Transport to Switzerland – your specialist, customs clearance included
Switzerland is one of the most important trading partners outside the EU – and that is exactly where the difference lies: unlike intra-European traffic, every transport to Switzerland requires full customs clearance. As an AEO-certified freight forwarder with in-house customs expertise, we not only bring your goods reliably to destination but also handle the complete import and export clearance from a single source.
We operate the Switzerland lane with exclusively dedicated capacity and, where needed, our own fleet in both directions – to Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and throughout Switzerland. Whether full or part load: you deal with a fixed team that knows the particularities of Switzerland traffic.
Direct services for your Switzerland lane
We serve Switzerland by direct road freight – with exclusively dedicated capacity and, where needed, our own fleet in both directions. Fixed departures, direct planning and the close interlocking of transport and customs clearance ensure short transit times and a smooth border crossing – without unnecessary waiting times at customs.
Every load type – from groupage to full loads
Depending on the requirement and lane we draw on our own equipment, our fixed-charter fleet or our long-standing lane partners – 100% under our own control.
FTL
Direct services for maximum reliability – direct and without transhipment.
LTL
Flexible when you don't need the full loading space.
Groupage
Efficiently consolidated for smaller consignments.
Our fleet comprises modern tractor units as well as code-XL curtain-siders, coil and standard trailers – for standard goods just as much as for demanding loads. This secures capacity and on-time performance even at peak times.
Your advantages for Switzerland transport with TERRATRANS
AEO-certified: complete import and export clearance from a single source, without unnecessary waiting times.
Dedicated capacity on the Switzerland lane, with our own fleet where needed – for fixed, plannable slots.
Direct contact with the team that runs your Switzerland lane operationally.
Connected tractor units and trailers for precise status and estimated arrival data.
Reduced transit times, transhipment frequencies and potential damage rates.
Plannable transit times between Germany and Switzerland
You can expect the following standard transit times for LTL / FTL on our connections to Switzerland – including customs clearance at the border:
2–3 working days
e.g. Basel, Zurich, Aarau, Winterthur3–4 working days
e.g. Bern, Lucerne, Lausanne, Geneva4–5 working days
e.g. Lugano, Chur, St. Gallen, SionAs a guide, allow 2–5 working days from collection in Northern Germany – the further south the destination, the longer the transit time. Thanks to our regular Switzerland services, these standard transit times are firmly plannable.
We serve the whole of Switzerland
You can expect the following standard transit times for LTL / FTL on our connections between Switzerland and Germany. Full loads (FTL) are the fastest, while groupage takes a little longer:
| Northern Switzerland | |||
| Region / canton | Postcode | Major cities / centres | Transit time (working days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basel & north-western Switzerland | 4000–4999 | Basel, Liestal, Olten, Muttenz, Pratteln, Allschwil, Riehen, Rheinfelden, Zofingen | 2 – 3 |
| Zurich | 8000–8499, 8600–8999 | Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Dübendorf, Dietikon, Wetzikon, Kloten, Wädenswil, Rapperswil-Jona | 2 – 3 |
| Aargau | 5000–5999 | Aarau, Baden, Wohlen, Brugg, Lenzburg, Wettingen, Suhr, Bremgarten, Klingnau | 2 – 3 |
| Schaffhausen & Thurgau | 8200–8299, 8500–8599 | Schaffhausen, Frauenfeld, Kreuzlingen, Neuhausen, Amriswil, Weinfelden, Romanshorn, Stein am Rhein | 2 – 3 |
| Mittelland & western Switzerland | |||
