How Do I Ship LTL Freight

How Do I Ship LTL Freight

How Do You Ship LTL Freight

If you are gonna ship LTL freight for the first time or want to improve your skills, the following tips will help you. You will be able to save some time and money.

• Prepare the freight. Regardless of what you are shipping, you should prepare the freight for it. Proper packaging and fixation on the pallet are crucial if you don’t want your commodities to be damaged during the handling or ride. Try to minimize the “dead” space, as it can make the shipping rates higher due to lesser density.
• Measure dimensions and weight. After you’ve finished packaging, it is time to measure dimensions and weight. It will help to determine two parameters that affect the rates – density and freight class. 
• Determine the freight class. You can do it by yourself if you have a precise size of your freight or contact your carrier, and they will do it for you. It is important to avoid miscalculations because the carrier will measure your load and can assign it another freight class. That will change your rates.
• Choose a carrier. There are lots of freight carriers that can fully satisfy your needs. In some cases, it can be challenging to find an LTL freight carrier. After you have chosen one, you need to provide them information about your commodities, including dimensions, weight, and density. They can calculate freight class for you.
• Get a quote. After providing the info, you can get a quote and know how much you will need to pay for the transportation.
• Decide if additional services are required. If you require extra services for your freight, you should inform your carrier about it. 
• Prepare documentation. You need to arrange all the required documentation and the Bill of Lading. Many carriers allow filling out the bill online, so you don’t need much paperwork.