What is LTL Shipping?
LTL freight shipping, or less than truckload shipping, is a shipment that doesn’t take up the entire space of a truck. This means that instead of shipping one product at a time, your products are combined with other shipments and shipped together in a single truck.
The shipper pays a rate based on the total weight and dimensions of the shipment, the type of goods being shipped (commodity), and the mileage from origin to destination.
LTL freight shipping is different from FTL freight shipping in that FTL (full truckload) refers to a load that takes up all or most of the available space in a trailer, without any other shipments sharing the trailer.
While this may sound like it would be more expensive than shipping via FTL (full truckload), it’s actually cheaper because you’re only paying for the space your shipment takes up – not the entire truck. LTL freight shipping is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses as well as large companies that don’t always have enough to fill an entire truck.
Benefits of LTL shipping
Less Expensive
LTL freight shipping is less expensive than full truckload shipping. Since a full truckload shipment has to pay for the entire truck, this can be very expensive. With LTL freight shipping, you only have to pay for what you’re using. If you’re not using the whole truck, you only have to pay for a portion of it. This makes it much more cost-effective.
Safer Shipping
With LTL freight shipping there are fewer chances of your items getting damaged because they are stored on pallets and wrapped before being shipped. Full truckload shipments leave your items more susceptible to potential damage because they are not secured on pallets and wrapped before being shipped.
Fewer hassles
When you ship LTL, you won’t have to worry about handling the logistics of finding carriers, making arrangements, and dealing with paperwork. The freight company will handle all of these details for you, making the process more streamlined and less complicated.
Time efficiency
LTL shipments are usually picked up and delivered much more quickly than full truckload shipments. This is because they’re often dropped off at a freight terminal where they can be loaded onto other trucks.
How to Prepare for LTL shipping
Get a quote before booking.
If you’re new to LTL freight shipping, then you’ll want to do some research and find out what different carriers offer before deciding on one. There are a number of online tools that can help you with this part of the process.
Know the dimensions of your shipment.
To get an accurate quote and ensure that your shipment will be transported correctly, it’s important to know how big it is. This means knowing its width, length, height, and weight (among other details). The dimensions will determine which class your product falls into and how much it will cost to ship.
Properly package your freight
Proper packaging is essential for safe and successful LTL shipping. If you do not package your freight correctly, it can get damaged and even lost. To prevent this from happening, make sure to follow the packaging guidelines of your carrier. For example, some carriers like Purolator Freight require you to use pallets that are at least 30 inches tall and have a minimum of 5 inches on all sides. Also, they may require you to use shrink wrapping or straps to hold the pieces of your shipment together.