LTL
Shipping
One pallet at a time
Request a LTL Quote Today
What Is LTL Shipping?
Less-than-load shipping, or LTL shipping, is the shipment of freight that does not take up an entire truckload. This mode of shipping can lead to several benefits and is used widely across the logistics industry. Instead of paying for an entire trailer, a customer can pay for a portion of that trailer which their freight occupies. Other shippers then pay for other portions of the truck while their freight fills up the unused space.
The safety and delivery of your freight are important to HTL Freight. Whether your LTL shipments are traveling in-town, across the country, or over the border, you can count on HTL Freight to expertly handle every request. With 35+ years of experience in the freight brokerage industry, HTL Freight has cultivated dedicated carrier partnerships and innovative capacity-finding tools allowing us to provide efficient and reliable capacity solutions.
Benefits of LTL Shipping
Low Cost
You save money through LTL shipping as multiple other companies are packing their shipments into the same truck as your shipment. Essentially, LTL empowers one to only pay for their own share of used cargo space and the weight of the shipment.
Environmentally Friendly
LTL shipments allow for each trailer to be filled, which means that there are relatively fewer trucks on the road. This can aid in reducing your carbon footprint. Shipping with LTL means that you are using a more fuel-efficient practice.
Improved Warehousing
With the use of LTL shipping, you won’t need to stockpile as many products at one time. This reduces your warehousing requirements and allows you to run on more of a Just-In-Time system.
Tips for Shipping LTL
Ensure Proper Coordination
Less than truckload shipping can be a bit more complex as it involves multiple pick-up locations and drop-offs. Make sure you are with a shipping provider that will keep you in the loop as the freight is moved from one location to the next.
Palletize Your Orders
LTL shipments should always be palletized or crated to significantly minimize the risk of damage or lost items. Pallets are also much easier to load and unload which leads to a better supply chain.
Stay Within the Limits
Another thing to keep in mind is the freight size limitations that come with LTL shipping. Try to stay within 99” wide and 96” tall. Otherwise, you will incur additional charges for oversized freight.
LTL FAQs
This will vary depending on who you have managing your LTL shipments. However, with HTL freight, reaching out to your account manager makes LTL shipment tracking possible.
Each carrier may have their own reservations about the packaging. Some are not very concerned with such specifications, whereas others may specifically demand pallets. At the end of the day, it would be a good idea to palletize your freight when shipping in this consolidated manner.
