Prague – Brno freight: distributing imported goods in Czechia

For many foreign suppliers, the Czech Republic starts at a warehouse near Prague. Goods arrive there by truck from Germany or Poland, or by rail from a seaport, and then have to reach customers, branches and production sites around the country. The Prague–Brno axis, about 205 km on the D1 motorway, carries more of this onward distribution than any other domestic lane. We arrange it through vetted contract carriers.

What moves on this lane

Most of the traffic in both directions is imported goods being broken down into smaller deliveries: consumer electronics and household goods from retail distribution centres, tiles and building materials from Germany, Italy or Spain, automotive and machine parts for plants in Moravia, furniture, textiles and footwear from Asian containers, and imported food and drink for wholesalers. From Brno towards Prague travel goods that entered the country via South Moravia, such as imports from Austria, Hungary or Slovakia.

Which option fits your shipment

• Pallet groupage: pallets are collected in the evening, trunked overnight and delivered the next working day. Worth it even for a single pallet.
• Full truck: ideal for moving stock between a Prague and a Brno warehouse; loaded in the morning, unloaded in the afternoon.
• Express van: urgent parts, samples or customer orders delivered within hours.
• Tail-lift truck: deliveries to shops or building sites without a loading dock.

See pallet transport and express transport for details.

Where we collect: logistics parks around both cities

Most imports are first stored on the outskirts of Prague: in Rudná and Chrášťany on the D5, Jažlovice and Modletice on the D1, Úžice and Zdiby to the north on the D8, or Hostivice near the airport. In Brno the main warehouse areas are in Modřice and Rajhrad on the D52, Holubice and Šlapanice on the D1, and the Černovice terrace. Sea containers often arrive by rail at intermodal terminals in both cities and are hauled onward by truck.

For non-EU goods held in a customs warehouse, we collect once they have been released for free circulation. From then on, domestic transport needs no customs paperwork.

Czech driving bans and the D1

Trucks over 7.5 tonnes, and trucks over 3.5 tonnes with a trailer, may not drive in the Czech Republic on Sundays and public holidays from 13:00 to 22:00. In July and August further restrictions apply on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Goods loaded on a Friday afternoon may therefore only arrive on Monday unless a smaller vehicle, which is exempt, is used.

The D1 is subject to an electronic toll for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes; lighter vehicles need an electronic vignette. Driving time is around two and a half hours, but accidents and roadworks can add a lot, so for time-critical deliveries we build in a buffer and avoid peak hours.

City-centre deliveries and multi-drop runs

Heavier trucks need a permit to enter inner Prague, and central Brno has delivery windows and access restrictions. Shop and office deliveries are therefore done with smaller tail-lift vehicles. Consignments for several recipients can be loaded together and dropped along the way, for example in the Vysočina region near Jihlava.

What to prepare

Please have ready the warehouse address and release reference (including the gate number at large parks), loading and unloading windows or slot bookings, pallet count, dimensions, weight and stackability, and the consignee contact with information on dock or forklift availability. Domestically a delivery note is enough; CMR is not mandatory, although many warehouses issue one anyway.

The price calculator shows the cost straight away. Our dispatchers work weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00 and usually send a non-binding offer within 30 minutes.