What is LTL Shipping?

LTL shipping is less than truckload shipping. It’s used to transport small freight or freight that doesn’t require the use of an entire trailer. When you ship LTL the shipper pays for a portion of a standard truck trailer that their freight occupies rather than paying for an entire truck. There’s many advantages to using LTL shipping. LTL shipping is great for shipping your business's small cargo around the country without having the cost or burden of having to ship using an entire truck. There are also some drawbacks to consider when deciding to go with LTL shipping like your delivery time. If you need products delivered at a certain time fast, then LTL shipping may not be the best route for your business to take.

Why choose LTL Shipping?

LTL Shipping provides many benefits to businesses looking to ship small freight. The biggest advantage is the reduced cost. When you book and TL shipment you only have to pay for the portion of the trailer you use. You don’t have to shell out money to pay for empty space on the trailer because it will be filled by other businesses' goods and they’ll be paying for the space. Another benefit of LTL Shipping is the increased security. Most LTL shipments are packaged onto pallets before being loaded into a truck. A Single well packaged pallet has a better chance of remaining secure than shipments with multiple smaller handling units. When you ship LTL you also get additional service options like liftgates and inside pickup and delivery. Finally LTL carriers offer tracking capabilities through the bill of lading number, PRO number, PO number, shipment reference number, and pick up date range, just to name a few.

Reduced Costs
Increased Security
Additional service Options
Tracking

Factors that Determine LTL Shipping Rates

Location is one of the largest factors to determine shipping rates. The further the distance, the higher the price. Another large factor to shipping rates is the dimensions of the freight being shipped. The dimensions and weight of the shipment factor in determining the freight class which is going to directly impact rates. The mode of transportation can up the price as shipments can be expedited which will typically cost an additional fee. The type of freight being shipped can also up the cost. If you’re shipping something that requires special handling or equipment such as perishables, fagiles, or hazardous items will likely lead to higher costs.

Location
Dimensions
Mode
Type

What’s the difference between LTL and FTL?

The main difference between LTL and FTL is the amount of trailer space that your freight shipment requires. Less than truckload (LTL) is used when freight only takes up a portion of a trailer rather than a full trailer where you would need FTL shipping. LTL Shipping makes stops along the route where FTL shipping does not. FTL shipping is going to me more expensive, but it may be more cost efficient for your business to ship with this method.

Why Use FreightCost?

At FreightCost we can offer access to over 38 national and regional LTL carriers allowing you to choose the carrier and rate that fits your LTL shipping needs. We offer Traditional LTL which allows you to get up to 8 pallets and up to 10000 lbs. We offer Partial and Volume Shipments if you don’t need a full truck load, but need more cargo than what tradition LTL offers you. To our customers we also offer Zone skip LTL opportunities, ask us how! We also offer Specialized LTL such as pooling and consolidation to help optimize your LTL freight costs. There’s no limit to what FreightCost can do for you or your business so stop in today or give us a call and get started!