Multimodal freight to Russia
Multimodal transport combines several modes on one route to get the best balance of price and transit time — with one operator responsible from your warehouse to your buyer’s door.
Why combine modes
The best-value route is often a combined one: for example, sea to a port and then rail or road to the buyer. A multimodal plan reaches cities without a direct connection and saves money on each leg. We act as the single operator for the whole route, so you deal with one contractor and one contract from your premises to the buyer’s door.
For you as the supplier this means one set of instructions and one point of contact. We collect the goods, lodge the export declaration on your behalf — the EX1 for EU countries — and send you the MRN and exit confirmation for your VAT records. HS codes and all parties are screened against EU, UK, Swiss and US sanctions before collection.
Example: from a European supplier to a buyer in the Russian regions
Say your buyer is in Yekaterinburg or Kazan rather than Moscow. We collect your pallets anywhere in the EU and bring them to our Rotterdam warehouse, lodge the EX1, and ship them as LCL groupage from €200 per place (€500 per euro pallet). After arrival and customs clearance the goods continue by road to the buyer: 25–35 days door to door to Yekaterinburg or Kazan, 28–38 days to the south of Russia.
If the order is urgent, the same buyer can be served by road instead: groupage via our Warsaw warehouse, 10–14 days door to door to Yekaterinburg or Kazan, priced on request. We show both options in one quote so you and your buyer can choose.
Typical combinations
| From | Modes | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | Sea + road | lowest price |
| China | Sea + rail / road | Russian regions |
| Asia | Rail + road | door-to-door delivery |
Sea + rail from China: 18–25 days, quoted on request by weight and volume.
How we build a route
Main leg
Sea via Rotterdam (LCL from €200 per place, FCL from €1,800) or rail from China for the long distance.
Onward leg
Rail or road from the port or terminal to the region where your buyer is based.
Last mile
Road delivery to the buyer’s warehouse in any Russian city, with status updates at every stage.
Typical multimodal cargo
- ✓Containerised cargo
- ✓Equipment
- ✓Groupage lots
- ✓Out-of-gauge cargo
- ✓Goods for buyers in the Russian regions
Frequently asked questions
What is multimodal freight?
A single route that uses more than one mode of transport — for example sea and then road — managed by one operator under one contract, from collection to delivery.
When is multimodal better than a single mode?
When the buyer is in a city without a direct connection, or when combining a cheap long-haul leg (sea or rail) with a short road leg costs less than road or air throughout.
Who handles the export formalities?
We do, on your behalf. From EU countries we lodge the EX1 and send you the MRN and exit confirmation; from other countries we arrange the national export declaration.
How long does sea + rail from China take?
About 18–25 days. It is quoted on request, by weight and volume.
Do you carry small consignments multimodally?
Yes, from 50 kg as groupage, with a minimum service fee of €200. We work B2B only.
Related services
Request a quote
Reply within 2 business hours