| Region / canton | Postcode | Major cities / centres | Transit time (working days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | 3000–3999 | Bern, Thun, Köniz, Ostermundigen, Burgdorf, Steffisburg, Spiez, Münsingen, Interlaken | 3 – 4 |
| Central Switzerland (Lucerne/Zug/Uri) | 6000–6499 | Lucerne, Zug, Emmen, Kriens, Baar, Cham, Horw, Stans, Sarnen, Altdorf | 3 – 4 |
| Geneva & Vaud | 1000–1299, 1400–1899 | Lausanne, Geneva, Vernier, Lancy, Nyon, Morges, Renens, Montreux, Vevey, Yverdon-les-Bains | 3 – 4 |
| Fribourg | 1470–1799 | Fribourg, Bulle, Villars-sur-Glâne, Marly, Estavayer-le-Lac, Romont, Châtel-St-Denis | 3 – 4 |
| Neuchâtel & Jura (incl. Seeland) | 2000–2999 | Neuchâtel, Biel/Bienne, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Delémont, Porrentruy, Val-de-Travers | 3 – 4 |
| Southern & eastern Switzerland | |||
| Region / canton | Postcode | Major cities / centres | Transit time (working days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Gallen & Appenzell | 9000–9999 | St. Gallen, Wil, Gossau, Rorschach, Uzwil, Altstätten, Buchs, Herisau, Appenzell, Arbon | 4 – 5 |
| Grisons | 7000–7999 | Chur, Davos, Landquart, Domat/Ems, Ilanz, Thusis, St. Moritz, Arosa | 4 – 5 |
| Ticino | 6500–6999 | Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno, Mendrisio, Chiasso, Biasca, Giubiasco | 4 – 5 |
| Valais | 1870–1990, 3900–3999 | Sion, Brig, Visp, Martigny, Monthey, Sierre, Naters, Zermatt | 4 – 5 |
Note: Switzerland is strongly alpine in character. Some mountain, valley and high-altitude locations are accessible for heavy goods traffic only to a limited extent, with special vehicles or seasonally. We agree deliveries to such areas with you individually in advance – please talk to us for a suitable transport concept.
Our collection and delivery area in Germany
In road freight we serve our customers throughout Germany. Our collection and delivery areas cover primarily the following regions:
Our focus is on Northern Germany. From our sites in Bremen and Hamburg we serve the Bremen/Bremerhaven and Hamburg metropolitan regions as well as Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, western Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and North Rhine-Westphalia particularly closely and reliably. As a specialist in seaport hinterland traffic we are closely linked to the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen and Wilhelmshaven – with short distances to our transhipment rail terminals and direct integration with the international lanes. Beyond that we are, of course, on the road for you nationwide.
| Local area – our metropolitan regions (focus, incl. seaports) | |
|---|---|
| Region | Collection & delivery areas (examples) |
| Bremen / Bremerhaven & surroundings | Seaports of Bremerhaven & Bremen (container / overseas port, industrial ports, Bremen freight village GVZ) – plus the surrounding area: Delmenhorst, Oldenburg, Ganderkesee, Hude, Wildeshausen, Stuhr, Weyhe, Syke, Bassum, Twistringen, Achim, Oyten, Ottersberg, Langwedel, Verden (Aller), Thedinghausen, Dörverden, Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Ritterhude, Lilienthal, Worpswede, Schwanewede, Elsfleth, Brake (Unterweser), Nordenham, Loxstedt, Schiffdorf, Geestland, Bremervörde, Gnarrenburg, Zeven, Rotenburg (Wümme), Sottrum, Varel, Westerstede, Bad Zwischenahn, Vechta, Cloppenburg, Diepholz, Sulingen und Cuxhaven |
| Hamburg & surroundings | Port of Hamburg (all container terminals, Hamburg warehouse site) – plus the surrounding area: Norderstedt, Pinneberg, Wedel, Halstenbek, Rellingen, Schenefeld, Elmshorn, Uetersen, Tornesch, Quickborn, Henstedt-Ulzburg, Kaltenkirchen, Bad Bramstedt, Ahrensburg, Bargteheide, Bad Oldesloe, Reinbek, Glinde, Barsbüttel, Wentorf bei Hamburg, Schwarzenbek, Geesthacht, Lauenburg/Elbe, Mölln, Ratzeburg, Bad Segeberg, Wahlstedt, Itzehoe, Glückstadt, Wilster, Buxtehude, Neu Wulmstorf, Jork, Horneburg, Stade, Drochtersen, Seevetal, Rosengarten, Stelle, Winsen (Luhe), Salzhausen, Buchholz in der Nordheide, Tostedt, Bardowick, Adendorf, Lüneburg, Bleckede |
