General cargo (Stückgut in German) consists of goods counted and handled as individual pieces – for example pallets, crates, drums or mesh boxes. Unlike bulk goods or liquids, they have a fixed shape.
Groupage: several general-cargo shipments from different customers are consolidated in one vehicle, often via transhipment hubs.
Pricing: usually by weight, loading metres or pallet spaces.
Costing: the total trip cost gives the unit cost per pallet or loading metre.