FTL, LTL, 3PL—the transportation and logistics industry is rife with acronyms. You might need.

Everything You Need to Know about FTL and LTL Shipping

ht know what they stand for, but do you know what they mean? Full Truckload shipping (FTL) and Less-than-Truckload shipping (LTL) sound self-explanatory. However, they serve very different needs. When deciding which type best serves your business’ goals, you must consider size, time, and handling. These factors influence the amount of money you should spend.

Find Everything You Need to Know about FTL and LTL Shipping

This guide to FTL and LTL shipping gives you all the information you need to know to make the best decision for your business.

LTL Shipping

With Less-than-Truckload freight, your cargo shares a truck with another company’s products. LTL carriers operate via a Hub-and-Spoke network. In other words, trucks move cargo from the origin to a terminal (or hub), where freight is consolidated into “full” loads of separate cargo going in the same general direction. These loads are then delivered to multiple destinations. Hub-and-Spoke networks can include multiple terminal stops between origin and destination.

There is also a “matchup” LTL option. This involves shipping freight that is less than a truckload but on a truck that does not go to a terminal.

FTL Shipping

Full Truckload freight, as its name implies, fills an entire trailer. Operating via a Point-to-Point network, FTL transports cargo uninterrupted from origin to destination; in other words, cargo does not transfer from truck to truck.

So now that we understand how each works, let’s review the three main considerations.

What to Consider

There are many pros and cons for each method. Here are some of the things you should consider before deciding.

Size of Shipment:

LTL serves small- to medium-sized businesses looking to ship smaller amounts at a time—about 100 to 10,000, and taking up less than 24 ft of the truck. On the other hand, FTL is best suited for shipments over 10,000 lbs. Depending on where shipment size falls between 5,000 to 10,000 lbs, sometimes it makes more sense to ship Volume LTL or Partial LTL. FTL is more cost effective for large loads. If you have a large amount of cargo to ship, it makes more sense financially to ship it all FTL than to break it into smaller LTL shipments, despite LTL generally being cheaper.

Delivery Timeframe:

Since you share space with other companies in LTL shipping, trucks must make multiple stops, including transfers and multiple destinations. Thus, they tend to take longer to deliver. You can’t necessarily guarantee a delivery time due to such delays. In contrast, FTL delivers much faster because only your freight is on the truck. The cargo goes from origin to destination without transfer from one truck to another and with only one delivery point.

Handling:

The Hub-and-Spoke system of LTL shipping involves unloading, reloading, and unloading again. This process may cause damage to the goods. Therefore, avoid shipping more sensitive cargo with this method. You should consider shipping sensitive cargo FTL or matched up on a truck that is not going to a terminal  because your goods do not transfer to other trucks, reducing the amount of handling.

CONCLUSION:

James River Logistics is an FTL Freight Broker with LTL service and recommends “matchup LTL,” if not FTL. This way your product has no exposure to warehouse workers moving your freight from trailer to trailer. It stays on the same truck, in the same location on the trailer, and usually the same travel time as if it were an FTL shipment. FTL and matchup LTL are faster with fewer (if any) damages to the product. By paying a little more, you invest in quality delivery and better customer service PR for your business, since you can guarantee fast delivery—well worth any extra money spent. And better yet, matchup LTL cost is comparable to LTL cost, so you can still save money while shipping fast and worry-free.

For more information on what we do, how matchup LTL and FTL shipping can benefit your company, or to get a quote, contact us today!