Commercial enterprises sometimes encounter the abbreviation “OTR” transportation. This expression usually refers to the “over the road” movement of goods through the chain of commerce. In its broadest sense, it typically designates transportation using exclusively trucks or tractor trailer rigs. Over the road transport contrasts with intermodal transportation, in which a shipper conveys freight to its destination using a combination of modalities, e.g. both trucks and rail.
Context Matters
Of course, the context of communications matter significantly. For example, some car dealerships use the abbreviation “OTR” to refer to the price customers should expect to pay to drive a vehicle “on the road.” These fees might include purchasing costs, taxes, registration fees, and other miscellaneous acquisition expenses.
For this reason, business managers who run across an abbreviation need to pay close attention to its form of use. In terms of cross country shipping arrangements, over the road transport used in a general sense refers to the utilization of trucks without rail or maritime shipping modalities.
Some Advantages of This Form of Shipping
Over the road freight shipping methods do offer key benefits. Just consider some of the reasons for the popularity of trucks as an over the road means of relaying cargo:
1. First, this form of shipment often supplies impressive flexibility due to the development of LTL (less-than-truckload) shipping. Years ago, companies sending freight long distances by truck sometimes had to pay full truckload prices and use partly empty vehicles. Today, many shippers will combine partial orders to permit freight consolidation. This form of shipping frequently offers greater convenience and lower prices.
2. In some situations, over the road truck transport also enables a shipper to dispatch a shipment directly to a customer quickly. Particularly if the customer requests an entire truckload of goods, this process often supplies the fastest possible form of shipping.
3. Do you ever transport temperature-controlled goods? Direct over the road truck transport allows companies to maintain temperature-sensitive cargo at a constant controlled temperature more easily than transferring freight between different shipping modalities. Directly shipped perishable items won’t remain sitting outdoors for extended periods of time during in transit reloading, for example.
4. In some situations, over the road truck transport also offers the most secure shipping method for valuable freight. A shipper may send goods in escorted trucks to help safeguard the cargo, for example. It may prove more difficult to protect intermodal freight shipments that transfer at several points between different carriers.
Contact PortCity
PortCity offers a wide-range of transportation services to get your goods or resources where they need to be. Our services cover everything from ship to storefront. We strive for excellence in everything we do and want to push your business to new heights. To see how we can help your business with its supply chain or OTR transportation, contact us today and receive your free quote.