Road Freight from China to Turkey and the Caucasus: Border Crossings, Routes and Transit Times

How the Lane Works

A road shipment out of China is not a single truck driving nonstop from the factory to the consignee. It usually has five stages:

1. Transport inside China. The goods travel from the city where they were made to the border region in western China (Xinjiang) on domestic Chinese trucks.
2. Transfer. At bonded warehouses in the border region, or directly from the domestic vehicle, the cargo is transferred to the truck that will run the international trip. Dealti Logistics' China lane starts at this point.
3. China-Kazakhstan border. The truck enters Kazakhstan through the Khorgos, Alashankou or Bakhty crossing.
4. Crossing to the Caucasus. After Kazakhstan there are two options: cross the Caspian Sea by ferry to Azerbaijan, or cross Russia and enter Georgia at the Upper Lars checkpoint.
5. Customs and delivery at destination. The cargo clears import customs in the destination country and is delivered to the consignee.

How long the leg inside China takes depends on which Chinese city the goods leave from. That is why, when asking for a quote, it matters to state where the goods start in China or which border-region warehouse they will be ready at.

China-Kazakhstan Border Crossings: Khorgos, Alashankou and Bakhty

Several crossings between China and Kazakhstan are open to road freight. Dealti Logistics uses three of them on its China lane:

Which crossing is used depends on where the goods are ready in China and on congestion at the time. Queues are not fixed. Kazakhstan and China have agreed on measures such as round-the-clock operation and added capacity at Nur Zholy-Khorgos to ease congestion, while in busy periods the Kazakh side can cap the number of trucks allowed through per day. Being able to switch to another crossing when one backs up is the most useful time saver on this lane.

For documents, the three crossings are the same: China joined the UN TIR Convention in 2016, the first TIR transports passed through Khorgos in 2018, and since 2019 all five crossings on the Kazakh border have been open to TIR.

Route and Transit Time by Destination

These are the typical ranges Dealti Logistics sees on this lane, not guaranteed delivery times. Border queues, ferry waits, weather and public holidays can extend them.

Azerbaijan and Georgia: the Caspian Crossing

Ferries from the port of Kuryk or Aktau in western Kazakhstan cross the Caspian Sea to the port of Alat near Baku. Trucks drive on and off the vessel on their own wheels, which is known as Ro-Ro transport. Cargo for Azerbaijan is delivered a short distance from Alat, while cargo for Georgia continues across Azerbaijan by road. We cover the wider corridor and its recent growth in our Middle Corridor article. On the Caspian leg, the ferry schedule and port waiting time are what move the transit time most.

Armenia: a Single Route

Dealti Logistics moves cargo from China to Armenia on one route only: China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Georgia and Armenia. The truck enters Georgia from Russia at Upper Lars, crosses Georgia and reaches Armenia through the Bagratashen checkpoint on the Georgia-Armenia border. No other route is used on this lane.

Turkey: Two Corridors

Both corridors are used for cargo to Turkey: the Caspian ferry via Azerbaijan and Georgia, or Russia and Upper Lars into Georgia and on to Turkey. Either way, the truck enters Turkey from Georgia. The corridor is chosen according to ferry and border conditions at the time of shipment.

Caspian or Russia? What Decides the Corridor

Each corridor has strengths and weaknesses; neither is always faster.

• Caspian corridor: The main uncertainty is the ferry. Sailings depend on vessel capacity and sea conditions, and waiting at the port can take several days.
• Russia corridor: The main uncertainty is Upper Lars. It is the only official land crossing between Russia and Georgia and can close to trucks in bad weather, especially in winter. When it was closed to trucks in January 2026, more than 1,700 trucks waited on the Russian side; in February 2026 about 2,500 heavy vehicles were reported waiting.

That is why a quote is always given for a specific route, and the corridor is confirmed against current conditions as the shipment approaches. We explain how the route feeds into the price in our freight rates article.

Documents: TIR Carnet or CMR?

Every shipment on this lane travels with a CMR consignment note. The CMR is the document of the transport contract; it identifies the sender, the consignee, the carrier and the goods.

A TIR carnet is optional. Dealti Logistics moves the shipment under a TIR carnet if the customer wants one, and without a TIR carnet, under CMR, if not.

• With a TIR carnet: The sealed cargo moves through the transit countries under an international customs guarantee on a single document; as a rule it is not opened for inspection in transit countries.
• Without a TIR carnet: Transit follows each crossed country's own customs transit procedure. Kazakhstan and Russia share the common customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union, so on that stretch transit runs under Union rules; Azerbaijan and Georgia apply their own procedures.

Both methods get the cargo to the destination country. Which one fits depends on the consignee's customs preferences and the nature of the shipment; just mention it when you ask for a quote. You can read the logic of choosing a transit document in our T1 vs TIR carnet article and the idea of a transit country in the glossary.

At destination, the cargo is cleared with an import customs declaration. This is usually done by the consignee's customs broker; if needed, you can also use our customs clearance services. Having the commercial invoice and packing list complete and travelling with the cargo is the simplest way to cut waiting at destination.

What Cargo Moves on This Lane?

The most common cargo out of China is industrial machinery and equipment, electronics and consumer goods, textiles and finished goods, automotive spare parts, and plastics and packaging materials. The vehicle is chosen to suit the cargo:

• 92 m³ and 120 m³ curtainsiders for general cargo,
• refrigerated trucks for temperature-controlled cargo,
• lowbeds for heavy and oversized cargo.

If the cargo fills a truck, full truckload (FTL) is usually the sensible choice; for a few pallets or a few cubic metres, less than truckload (LTL) usually is. Importers buying from several suppliers in China can have the goods brought together in the border region and moved on one truck, which is called consolidation. If you are unsure, our FTL vs LTL article will help.

What to Prepare for a Quote

The more complete the first request, the closer the first price will be to the final one:

1. The city the goods leave from in China, or which border-region warehouse they will be ready at.
2. The delivery address (at least city and country).
3. What the goods are, and whether temperature control or special handling is needed.
4. Number of cartons or pallets, their dimensions and total gross weight; whether pallets can be stacked.
5. The date the goods will be ready and any delivery deadline.
6. Whether you want a TIR carnet.
7. Whether you need customs clearance support at destination.
8. The value of the goods if you want a cargo insurance quote.

Shipping from China with Dealti Logistics

Dealti Logistics runs regular road freight from China to Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Cargo is transferred to our own trucks from bonded warehouses in the Khorgos, Alashankou and Bakhty areas or from the vehicles that handled transport inside China; border crossings, transit documents and the CMR process are followed by our operations team. Our tracking article explains how to see where your shipment is. To request a quote, send the details above through our get a quote page.