In the shipping world, the abbreviation LTL stands for “less than load.” LTL shipping involves moving products without needing to have a full truckload, because there are smaller parcels involved, meaning there are multiple, separate shipments on a single truck. That means that LTL carriers can ship more goods for more clients in an efficient, cost-effective fashion. In this blog post, we’ll look at how less than load shipping works and how it can benefit you.
LTL shipping can benefit you in the following ways.
Savings
The first big benefit of LTL shipping is savings. When you ship this way, your freight is likely sharing space with freight from other companies.
Because you aren’t taking up the entire truck, you only have to pay for the space you’re using, rather than paying the cost of a standard full truckload.
And you can pass those savings on to your customers, while also providing added visibility, as less than load shipments are traceable from end to end.
You can have an easier time planning for your supply chain and supporting just-in-time deliveries, thus saving even more time and money and providing faster deliveries to your customers.
A Greener Way to Ship
Which is better for the environment: five fully-loaded trucks, or 10 trucks carrying only half a load? Less than load shipping results in fewer trucks on the road, because every truck that ships using this method will be fully-loaded. That in turn leads to lower emissions.
Benefits Small Business
LTL shipping can be good for small businesses, which might be shipping fewer goods and have a smaller shipping budget than their bigger competitors. Your business can enjoy the services of a professional shipping company without paying for space you don’t need or can’t afford.
Less than load shipping is also easily customizable, offering services FTL carriers may not carry. Some less than load carriers can offer special services, like lift gate pick-up, residential pick-up/delivery and expedited time-sensitive orders.
What else do I need to know about LTL shipping?
While LTL shipping offers several benefits, like any new initiative, you’ll need to do your research before implementing it.
Consider these factors first:
Your Shipping Schedule
You may need to budget more time for LTL freight to arrive, as trucks contain shipments for more than one customer headed to more than one destination.
The Fine Print
It’s important to pay attention to details when using LTL shipping. Factors such as weight, deadlines, freight class and destination all impact the cost of shipping. Finally, you can’t assume every carrier will offer less than load shipping. It’s not something every freight transportation service offers.
LTL Shipping Glendale CA
Luckily, MoveFreight is here to help. Offering LTL shipping in Glendale, CA, we can save you time and money by matching your freight to the right equipment and carrier. We’ll compare multiple carriers for competitive rates, dispatching and tracking shipments, and can even help you with claims if necessary. Contact us today to learn more.