Tips to Maximize Your LTL Experience

With LTL (less-than-truckload) shipping comes risks like accidental misloading and delayed arrivals, but fortunately you still have some say in the matter. Use these tips below to get the most out of your LTL experience.

• Ship out of metropolitan areas. The further away you are from large cities, the higher your freight expenses will be, along with the chances of your shipment being delayed. Your best bet is to ship from large cities where there’s an abundance of LTL trucking companies.

• Know exactly how much weight you’ll be shipping. Having an accurate account of the weight you’ll be shipping saves time by skipping the need to weigh your shipment again, and money that you’d have to spend to cover the gap between an estimated guess and the actual weight.
• Consolidate your shipment. If you have multiple shipments that you know will be heading to the same place, try shipping them out together to save time. Also consider combining pallets if possible. Less pallets equals more money that stays with you.

• Use a transportation management company. With the right transportation management company, you’ll find several benefits. A dedicated customer service team will be at your disposal, and their extensive knowledge of the industry can help you get the discounts and rates you need. They also employ transportation management software which gives you the ability to track shipments more carefully.

• Don’t wait last minute. The more time your carrier has to transport your shipment, the more money you can save.

Work with your LTL pickup drivers. If your driver has other orders to pick up, they’ll have to leave with or without your shipment if there’s too long a delay.  Make pickup easier by assigning more than adequate loading dock for pickups and drop-offs and having shipments ready before they arrive.