LTL shipping, or less-than-load shipping, is the shipment of smaller freight, typically somewhere between 150 and 10,000 pounds. A shippers LTL freight will be combined with the LTL freight of other companies into one trailer where they will all be shipped together. This mode of shipping can lead to several benefits and is used widely across the logistics industry.
When preparing an LTL quote there are a couple of things you need to provide in order to get an accurate quote. The most important is the weight and volume of your consolidated freight. With LTL you will not be taking up the entire trailer and it needs to be known early on how much space and weight your LTL shipment will take.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are working with consolidated freight to ensure proper logistics management. First off, LTL shipments should always be palletized or crated when possible. This greatly minimizes the risk of damage or lost items and will make it easier to load and unload. Also, there are limitations to LTL freight sizes. When shipping LTL you want to try to stay within 8’6” wide and 13’6” tall. Otherwise, it falls into oversized which adds on an additional fee or may require a flatbed trailer.