In the commercial proposals of freight forwarders, the phrase "the rate is given for general cargo" is often encountered, without any explanations. The word sounds serious, as if something large or particularly valuable needs to be transported. In reality, everything is much simpler. General cargoes are goods or products that are transported in individual packaging (boxes, crates, barrels, bags, etc.) or piece by piece (large parts, metal products, equipment).

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Below, we will break down what this term means according to the standard, how such cargo differs from consolidated cargo, and what the shipper is required to do before loading such goods according to Belarusian rules for 2026.

General cargo: what it means in logistics

In logistics, general cargo refers to any piece cargo, from a box to an excavator. The definition is provided by GOST 26653-2015 on the preparation of such cargoes for transportation (section 3.1). The English version of the term, "general cargoes," is also given there. The standard is interstate: it was adopted in 2015 with the participation of the Belarusian State Standardization Committee, among others. It describes how to prepare goods for transportation by any of the five modes of transport: road, rail, air, sea, or river.

The standard includes the following:

piece cargo: boxes, crates, bags, barrels; transport packages and soft containers (big bags); metal products and timber; reinforced concrete products and other construction cargo; wheeled or tracked equipment; cargo containers.

The common feature is that the cargo consists of separate units that can and should be counted. Gravel in the body of a dump truck or fuel in a tanker do not fall under this definition. Such cargoes are called bulk and liquid, respectively, and have their own requirements.

General and consolidated cargo: what's the difference

These words answer different questions. "General" describes the type of cargo, while "consolidated" refers to the method of loading, where several shippers' parties are transported together in one vehicle or container.

Ordering a whole truck (or a whole container) for a small party means paying for the remaining empty space as well. Therefore, parties that do not need a separate vehicle or container are transported together with the goods of other companies in a consolidated shipment. This is how international consolidated cargo transportation works: the goods arrive at a consolidation warehouse, where they are included in a general shipment. The category of cargo does not change in this case; only the method of loading the transport changes.

On carriers’ websites one can find the claim that general cargo is never consolidated and always occupies the entire transport. The standard does not contain such a condition. The definition does not mention either the size of the batch or the number of senders. Boxes of spare parts will remain general cargo in any case.

However, it should be noted that for the sender of a consolidated shipment this adds work: Belarusian rules require marking each place when goods are transported as part of a consolidated shipment. It is precisely through marking that the ability to accurately identify your goods among many others in the consolidation warehouse is preserved.

Types of general cargo: examples and disputed cases

In practice, general cargo is divided by three main characteristics: packaging, dimensions and weight, special properties.

By packaging: containerized (in boxes, crates, bags), palletized (on pallets, in big bags), and without packaging (pipes, rolled steel, equipment).

By size and mass: ordinary, heavy, oversized.

By properties: neutral, hazardous in packaging, requiring a special transport regime.

Confusion is usually caused by two cases. The first is heavy and oversized goods. Some sites exclude such cargo from the general category, although according to the standard they are listed alongside boxes. A cargo is considered heavy or oversized if its parameters exceed the permissible limits of a particular type of transport.

The second case is hazardous substances. “Hazardous cargo in packaging” is named directly in the definition, so the category remains the same, but the general requirements are supplemented by the rules for transporting hazardous cargo.

In air transport the term is already used. There, general cargo is cargo that does not require special transport conditions, in contrast to hazardous.

Transport specifics: what the sender must do

The sender is responsible for preparing individual cargo, and this work begins long before the vehicle (container) is submitted for loading. In Belarus, from 1 April 2026, new Rules of Road Transport of Goods are in force, approved by the Council of Ministers decree No. 147. The previous rules No. 970 have lost force, so references to them in old contracts should be replaced.

Many senders believe that the driver should load and secure the goods. The rules distribute responsibilities differently: out of five preparation steps, four fall to the

Count the cargo spaces and their gross weight. The carrier accepts packaged and piece goods only if the mass and quantity of places are specified in the TTN or CMR (paragraph 29). The mass of each place is determined by the sender and written on the marking (paragraph 30).

Mark everything. Each place is marked. When homogeneous goods are being transported to the address of one recipient, it is enough to mark at least four places, laying them with the marking outward (paragraphs 45, 54). The signs themselves are applied according to GOST 14192.

Gather the loose goods into places. Pipes, bars, and other goods without packaging are tied or placed on pallets before loading, so that the places can be counted without disassembly (paragraph 72).

Load and secure. Loading and securing are the responsibility of the sender, unless the contract transfers them to the carrier (paragraph 69). The sender is also obligated to load the vehicle without exceeding the permissible mass (paragraph 71). The common opinion that "the person behind the wheel is responsible for overload" does not agree with this point.

Let the driver check. The carrier controls the loading and has the right not to leave until the violations are eliminated (paragraph 78).

The rules for securing cargo are also indicated in GOST 26653-2015: for a car, the calculated load is 0.8 of the weight of the cargo along the direction of movement and 0.5 of the weight backwards or sideways. In simpler terms, during emergency braking, a pallet weighing one ton presses forward like 800 kg. One stretch film is not enough here.

Let's see how this looks in practice. On one legal forum, a case was described: packs of wallpaper shifted in a semi-trailer, fell, damaged the body, after which the driver returned to the sender. In the same thread, they argue about another thing: the goods are intact, the pallet just slid, is the sender to blame? The majority responds that the packaging is considered part of the cargo, and rearranging the pallet will have to be done at someone's expense. This is the opinion of the forum participants, it does not replace the norm, but it shows what the parties argue about in the end during unloading. Carriers describe the reverse side: the warehouse first of all blames the driver, who allegedly braked sharply, and demands to rearrange the pallets.

When to call a specialist

Independent preparation of goods for shipment is not enough in three situations:

hazardous goods: their transportation is regulated by special regulatory acts, a specialized specialist is needed;

heavy and oversized goods: a special permit is required for passage (Decree No. 239);

dispute over damage: go to a lawyer with an act and invoices.

This text is for reference only and does not replace legal advice.

Before shipping, check four things: the items are counted and weighed, labeling is applied, the goods are assembled on pallets or bundled, and the fastening can withstand braking. A small batch of goods can be safely sent in a consolidated vehicle or container. In the contract with the carrier, find the clause about who loads and secures the goods. If it is not there, both responsibilities remain with the shipper.