Operations
Logistics & Consolidation from Rotterdam
What we operate and what we do not
Alpes ZH Groothandel is a trading and procurement company. Fulfilment and excise-controlled movements may be handled through approved logistics and warehousing partners in the Netherlands. We do not claim to own or operate warehouses, an excise warehouse, vehicles or vessels, and nothing on this page should be read as such a claim. What we own is the commercial responsibility for the shipment.Shipment workflow
How a shipment moves
Seven steps from confirmed order to released documentation. Each has an owner and a checkpoint.
- 01
Buyer confirms order
Brands, SKUs, quantities, destination, incoterm and shipment window are fixed in writing. Territorial eligibility for the destination is confirmed before anything is committed.
- 02
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.
- 03
Goods consolidated
Consignments from multiple sources arrive at a partner facility in the Netherlands, are checked against the packing plan, and are staged for loading.
- 04
Export documentation prepared
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and any excise documentation are prepared so the paperwork matches the goods exactly.
- 05
Container loaded
The final loading plan is confirmed against actual pallet dimensions and gross weight, then the container is loaded and sealed.
- 06
Shipment dispatched
The container moves to the terminal and is booked onto the nominated sailing. Vessel and voyage details are confirmed to the buyer.
- 07
Documentation released
Shipping documents are released in line with the agreed payment terms so the consignee can clear the goods on arrival.
Capabilities
What the operation covers
Executed directly or through our freight forwarding and warehousing partner network.
Rotterdam and the Netherlands
Europe’s largest seaport, within a day’s road freight of the Dutch, Belgian, German, French and Czech brewing industries. That geography is why multi-source consolidation works from here.
EU road transport
Inbound collection from breweries, trade warehouses and importer stock across the European Union, coordinated to arrive against a loading schedule.
Ocean freight, FCL and LCL
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 freight and consolidation
Pallet-level movements within Europe, and consolidation of several small consignments into a single onward shipment.
Customs and excise handling
Export clearance and, where the goods move under duty suspension, excise-controlled handling through approved partners.
Container loading
Loading plans built on real pallet configuration and gross weight, because beer normally reaches the payload limit before the floor is full.
Excise
Duty-paid and duty-suspended stock
Alcohol in the European Union can move either with excise duty paid, or under duty suspension between authorised warehouses. Which applies changes the landed cost materially and changes the documentation set entirely.
For export outside the EU, goods are normally handled so that EU excise does not remain on the consignment — but the mechanism, the paperwork and the timing all depend on the stock position and the warehouse involved. State the required excise position on your inquiry rather than assuming it; it is one of the most common sources of a surprise on a first shipment.
Loading
Why the plan is confirmed late
Beer is dense. A 40 ft container will normally reach its payload weight limit well before the floor is full, and how quickly depends on the SKU mix — 355 ml glass in 24-bottle cases behaves very differently from 330 ml cans.
Pallet footprint compounds it. A EUR pallet at 1200 × 800 mm and an industrial pallet at 1200 × 1000 mm give different floor counts, and stack height varies by product. This is why we give indicative utilisation on the container builder and confirm the real plan with the warehouse against the final specification — a number produced any earlier would be a guess presented as a fact.
Looking for destination-specific detail? See export markets for ports, documentation and shipment formats by country.