination port or city with the requirement and we quote against the Incoterm you need. Destination-specific import licensing, labelling and excise requirements are reviewed before a quotation is issued.

Looking for destination-specific detail? See export markets for ports, documentation and shipment formats by country, or mixed containers to build a load against the catalogue.