E-Commerce has been around since 1979, and as years passed, and right before our eyes, this industry has grown bigger and became a major mobilizing force of every industry’s logistic front. Now that internet has become an essential part of life, so is eCommerce or more commonly known as online shopping. This has helped many people who barely have time to go to the mall or to try to find the item that they need. It even became part of the solution to aid people in coping with the challenges brought by COVID-19. Almost every household has made an online purchase at least once during the pandemic, may it be a small item or large items. A common problem that sellers encounter is shipping out a big item as it will cost them a lot when shipping it, and most parcels can only carry around 120 to 150 pounds. Thankfully, less than load LTL service is there to help them out.
As a business and shipper, you are responsible for sending those items in proper packaging. Most do it with bubble wrap, Styrofoam, boxes, crates, pallets, skids, and everything else necessary to make sure that it will arrive in its destination in one piece and excellent condition. It also needs to be labeled accordingly depending on the item type: fragile, perishable, or hazardous. Some would even advise you to print four labels in big fonts the tracking number, destination state and zip code, destination station, and carrier code, one for each side of the package. But there’s only so much that you can do.
Experienced sellers know the importance of having a reliable and trustworthy delivery service while quoting a high rate that will give them more room for income. On the other hand, new sellers should know that rate, reliability, and competence of delivery service are the keys to be in the business long term while maximizing your profit.
Most people knew it to be “shipping companies” or “courier companies”. There are different types of delivery. One of the most commonly used types of delivery service is the Less than load or Less than truckload (LTL) Freight shipping, which is used for transporting small freight or freights that won’t necessitate the use of the entire trailer. Typical freights for less than load shipping weigh between 151 to 20,000 pounds. This is a cost-efficient way to help businesses safely ship their products, which has dramatically improved boost businesses, especially the small businesses and the start-ups.
LTL or less than load shipping has a preference to load shipments with the least number of units. They would prefer to load one pallet that has many boxes wrapped together instead of multiple individual quantities. LTL also works using hubs and spokes. Hubs are the large or central terminals, also known as a distribution center where packages are sorted out if it needs to go to spokes for delivery or if additional transportation is required. Spokes are the end of line terminals. Drivers are hired in spokes to do the delivery and pick up. They usually have a route set for each driver. Drivers would do the delivery first to unload the trailer, and afterward, the drivers will pick-up the packages. They do their routes several times a week to make a connection and build trust and a good relationship with clients. They have a very well-organized operation that helps them maximize their time and resources.
Collecting the packages
The “spokes” collect the freight packages from senders or movers typically in the afternoon and loads them in a trailer that will then bring them to the hub to be arranged. Once in the hub, trailers are unloaded to check on the packages and to validate the declared weight on the form. They are counterchecked if proper guidelines are followed.
Transit time or Delivery Time
LTL shipping takes a longer time than FTL or full truckload, but the typical timeframe for interstate is 1-2 business days, and cross-country typically takes 4-6 business days. Some deliveries can be done overnight. Less than load transit time is not dependent on the distance from the pick-up point and the delivery destination. Unlike FTL or a full truckload, LTL transit time also considers the mapping of the system of terminals and breakbulk. For interstate, it is done faster as it does not require other modes of transportation.
Pricing
LTL or less than load shipping prices are calculated by identifying the weight break or weight threshold to use which is dependent on the shipment weight. The total weight then needs to be divided by one hundred to get the number “per hundred pounds” and this number will then be multiplied by the appropriate CWT or hundredweight from the scale. This helps shippers save costs because the more your shipment weighs, the less you pay per hundred pounds.
Delivery
The main advantage of using an LTL carrier is that a shipment may be transported for a fraction of the cost of hiring an entire truck and trailer for an exclusive shipment. Also, several accessory services are available from LTL carriers, which are not typically offered by FTL carriers. These optional services include liftgate service at pick-up or delivery, residential (also known as “non-commercial”) service at pick-up or delivery, inside delivery, notification before delivery, freeze protection, and others. These services are usually billed at a predetermined flat fee, or for a weight-based surcharge calculated as a rate per pound or a hundredweight.
Other LTL Services
There are other benefits in using an LTL or less than load freight service which is not offered by FTL (full truckload) or some parcel services. To name a few of these add-on services you can include a liftgate service both on pick=up and delivery. They also have residential service for pick-up and/or delivery, inside delivery (if the destination is a business, the package will be left inside the building), notification before delivering the item, freeze protection (items that have a possibility of freezing will be kept at the preferred temperature of the sender) and sometimes, even COD or cash on delivery is offered.
These days, LTL, FTL Intermodal, and Multimodal Shipping are getting more popular. People now understand how their packages are handled, why they are asked to do specific packaging, and many more. Understanding how to effectively cut your cost as a seller or as a business without aggravating the product and customer experience will be worth knowing. It would also mean that you need to know what freight delivery service in Utah to trust with your delivery who would give a five-star service while giving you a reasonable price which is no other than Corlett Express Trucking Inc.
If you are looking for a Freight company to help you, a company that is more than a service provider but a partner that will help your business grow, a company that knows everything that there is to know about excellent freight service, a company that has prided themselves in providing the best, most reliable freight delivery service in Utah, you will never go wrong with Corlett Express Trucking Inc. who has been providing exceptional freight services since 2000.
