Freight Experts’ Wisdom: Avoid Unexpected LTL Carrier Fees
After meticulous planning and budgeting, you’ve successfully shipped your parcel via LTL (less-than-truckload), only to receive unexpected carrier adjustments. The extra costs can come as a surprise, especially when LTL is considered the most cost-effective option. You can save unwanted frustration and stress by following tips from freight experts to avoid unexpected carrier fees and ensure a smooth and positive experience.
What Are Standard Carrier Adjustment Charges?
Carrier adjustments are additional charges carriers apply after the initial quote has been given and the shipment has been delivered.
Adjustments happen when there are discrepancies between the shipment details provided and the actual shipment requirements discerned during transit. The adjustments ensure the carrier is compensated for the resources and services used. Standard carrier adjustments include:
- Weight and dimensions: Adjustment fees may be added if the weight and dimensions of the freight exceed what was initially stated.
- Accessorial charges: This includes any special handling requirements such as residential delivery, limited access locations, and liftgate services.
- Reweight and reclassification: All freight is put into a freight class, which affects pricing. During transit, a shipment may be reweighed or reclassified if the carrier finds any discrepancies, which can result in additional costs.
- Incorrect Bill of Ladings (BOL): The Bill of Lading is a binding document that outlines the details of the shipment and provides a receipt for the goods being transported. Inaccurate information on the BOL regarding the shipment may result in extra costs.
- Hazardous materials: Additional fees will be added if hazardous materials that were not communicated or correctly classified are included in the shipment.
How To Avoid Unexpected Fees
To avoid unexpected carrier adjustments, you can take steps to ensure your shipment details are accurate, the packaging is secure, and all the handling requirements are communicated to the carrier.
It is imperative to double-check every detail of your package before shipment. One of the most common forms of discrepancies is in weight and dimensions. Using precise measuring tools and rounding up your measurements to the nearest pound or inch will eliminate additional costs.
Another step you can take is to make sure your shipment is in proper, sturdy packaging. Improper packaging can lead to damage, reclassification, or additional handling fees. Depending on your shipment, durable and reliable packaging materials include pallets, crates, shrink wrap, and straps.
It’s important to clearly understand accessorial charges and exactly what they are. Accessorials are any additional services the carrier needs to get your shipment from point A to point B.
For instance, this includes residential delivery, limited access, or liftgate services. If these things are not accounted for initially, they can add up quickly in the carrier adjustment.
Verifying your delivery and pickup locations is another step in helping to reaffirm if there is a need for any accessorials. The price will need adjusting if any locations have restricted access or are in residential areas.
A crucial part of avoiding unexpected carrier adjustment is ensuring that everything on your Bill of Ladings is accurate and up to date. Any missing or incorrect information can incur additional fees. The BOL is a very important document, so its accuracy is crucial to guaranteeing a satisfactory shipment.
Working with a third-party logistics company like FreightCenter can give you the resources necessary to make it easy to manage the details of your shipments and to plan accordingly.
With the assistance from a 3PL, the right packaging, and making sure all the proper information is given up front to the carrier, you can avoid unexpected LTL carrier fees.
