These days, with so many different shipping and logistics options available on the market, and can be tough to know what’s best for your package. One of the most important decisions you will need to make, especially for commercial shipping, is whether you want to choose LTL freight or FTL freight. Here we will attempt to show you everything you need to know about LTL freight versus FTL, and which circumstances it will be best for.
What is LTL Freight?
Never heard the terms LTL or FTL before? Don’t worry, it’s actually a lot simpler than you might think.
FTL stands for full truckload freight – it refers to shipping something with an entire truckload. Conversely, LTL stands for less than truckload freight. That means that less than the full truckload is being used for the shipping. When you choose LTL freight for your shipping, you are renting out just one part of a truckload. There will be other items from all different parties on the truck. That has a few implications – for one thing, it means that you have no way of knowing what else is being shipped along with your item. If you are shipping food or other sensitive materials, there is a chance that it can be shipped alongside chemicals or toxic matter.
The other implication is that your LTL freight will be making multiple deliveries along the way to your final destination. The truck will most likely not be taking a direct route and will take a little longer than direct or expedited shipping might.
Why choose LTL Freight?
One of the main benefits of choosing LTL over FTL shipping is price – obviously, it costs a lot more money to rent out an entire truck to complete your shipping. LTL freight is much more affordable.
LTL freight also takes a lot of the worry out of your hands. When you choose LTL shipping, you choose to work with experienced professionals, who will get your package safely to its destination without any work on your part. These days, tons of shipping companies offer live tracking and other tools that give you more control and peace of mind about your delivery.
The downsides of choosing LTL freight include slower delivery times, and less fragile handling – as your package will be one of several on the same truckload, it is tough to guarantee that it will be treated with special care. So, if you are shipping something that is time sensitive or fragile, you might want to choose FTL over LTL.
On the other hand, if you are not in a rush to have your package delivered, and are interested in convenient, affordable and easy freight service, LTL is a great choice. LTL shippers work with companies and individuals alike.
Before you make your decision, consider the sensitivity of your package, how big it is, and how soon it needs to be delivered. If you think LTL is right for you, take a look at American Manufacturing Solutions to save yourself a ton of money and stress.
