LTL FREIGHT SHIPPING

Ever wonder how small businesses get their products from one place to the next? From distribution to packages sent to retailers and customers across the world, small businesses rely on boxes, crates, and pallets to ensure their goods get delivered safely and on time. But how exactly is this done? 

With LTL freight shipping, these businesses can ship large quantities of their goods or the bulkier items they have at a more affordable cost. With allocated space on a semi-truck to ship their goods, LTL shipping makes their processes more efficient.

What Does LTL Transportation Mean?

So, what does LTL mean really? The acronym “LTL” stands for “less than truckload.” This freight shipping is used for small freight, or when the goods don't take up a whole semi-truckload of space, making full truckload shipping unnecessary. This kind of shipping is best used when a shipment is between 150 and 15,000 pounds.

With LTL shipping, a shipper only pays for the portion of a semi-truck that their goods take up, while shipments from other companies are paid for by those shippers. This helps save on costs while still getting valuable space in a semi-trailer.

How Does LTL Work?

When shipping less than truckload freight, shipments heading to the same area are sorted and loaded into various semi-trucks with other goods going to the same area. This way, truckloads can be shared with a number of shippers, while still heading in a cohesive direction for fast, smooth delivery. With this method, shippers are able to get a lower cost, particularly with full size semi-trucks since they aren’t dependent on a railroads’ timing and can share the cost of a truckload with other companies.

Benefits of LTL Shipping

There are many advantages to opting for LTL shipping. From lowering the cost to boosting security, here are the top reasons to choose this shipping method.

• Lowers Cost: One of the biggest perks of LTL freight shipping is that when you pay for only a section of a semi-trailer, you save on the space your goods would otherwise neglect. This way, the shipping company can cover the price of the rest of the semi-truck with goods from other shippers.
• Boosts Security: When choosing LTL shipping, goods are often packaged in pallets. This packing method actually helps secure goods, ensuring they arrive safely and without damage. Plus, unlike a one-off parcel, a package is less susceptible to theft.
• Tracking: Tracking capabilities are top-notch when choosing LTL carriers. This way, you’ll know just when your goods are arriving and can go back and reference in case there are any changes.
• Environmental Benefits: LTL shipping can actually do a great deal to reduce emissions. Instead of multiple trucks shipping out individual orders from companies, LTL allows shippers that don’t take up a full truckload to share the space, limiting the number of semi-trucks on the road.
• Small Business-Friendly: Not every company has enough orders to fill up an entire trailer, particularly small businesses like ours.
  Smaller companies greatly benefit from LTL shipping by being able to share our products across the U.S. without charging the customer a fortune to have it delivered.