4 Advantages of Full Truckload Freight Shipping

4 Advantages of Full Truckload Freight Shipping

If you are a small—to medium-sized business owner or manager, you may be interested in our four advantages of full truckload freight shipping. Great news: We have the solution for you. Let’s face it: you are short on time and looking for ways to decrease your freight spending.

You can make customers happy, reduce transit times, and improve your shipping strategy. Depending on the type, size, or amount of freight you’re shipping, the advantages of full truckload freight shipping could be precisely what you need.

What Type of Freight Shipping Is Best for Me?

This may be a question you have asked yourself more than once. Less-than-truckload shipping (LTL shipping) is, generally speaking, the most popular shipping form. However, if you are shipping cargo weighing 5,000 pounds or more, you should compare the benefits and costs of full truckload and LTL shipping.

The most common equipment used for shipping freight is dry vans. Full truckload freight shipping makes use of a variety of equipment, including:

–Dry vans
–Refrigerated vans
–Flatbed trucks
–Removable gooseneck

4 Advantages of Full Truckload Freight Shipping

All shipping methods have their benefits, depending on the type and quantity of freight you are shipping. Below are some of the most common advantages of full truckload freight shipping:

1. Negotiable Rates –

   The rates quoted by carriers for LTL shipments are not negotiable. You have your choice of carriers, but your 3PL (freight broker) doesn’t have the opportunity to negotiate the already-discounted rate.

   With a full truckload, the rates are set in real-time by what the market will bear. That means your 3PL has more opportunities to negotiate a better rate for you. A carrier might be willing to negotiate their rate because they need a backhaul load for their return trip.

   Or, they might consider the city where your load will be a preferred destination. For whatever reason, you save money.

2. Time Savings –

   Full truckload shipping can shave two days off your transit time by eliminating the extra handling involved with LTL shipments involving at least three trucks and two freight terminals.

   Full truckload shipments are picked up and delivered by the same truck with no extra stops between the pickup and delivery locations. There is no other cargo to pick up, no terminal to go to, and no need to transfer the shipment to a delivery vehicle.

   This is because full truckload shipping means your cargo requires the entire trailer space and won’t share space with other shippers’ freight like it would when shipping via LTL.
   A full truckload is likely your best option if your shipment is time-sensitive and requires the entire trailer space.

3. Fewer Hassles –

   Less than truckload shipping revolves around accuracy. Every shipping unit (pallet, crate, etc.) Carriers audit the shipment and re-weight and re-measure.

   Knowing the freight class and density of your shipment, along with the requirement of certain accessorials and options like liftgates and oversized freight, can make LTL shipping more cumbersome.

   Booking a full truckload shipment, you pay for the exclusive use of the vehicle and driver, not the shipment details, which determine LTL rates.

4. Reduced Risks –

   When your shipment has the entire truck to itself, you don’t have to worry about another shipper’s cargo damaging yours. Or vice versa, where another shipper may blame you for damage to their shipment.

   While additional 3rd party cargo insurance is still advisable in case of an unavoidable circumstance caused by weather, accident, or unforeseen delay, full truckload shipping reduces some risks by eliminating shared trailer space.

Book Your Full Truckload Freight Shipping with FreightCenter

Full truckload may not be the best shipping option for every type of shipment. However, it’s worth looking into whenever your shipment weighs more than 5,000 pounds or requires the use of the entire trailer space.

The freight shipping and logistics industry is complex, and it can be overwhelming to figure it out. FreightCenter can help you get your full truckload shipment booked from California to Massachusetts and everywhere.

You’ll get expert shipping help and access to tools, resources, and our transportation management system (TMS). We can help you streamline your operations and shipping process, saving you time to focus on growing your business.

Ready to discuss your options? Give our truckload experts a call today at 800-716-7608.