| Further focus regions in Northern Germany | |
|---|---|
| Region | Collection & delivery areas (examples) |
| Lower Saxony – further regions | Hanover, Braunschweig, Osnabrück, Göttingen, Wolfsburg, Salzgitter, Hildesheim, Celle, Hameln, Lingen (Ems), Nordhorn, Wolfenbüttel, Goslar, Peine, Emden, Aurich, Wilhelmshaven (JadeWeserPort-Region), Langenhagen, Garbsen, Laatzen, Seelze, Wunstorf, Barsinghausen, Springe, Burgdorf, Lehrte, Sehnde, Ronnenberg, Pattensen, Neustadt am Rübenberge, Wedemark, Isernhagen, Gifhorn, Nienburg (Weser), Stadthagen, Bückeburg, Rinteln, Melle, Georgsmarienhütte, Bramsche, Meppen, Papenburg, Leer (Ostfriesland), Norden, Wittmund, Jever, Friesoythe, Bad Bentheim, Northeim, Einbeck, Osterode am Harz, Holzminden, Alfeld (Leine), Sarstedt, Duderstadt, Hann. Münden, Helmstedt, Bad Harzburg, Seesen, Walsrode, Soltau, Schneverdingen, Munster, Uelzen |
| Schleswig-Holstein – further regions | Kiel, Lübeck, Flensburg, Neumünster, Rendsburg, Büdelsdorf, Husum, Schleswig, Eckernförde, Heide, Brunsbüttel, Meldorf, Niebüll, Kappeln, Harrislee, Preetz, Plön, Schwentinental, Kronshagen, Bordesholm, Nortorf, Hohenwestedt, Eutin, Bad Schwartau, Stockelsdorf, Scharbeutz, Timmendorfer Strand, Ratekau, Oldenburg in Holstein, Heiligenhafen, Neustadt in Holstein, Fehmarn |
| Western Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Schwerin, Wismar, Ludwigslust, Hagenow, Grevesmühlen, Boizenburg/Elbe, Gadebusch, Wittenburg, Lübtheen, Crivitz, Neustadt-Glewe, Zarrentin am Schaalsee, Bützow, Bad Doberan, Parchim, Güstrow, Rostock |
| North Rhine-Westphalia (focus East Westphalia-Lippe) | Lemgo, Detmold, Herford, Gütersloh, Minden, Bielefeld, Paderborn, Bad Salzuflen, Bad Oeynhausen, Löhne, Bünde, Lage, Blomberg, Horn-Bad Meinberg, Oerlinghausen, Vlotho, Porta Westfalica, Enger, Spenge, Halle (Westf.), Versmold, Verl, Rietberg, Delbrück, Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock, Harsewinkel, Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Lippstadt, Höxter – plus the Rhineland/Ruhr area: Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Wuppertal, Bonn, Münster, Hamm, Gelsenkirchen, Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Aachen, Hagen, Oberhausen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Leverkusen, Neuss, Recklinghausen, Bottrop, Remscheid, Solingen, Siegen |
| Nationwide – collection & delivery areas | |
|---|---|
| Federal state | Collection & delivery areas (examples) |
| Baden-Württemberg | Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Freiburg |
| Bavaria | Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg |
| Berlin | Berlin |
| Brandenburg | Potsdam, Cottbus, Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt (Oder) |
| Hesse | Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Kassel, Darmstadt |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | Mainz, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Koblenz, Trier |
| Saarland | Saarbrücken, Neunkirchen, Homburg, Völklingen |
| Saxony | Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz, Zwickau |
| Saxony-Anhalt | Magdeburg, Halle (Saale), Dessau, Lutherstadt Wittenberg |
| Thuringia | Erfurt, Jena, Gera, Weimar |
Industry expertise: tailored solutions for your sector
With our partner network in Switzerland and in-house customs expertise, we offer solutions for your Switzerland traffic that are tailored precisely to the requirements of your market. We understand the logic of your industry:
Industry expertise at a glance:
Consumer goods & retail:
Efficient distribution logistics for high volumes – including correct customs clearance for a smooth border crossing.
Food & beverages:
Reliable supply chains for long-life ranges; organic-certified on request.
Promotional goods:
Fast response to seasonal peaks and promotional campaigns.
Mechanical & plant engineering:
Special transport and precise scheduled logistics for components from/to Switzerland.
