If you’ve written off the use of FTL (full truckload) Freight in the past because your shipments aren’t large enough to use the full truck, you might be missing out on some of the lesser-known benefits of FTL Freight.
FTL Shipping versus LTL Shipping
Let’s quickly distinguish between FTL and LTL shipping before we dive in. FTL shipments are placed in one, designated truck. Obviously this is the method of choice if your shipment is over 10 palettes and therefore requires the use of the full truck. LTL shipping, on the other hand, is just the opposite. It stands for less than truckload and it means that your company will only pay for part of the space in the truck, depending on the load.
Cost benefits of FTL shipping
You might think that if your shipment is small enough to benefit from the lowered cost of LTL shipping, then it’s the way to go. However, this is not always the case. While it’s true that the cost of LTL shipping alone is lower, you have to consider a few other factors before you rule out FTL shipping as your method of choice.
A shipment on an FTL freight isn’t going to packed with other shipments that are unknown to your packers, so it won’t become damaged when other goods are loaded on. There is also less handling of the shipment if you choose FTL shipping since your shipment will only be loaded and unloaded once. With LTL freights, the shipment may be loaded and unloaded multiple times depending on other shipments in the freight. The less handling there is of your shipment, the less likely it is to be damaged. The cost of any damages incurred during shipping will probably be paid by your company, so if your shipment is small but fragile, FTL shipping could be a good choice for you to save money on potential damages.
Shipping Time is shortened with FTL Shipping
Another area where FTL shipping may be beneficial over LTL shipping is in the delivery times. Your products that are loaded onto a truck shared by other companies is not likely to go directly to its endpoint. Instead, other pickups and drop-offs will need to be made first. With FTL Freight, your products don’t make any unnecessary stops before they are delivered to where you need them. This can cut back on delivery time for your consumers, eliminate problems locating different goods in transit, and ultimately save you time and money.
Weight Restrictions aren’t a problem with FTL shipping
If your shipment is compact but heavy, you may face restrictions if you try to use an LTL freight. On FTL freights you won’t have to worry about being constrained by a weight restriction.
If you’re still not sure if FTL shipping is the right choice for you, at American Manufacturing Solutions we can help you on an individual basis. We have both FTL and LTL shipping options that can benefit your company, contact us today, one of our experts will be happy to discuss your shipment needs.
