Freight forwarding Dortmund – transport to and from the Czech Republic

From coal, steel and beer to logistics

Dortmund is the largest city in Westphalia and the eastern gateway to the Ruhr. For most of the 20th century it lived on coal mines, steelworks and breweries – it was among Europe's biggest brewing cities and gave its name to the Dortmunder Export beer style. The last pit closed in the 1980s and the blast furnaces early this century. Where the Phoenix steelworks once stood there is now an artificial lake, the Phoenix-See, and other former industrial sites have become technology parks and large warehouses.

Logistics has become one of the city's growth sectors. Dortmund sits at the junction of the A1, A2, A40, A44 and A45, and a truck can reach a large share of Germany's and Benelux's population within a few hours. That is why so many retail and e-commerce distribution centres have opened in and around the city. The local technical university and research institutes also specialise in logistics.

What Czech customers bring in from Dortmund

• consumer goods, electronics, household products and clothing from regional and European distribution centres,
• e-commerce returns and surplus stock,
• machinery and industrial equipment from Westphalian manufacturers,
• beer and beverages from local breweries,
• overseas container cargo that reached the city port by canal,
• exhibits and stands from trade fairs at the Westfalenhallen.

From Czechia, trucks carry car parts, building materials, glass, furniture and, above all, pallets for distribution centres that serve the whole of Germany. For regular warehouse replenishment, pallet groupage or a fixed weekly full load works well.

Europe's largest canal port

Emperor Wilhelm II opened the Port of Dortmund in 1899 together with the Dortmund-Ems Canal, which links the Ruhr with the North Sea at Emden. With ten basins it is the largest canal port in Europe. It is trimodal – water, rail and road – with container terminals served by barges from the seaports. The port district is also the city's largest continuous industrial zone. Unlike the Rhine port covered on freight forwarding Duisburg, Dortmund is reached via artificial waterways and smaller vessels are the norm.

Delivering to a distribution centre

Large warehouses around Dortmund work with strict time slots; miss yours and the truck may wait for hours or until the next day. Before shipping, confirm with the consignee:

• the purchase order or advice number and the booked unloading slot,
• whether Euro pallets must be exchanged and how this is recorded,
• maximum pallet height, labelling and whether pallets may be stacked,
• dock or side unloading – smaller businesses in town may need a tail lift.

Westfalenhallen trade fairs have their own rules: vehicles may enter only during allocated build-up and dismantling windows with an access permit.

Route via Kassel and Thuringia

The usual route to Prague follows the A44 to Kassel, then the A7 and A4 past Eisenach, Erfurt, Chemnitz and Dresden, crossing into Czechia at Breitenau / Krásný Les – about 700 km. With early loading, next-day delivery in Prague is possible; normally plan on the second working morning. Brno is about 900 km away, two working days. Congestion builds in rush hours around the Kamener Kreuz, where the A1 meets the A2, so we time departures to avoid it. The A45 Sauerlandlinie runs south towards Frankfurt as an alternative via Bavaria.

Holidays and paperwork in North Rhine-Westphalia

Besides the national ban on trucks over 7.5 t on Sundays and holidays and summer Saturday restrictions, North Rhine-Westphalia also observes Corpus Christi and All Saints' Day on 1 November, when distribution centres are usually closed. Toll applies on motorways and federal roads. Domestic EU trade needs no customs papers: a CMR note with an invoice or delivery note is enough, plus ADR documents for paints, cleaning agents or batteries. For a quote, use the calculator.