Chemicals & pharma:
Safe handling of demanding goods – important for the strong pharma hub of Basel.
Metal, steel & packaging:
Robust solutions for heavy and large-format goods, including coil trailers.
Automotive industry & suppliers:
On-time JIT delivery for automotive parts – with forward-looking customs clearance.
Precision & supplier industry:
Traffic around the Swiss precision-engineering and industrial clusters.
Spare parts & aftermarket:
Plannable replenishment logistics with seamless tracking.
Building materials & DIY:
On-time delivery to construction sites and DIY stores.
Tiles, ceramics & natural stone:
Breakage-proof transport and professional handling of sensitive materials.
Furniture & furnishings:
On-time, careful transport for the furniture sector.
Project logistics:
Coordination of complex supply chains for large construction projects.
How your direct transport between Germany and Switzerland works
Direct, without a detour via a terminal – with exclusively dedicated capacity from the dispatch warehouse to the consignee, including customs clearance at the border, on a round trip between Germany and Switzerland:
Germany → Switzerland
Switzerland → Germany
Customs clearance for Switzerland – smoothly across the border
Because Switzerland is not part of the EU, customs clearance determines the speed and cost of your transport. As an AEO-certified economic operator, we enjoy the status of special reliability with the customs authorities – for you that means accelerated clearance and minimal waiting times at the border. We handle the complete process so your goods reach their destination without detours.
Import & export clearance
Preparation of all customs documents and processing via the electronic customs system ATLAS.
Customs & bonded warehouse
Duty-suspended storage of uncleared goods directly at our logistics centres.
Customs consulting
Individual advice on tariff classification, origin of goods, preferences and transit procedures (T1/T2).
Everything from a single source
Transport and customs clearance mesh seamlessly – one contact for your entire Switzerland shipment.
Your direct contact for our Switzerland solutions
We handle the entire management of your transport chain from a single source – from collection at the production site through transport to customs clearance, storage and delivery.
Through our online system we have access to the current location of your goods at any time. Seamless, real-time shipment tracking is ensured by the use of modern tracking software from Nexxiot (link to the report).
With us you benefit, in both import and export, from fast decision-making and, through your personal point of contact, always keep a direct line to your cargo.
Do you also transport to other countries?
Choose your destination country directly on the map – or from the list below:
Facts box
Lane |
Germany ⇄ Switzerland, import & export |
Service types |
road freight, direct service (exclusively dedicated capacity, own fleet where needed), FTL, LTL, groupage |
Connections |
regular to all regions |
Customs clearance |
complete import & export clearance (ATLAS), AEO-certified, transit procedures T1/T2, bonded warehouse |
Volume |
approx. 20–30 trailers per week and direction |
Payload |
up to 24.5 / 25.0 t (depending on body type) |
|
Transit time (from collection in Northern Germany) |
2–5 working days, depending on region (longer towards the south) and type of transport |
Equipment |
code-XL / curtain-sider, coil, standard trailers |
Tracking |
continuous tracking (Webfleet/Nexxiot) |
Certification |
AEO, organic |
Frequently asked questions about transport to Switzerland
Do you handle customs clearance for Switzerland?
Yes – in full. As an AEO-certified freight forwarder we handle the complete import and export clearance via the ATLAS system, including transit procedures and bonded warehousing. This way your shipment crosses the border without unnecessary waiting times.
What documents do I need for a Switzerland transport?
Usually a commercial invoice, packing list and, where applicable, proof of origin (e.g. a movement certificate). Our customs team tells you exactly what your goods require and helps prepare the documents.
Which load types do you transport to Switzerland?
The full range: groupage, part loads and full loads – combined from a single source on request.
How long does transport to Switzerland take?
As a guide, 2–5 working days from collection in Northern Germany – the further south the destination (e.g. Ticino, Valais), the longer. You will find the exact transit time per region in the table above.
Sustainability
Responsibility on road and rail: we rely on a modern, low-emission fleet and forward-looking planning. Through fixed round trips we avoid empty runs and bundle loads efficiently – reducing CO₂ emissions per tonne transported. Where it makes sense, we shift the main leg onto climate-friendly rail. You can read about how we implement "green logistics" company-wide on our sustainability page.