Tata Ace
Live rate at booking
Book Tata AceThe plane lands in Chennai. The road does the rest.
Pallavaram sits right against Chennai airport, and the freight forwarders, customs brokers and courier aggregators working around the cargo terminal spill into its streets and godowns. A good share of the air cargo that lands here is not for Chennai at all. An imported machine part for a Hosur plant, pharma samples for a Bangalore lab, electronic modules for a Coimbatore assembler, garment trims for a Tiruppur exporter. Once it clears, somebody has to move 400 kg or a tonne of it the last few hundred kilometres, quickly, and usually on the same day.
That onward road leg is what our tempo service in Pallavaram does most. Every booking is intercity, over 100 km. Local deliveries around the airport or inside Chennai we do not take.
Timing the tempo to the clearance
The flight time is known. The clearance time is not. A consignment that lands at 6 AM might be out at 11 AM or at 4 PM, depending on customs and the forwarder's queue. From experience, the worst plan is a tempo that stands outside the terminal from 8 AM. Our approach:
- Book with the expected clearance window, not the landing time.
- Let your forwarder or CHA call us when the goods are out; we keep the tempo close and move it in.
- Tell us if the cargo is temperature-sensitive. A tempo is not a reefer; for pharma that needs cold chain, a tempo is the wrong vehicle and we will say so.
Air cargo sizes and the tempo
Air shipments are usually light for their size: cartons, a crate or two, occasionally a pallet. An Ace / Dost / Pickup carries up to 1,100 kg; the closed-body version takes up to 1.5 ton and is what we send for air cargo, since the goods are almost always boxed and valuable. Check the pallet footprint against the deck on the truck size page. Heavier consolidated shipments go on a 14FT Eicher with 3.5 ton capacity.
Onward lanes from Pallavaram
- Bangalore and Hosur, about 345 km to Bangalore: the most common. Usually within 1 day by tempo using the Tambaram-Maduravoyal bypass to reach the Bangalore highway without crossing the city.
- Vellore and Ranipet, about 140 km: auto and leather-sector parts, same-day delivery possible if the truck loads early; otherwise next day.
- Puducherry, about 150 km down the ECR or GST Road: same-day delivery possible if the truck loads early; otherwise next day.
- Coimbatore and Tiruppur, about 500 km to Coimbatore: textile trims and engineering parts, usually within 1 day with a rest halt.
For a Coimbatore delivery the next morning, the tempo should be loaded by early evening. Anything that clears after 7 PM is a next-afternoon delivery; better to say that to the receiver up front than promise the morning.
Tempo fares for the two long lanes
Truck freight rates are not fixed. What a load costs depends on the route, vehicle type, load capacity needed, cargo, pickup date and how many trucks are running that lane that week. On the airport side, waiting time for clearance matters as well. The ranges below are trip totals with toll included.
Indicative Tata Ace class fares from Pallavaram
| Route | Distance | Ace / Dost / Pickup (up to 1,100 kg) |
| Pallavaram to Bangalore | about 345 km | Rs.9,000 - Rs.10,000 |
| Pallavaram to Coimbatore | about 500 km | Rs.13,000 - Rs.14,500 |
Indicative fares, checked September 2026. Freight rates move with route, vehicle type, cargo, date and availability. Confirm the current rate at booking.
Booking and documents
Book on the website or TruckGuru app; the team calls back within 30 minutes in working hours (Mon-Sat 9:30 AM - 6:30 PM, Sun 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM). The tempo carries only your consignment. Hand the driver the invoice and the e-way bill, which is needed for goods worth more than 50,000 rupees and is generated by the consignor or consignee. Loading and unloading labour and transit insurance are yours to arrange. You get a digital Lorry Receipt at loading, GPS tracking to delivery and a GST invoice after. More sizes are on hire truck in Chennai.
What forwarders and importers ask us
The shipment lands at 5 AM. When should the tempo come?
Book it for your expected clearance time, not the landing time. Have your CHA call us when the cargo is out and we bring the tempo in.
Can you pick up from the airport cargo terminal?
Yes, from where goods vehicles are allowed to load, with the documents your forwarder provides. Share the terminal and consignment details on the callback.
How long does Bangalore take?
The trip is about 345 km and usually within 1 day by tempo, so cargo that clears by early afternoon can start the same day.
What does a tempo to Coimbatore cost?
An Ace / Dost / Pickup from Pallavaram to Coimbatore, about 500 km, is indicatively Rs.13,000 - Rs.14,500 for the trip, toll included (checked September 2026). Rates are not fixed; confirm the current rate at booking.
Can you carry vaccines or cold-chain pharma?
No. Tempos are not refrigerated. Cold-chain cargo needs a reefer vehicle.
Will one pallet fit?
A standard pallet fits in a closed-body Ace if the height allows. Send the dimensions and weight first.
Can the tempo drop at Guindy?
No. We only book intercity trips over 100 km.
Who loads the cartons?
You or your forwarder arrange loading and unloading labour. The driver secures the load.
What are the payment terms?
Payment is split into three parts: Booking Amount at booking confirmation, 90% at loading once the truck reaches the pickup location, and the remaining Balance at delivery before unloading begins. Accepted: NEFT, IMPS, UPI (PhonePe, GPay), and major debit and credit cards. No cash payments accepted.
Can I book a tempo for my own things going to Bangalore?
Our trucks mostly carry business loads. For a one-off household move to another city, we can supply the truck and driver. Packing, loading and unloading are arranged by you.
Can the receiver see where the tempo is?
Yes. The tempo is GPS tracked from dispatch to delivery, and you can share the live location.
