What is LTL Freight Shipping

What is LTL Freight Shipping

What is LTL Trucking

LTL trucking is a shipping service used for the transportation of big quantities of small shipments. It allows several consignors to share one truck or trailer without paying for the whole. 

Carrier companies that provide LTL shipping learned how to optimize load and move more goods for more shippers. For consignors, LTL freight offers flexibility and pretty low transportation costs. It is especially beneficial for small and e-commerce businesses that can’t allow their logistics department and fleet. Benefits that LTL provides:

• Small costs because you only pay for the taken space
• Tracking that is provided by most carriers
• Security due to parcels being well-packed onto pallets
• Easy to find a carrier for your load

What is LTL Freight

LTL freight is a combination of shipments from different senders. Instead of paying for the whole truck, consignors share the space and only pay for the occupied part.

By understanding how it works, you can easily ship your freight without extra spendings. LTL freight is a perfect choice for you when:

• You don’t have enough freight to fill up the whole truck. Regular LTL shipment is somewhere between 1 to 7 standard pallets. So, if you are not in a hurry, LTL will be a great option.
• You can pack and load the freight. Most LTL carriers expect you to prepare the load for shipping by packing and loading it.
• You understand how LTL works, and it takes longer to deliver due to multiple stops.

What Does LTL Mean in Shipping

Less than truckload is a big part of the transportation industry. This shipping service allows small businesses to establish regular supply or product delivery without owning a fleet. For carriers and owner-operators, it is a source of stable loads.

LTL is focused on freight consolidation in the most efficient way. Even though it sometimes can be challenging, LTL has the same level of priorities and guarantees as any other shipping service.

Who Uses LTL Shipping

LTL shipping has no limitations in terms of who can use it. This shipping method is beneficial for anyone with small volumes of freight and doesn’t want to overpay for the whole truck.

Small businesses and e-commerce projects will find LTL the most appealing. It will allow them to deliver the products across the country without the need of establishing their own logistics department. In addition, you will have the ability to track the shipment and notify the receiver about the delivery.

What is the Difference Between FTL and LTL

FTL and LTL are two different shipping services. If you know the main differences between them, you can plan your shipping strategy better and save some money. Let’s look at the differences:

• Weight. LTL freight usually goes up to 10,000 lbs or 6 standard pallets, while FTL can be up to 48,000 lbs.
• Delivery time. FTL delivery goes much faster as it has only one destination point. LTL freight must be unloaded in multiple locations due to different shippers.
• Cost. In terms of a shipment of small size, LTL is much more affordable. If you have enough freight to fill the whole truck, then FTL is better than splitting the cargo into several LTLs.
• Security. In both cases, proper packaging plays a significant role. However, FTL freight faces less handling thus faces the minimal threat of damage.