Abstract: The invention relates to a method of carrying glass sheets during heating and tempering as well as to a tempering apparatus for glass sheets, in which the method is applied. During heating, glass sheets are oscillated in a furnace (2) back and forth in a manner that the traveling distance forward on at least some of the reciprocating strokes is longer than the traveling distance backwards, whereby the transportation of each load of glass sheets from the upstream end of a furnace to the downstream end of a furnace occurs by means of the combined effect of several forward-directed long strokes. Shifting of a load of glass sheets from furnace into tempering section is effected by extending the forward-directed stroke of a load of glass sheets at the downstream end of said furnace while at the same time other loads of glass sheets in the furnace reverse for a backwards-directed stroke.