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Freight from Karlsruhe to the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Freight from Karlsruhe to the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Knapek Spedition, based in Břeclav, arranges road freight from Karlsruhe and central Baden to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Karlsruhe is about 530 km from Prague and about 730 km from Brno, and goods reach the consignee in 1–2 days. Typical cargo is parts for car and truck production, machinery, drive technology and palletised goods, often combined with pick-ups in Wörth or northern Alsace.

Distance to Pragueabout 530 km
Distance to Brnoabout 730 km
Transit time1–2 days
Rhine bridgeKarlsruhe-Maxau – Wörth am Rhein
Border crossing into the Czech RepublicWaidhaus – Rozvadov
PortKarlsruhe Rhine port
Key industriesautomotive, commercial vehicles, drive technology, precision engineering
From Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Rastatt, Bruchsal or Wörth across the Rhine we arrange freight to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Full trucks, part loads and groupage from 1 pallet – and, if needed, extra pallets collected on the French side of the river.

A truck from Karlsruhe reaches the Czech Republic in 1–2 days – Karlsruhe is about 530 km from Prague and about 730 km from Brno, and the whole route runs on motorways.

What is made between Pforzheim, Rastatt and Wörth

Central Baden is densely industrial, and many pick-up points are only a few kilometres from the A5 or the A8.

  • Wörth am Rhein – a large commercial-vehicle assembly plant and its suppliers, parts in small load carriers and mesh boxes
  • Rastatt – a car plant and supplier warehouses along the A5
  • Bruchsal – drive technology, gearboxes and electric motors
  • Pforzheim – precision engineering, tools, metal parts and the jewellery trade
  • Karlsruhe – the Rhine port, mechanical and electrical engineering, and trade fairs in Rheinstetten
  • Baden-Baden and surroundings – smaller manufacturers and warehouses at the edge of the Black Forest

Both banks of the Rhine on one truck: a sample collection round

Karlsruhe borders both the Palatinate and Alsace. Small consignments from either side of the Rhine therefore often travel together – one vehicle collects them and only then heads east. A model day:

  1. Haguenau (Alsace) – early morning, 5 pallets of machine parts loaded first, up to the headboard
  2. Lauterbourg – 4 pallets from the industrial zone by the border, then along the B9 into Germany
  3. Wörth am Rhein – 12 pallets of vehicle production parts
  4. Karlsruhe Rhine port – the remaining 8 pallets, then over the Maxau bridge and onto the motorway

The French leg has to beat the weekend ban: in France vehicles over 7.5 t may not run from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 or on public holidays. We therefore schedule Alsace pick-ups for Friday morning at the latest. The order is set so that goods for the first Czech drop stand by the doors.

Karlsruhe to Rozvadov: via Heilbronn or via Stuttgart

Most often the truck takes the A5 north to Walldorf and then the A6 via Heilbronn, Nuremberg and Amberg to the Waidhaus – Rozvadov crossing, continuing on the D5 via Plzeň. The alternative is the A8 past Pforzheim and Stuttgart and the A81 up to Heilbronn – useful when there is also a pick-up in Pforzheim. For Brno, Zlín or Slovakia the truck continues on the D1. German tolls, any French motorway charges and Czech tolls are included in the price we quote. In Germany vehicles over 7.5 t may not drive on Sundays and public holidays from 0:00 to 22:00.

Parts in load carriers, machinery and pallets

A full truck takes 33 euro pallets, 13.6 loading metres and about 24 t. Automotive parts travel in plastic containers and mesh boxes, stacked only to the height the packaging maker allows. Machinery and gearboxes from Bruchsal put a lot of weight on a small footprint, so we secure them with straps or chains and spread the load along the trailer. For smaller urgent shipments a van for about 5 pallets, or a larger one for about 10, is enough. Goods from Germany and France are EU goods and travel without customs.

Requesting a Karlsruhe quote: what we need

  • every pick-up address, even if they are on both sides of the Rhine
  • number of pallets or containers, weight and whether they stack
  • the delivery point in the Czech Republic or Slovakia and the date you need

During office hours we reply within 30 minutes and usually arrange the vehicle within 24 hours of confirmation.

More pages: Freight from Germany · Mannheim and Heidelberg · Stuttgart · Freiburg and South Baden

Do your parts leave Karlsruhe or Wörth every week? We agree fixed collection days and bring back empties or a load from the Czech Republic – more on regular transport, or set dates via contact.

Related guides: Automotive freight · Machinery transport · Preparing pallets

Frequently asked questions

How long does a shipment from Karlsruhe take to reach Prague?
Usually 1–2 days. The distance is about 530 km on the A5, A6 and D5 via Rozvadov.
Do you collect cargo at Karlsruhe's Rhine port?
Yes. Goods from a barge or a container go on by truck to the Czech Republic; if they come from outside the EU they must be cleared before loading.
Will you load commercial-vehicle production parts in Wörth am Rhein?
Yes. Parts in containers or mesh boxes are loaded within the warehouse's time slot, and the vehicle arrives with the securing equipment needed.
Can you add pallets from Haguenau or Lauterbourg to a Karlsruhe shipment?
Yes. Northern Alsace is just across the Rhine, so a French pick-up can be combined with the Baden one on a single run. Just send both addresses and the pallet counts.
Which weekend ban applies when loading in both Alsace and Baden?
In France vehicles over 7.5 t may not run from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00; in Germany the ban is Sundays and holidays from 0:00 to 22:00. We therefore plan the two-bank collection round for Friday at the latest.
Do goods from the French bank of the Rhine need customs papers?
No. France and Germany are both in the EU, so an invoice or delivery note and a CMR consignment note are enough.
Does the truck from Karlsruhe go via Heilbronn or via Stuttgart?
Usually via the A5 and A6 through Heilbronn and Nuremberg to Rozvadov. With an extra pick-up in Pforzheim it takes the A8 and A81 and joins the A6 at Heilbronn.
Can you move gearboxes or electric motors from Bruchsal?
Yes. Heavy pallets are secured with straps or chains and spread along the trailer; we need the weight of each pallet in advance.
Do you carry tools and precision metal parts from Pforzheim?
Yes, in a closed vehicle so nothing gets damp. Small Pforzheim consignments join our groupage from 1 pallet.
Can you bring a stand and exhibits back to the Czech Republic from the Karlsruhe trade fair?
Yes. The vehicle is ready at the Rheinstetten fairground at the released dismantling time after the show, and for the build-up too if you wish.
How should parts from the Rastatt car plant be prepared for the trip to the Czech Republic?
Ideally in returnable containers or wrapped on pallets, labelled with piece counts. If the empties go back, mention it in the request so we can take them.
Will you take empties back to Wörth or Rastatt?
Yes. Empty containers and mesh boxes from the Czech Republic can travel on the return leg, and on regular lanes we set this up permanently.
Is a van enough for 4 urgent pallets from Karlsruhe?
Yes. A van takes about 5 pallets and a larger one about 10 – a good option when the goods are urgent and would otherwise wait for a groupage load.
Do you deliver from Karlsruhe all the way to Slovakia?
Yes. From Prague the truck continues on the D1 via Brno, about 730 km from Karlsruhe, and on to Slovak delivery points.
Are A5 and A6 tolls and the Rhine crossing in the price?
Yes. The quote covers German, any French and Czech charges for the whole route, whether there is one pick-up or several.
Knapek Spedition Freight forwarding and road transport, Břeclav · Updated 20. 10. 2026