Dry bulk materials, planned around the product
Which product is moving, where does it load and how will it be unloaded? Those are the first questions we ask. This guide brings together the polymer, food and industrial material enquiries we can assess for Benelux–UK and wider European routes.
What material do you need to move?
Use this page to identify the relevant material family, then send the exact specification. We check the proposed tanker or container with the transport partner and review how the loading and receiving sites will work with that equipment.
- Product: Full material name, grade, physical form, specification and intended use.
- Supply format: Loose bulk, bags, FIBCs or pallets, plus the loading method and any proposed transfer.
- Route and volume: Collection point, delivery location, tonnes, frequency and preferred dates.
- Acceptance requirements: Previous-load and cleaning requirements, discharge instructions, and any customer or site approval needed.
Choose the relevant material family below, or prepare an enquiry if your product is not listed. Include any information that remains to be confirmed.
Polymers and plastic raw materials
We can review polymer enquiries by resin family and grade. Specify whether the load consists of pellets, granules or powder, and whether it is virgin or recycled. Product form and customer instructions remain part of the equipment assessment.
Our polymer transport page explains the following examples and the shipment details needed for a useful quotation discussion.
- PET and rPET: Polyethylene terephthalate and recycled polyethylene terephthalate granules or pellets. Recycled forms are assessed individually.
- PVC: Polyvinyl chloride powder and compound granules, with the precise specification and handling requirements.
- PE and PP: Polyethylene, including HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE grades, and polypropylene. State the exact grade and supply form.
- Other resins: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC) and other polymer grades may be submitted for assessment.
Dry food ingredients
Food enquiries include wheat flour, rice flour, dry sugar and food starch from maize, potato or wheat. Food salt, malt and other dry ingredients can also be submitted for review. Give the specific ingredient, grade, form and intended food use so we can assess the load.
Food movements require suitable dedicated food equipment, acceptable previous-load and cleaning records, confirmed allergen requirements and customer or site acceptance before booking. Declare any gluten-free specification for a specific assessment. Our food powder transport page explains the shipment details needed.
Industrial and mineral powders
Examples for individual enquiry assessment include calcium carbonate, soda ash, kaolin, talc and silica sand. Technical starch can also be discussed separately from food starch. Equipment availability and acceptance depend on the exact grade, form, specification and transport and handling requirements.
Send a product specification and safety data sheet where applicable. Include known moisture, contamination, loading and discharge requirements and any restrictions imposed by the customer or receiving site. The proposed tanker, container and operator must be suitable for the particular product. Different uses or grades of the same named material can require different arrangements.
Match the equipment to the material
A silo tanker, bulk container and ordinary open tipping trailer use different loading and unloading arrangements. A tipping silo tanker may raise its enclosed vessel to assist pneumatic discharge through a hose into a receiving silo. That method depends on the design of the equipment, the product and the receiving facilities.
Tell us whether the delivery requires pneumatic unloading, gravity discharge or another method. We will review equipment compatibility and site instructions before comparing road tanker and RoRo options with a suitable intermodal route. If storage or a transfer from bags into bulk is needed, that stage is assessed separately with the relevant handling partner.
Turn a product enquiry into a transport plan
The material, collection point and delivery site come first. Add tonnage, dates and frequency, then identify the loading, discharge and customer acceptance requirements. The route may involve direct road transport, a North Sea crossing with separate local road legs, or a suitable container movement.
Start with the shipment enquiry and attach product or site documents when sending your email. Our planning process and Belgium–UK route guide explain how the collection, crossing and delivery stages fit together.