In rail freight transportation the terms wagonload or wagonload freight refer to trains made of single wagon consignments of freight. In the US and Canada the term carload refers to a single car of any kind, and manifest train refers to trains made of diverse cars of freight.
With competition from road transport rail freight transport is increasingly operated as unit trains, with wagonload less able to compete with road haulage.
As of 2012 in Europe wagonload freight represents 30 to 40 percent of freight carried in many countries including France, Italy, Germany, Belgium; in other countries, including the UK and Romania, wagonload freight is a very minor aspect of rail freight transport representing less than 5% of rail freight transport.