If you’ve shipped products through the Port of Savannah, you may have encountered the abbreviation “LTL shipping.” This form of cargo transport is a great solution for many shippers who have smaller loads or need more flexibility in their shipping contracts.
LTL Savannah
In its most basic form, LTL shipping refers to carriers dispatching trucks with less than a full truck load of cargo. During former eras, this process sometimes proved prohibitively costly. Yet today, with the development of sophisticated logistics software programs, this form of shipping typically permits several shippers to combine their goods within a single container or truckload. Products reach their destinations rapidly and shippers pay for shared truck space, not the entire truck.
Less Than Truckload Shipping
If you’ve noticed business ads for “LTL shipping Savannah GA,” you’ve already encountered examples of LTL shipping! A carrier will accept cargo from multiple senders. Then a single truck transports these goods to designated destinations.
The History of LTL Shipping
The spread of LTL shipping gained impetus in the USA during the 1980s, following deregulation of motor carriers. The passage of key legislation by Congress encouraged many independently owned trucking firms to enter the marketplace. It stimulated new competition, a situation which dropped the average LTL price by nearly one fifth.
Pros and Cons
The use of LTL shipping usually offers significant cost benefits for customers. This benefit has contributed to its popularity. The chief downside of LTL shipping involves the need to carefully coordinate logistical information, a factor which may result in slightly lengthier shipping times. For instance, and LTL truck may need to stop in multiple locations to pick up or drop off cargo.
Some other advantages of LTL shipping relate to utilizing trucks more efficiently on the road. By helping reduce the shipment of partial loads, LTL freight haulers optimize the productivity of cargo hauling vehicles. Additionally, today sophisticated logistics programs facilitate cargo tracking. The popularity of LTL shipping has likely helped spur the use of enhanced logistical software programs, which in turn permits closer cargo tracking in transit. In this respect, LTL shipping promotes greater transportation accountability.
Different Types of LTL Shipping
Considerable complexity surrounds the topic of specific types of LTL shipments. Just consider some of the available varieties of LTL cargo today:
LTL Common Carrier Shippers: Some mailing services essentially utilize a form of LTL shipping to transport individually wrapped packages long distances to deliver to individual customers. From UPS to FedEx, these popular carriers rank as LTL common carriers.
Consolidating LTL Carriers: These companies combine shipments by weight in variable quantities from 2 to 12 pallet loads.
Truck Load Carrier LTL Shippers: Shipping involving a full truck which combines cargo from between two to six customers, a modified form of LTL shipping, has gained popularity also. Since these companies combine shipments from different sources, they technically do not perform full truck cargo hauling.
LTL Rates
Typically, several factors enter into the calculation of LTL rates. These may include the classification level of the freight, the distance travelled, the cost of fuel, and any special handling requirements.
Consider Using LTL Freight to Save Money
Utilizing the process of LTL helps many companies in the Savannah area enjoy rapid shipping with a minimum of expense. If your firm routinely sends food items, beverages, consumer wares, paper products, retail inventories or chemicals through the Port of Savannah, ask us if PortCity’s LTL Savannah resources will help you conserve your shipping budget. You may discover some attractive cost savings by embracing this form of freight transportation!
Information Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Less_than_truckload_shipping