How to Make LTL and FTL Work for Your Business

Full Truckload (FTL) and Less than Truckload (LTL) can be used together to make for a more efficient, cost-effective, and timely movement of freight. It all comes down to effective freight allocation for your business and knowing when to use one choice over the other.

What is LTL Shipping?

Less than Truckload (LTL) shipping is used for the transportation of small freight or when freight doesn’t require the use of an entire trailer. For a small business that doesn’t ship in large quantities that need to be budget-friendly, this is a great option.

Shipping of loads between 150 and 10,000 lbs.
Shipping up to 12 pallets.
Loads are combined with other shipments.

Advantages of LTL Shipping

There are several advantages for a business to use LTL shipping.

Maximize profit by filing up unused space in trailers and shipping containers
Discounts for businesses that consistently have LTL shipments
Addresses the driver and truck shortage by consolidating loads

LTL Rates

When shipping LTL, the shipper pays for a portion of the trailer used. Specific LTL shipping prices are determined by several factors. The distance from the origin to the destination, the dimensions, model, and type of product. The final factor in determining LTL shipping rates is the presence of accessorials. Assessorials are anything extra beyond basic transportation. These include the need for special equipment and services, liftgates, inside pickup errors in paperwork and reclassification, to name a few.

What is FTL Shipping?

Full Truckload (FTL) shipping means that the shipment will take up an entire truck by itself.

Shipments over 10,000 lbs.
10 or more pallets.
Less cost-effective for small shipments, more cost-effective for full truckloads.

Advantages of FTL Shipping

FTL offers several more advantages to LTL.

More effective for large shipments (Provides cost savings over multiple small shipments).
Faster than LTL.
The shipment never leaves its vehicle from origin to destination.
Not subject to the needs of other shippers sharing the vehicle.

Choosing What Shipping Freight to Use

When deciding on the most appropriate type of shipment for your freight, always keep in mind the size of your shipment, your budget, how fragile the freight is, and how quickly you need your shipment to reach its destination.

If you are shipping freight that is a high risk, then FTL may be the better option, even if the size is smaller. Therefore, it is best to work with a company that specializes in shipping logistics, they understand how to give you the best most efficient and cost-effective solution for every shipping situation. PPLUS Global is a leader with the resources to make your company shine with clients every time.