What is Less Than Truckload (LTL) and Truckload (TL)?
Less thanTruckload (LTL) freight is the transportation of goods that does not require a full truckload due to the smaller nature of the package. Therefore, multiple separate shipments shared the same space on the truck and the cost is also reduced. LTL is typically ideal for payload that:
1.weighs 150 lbs. or more.
2. is excessively large for a package truck however smaller than a full truckload.
3. is palletized.
LTL is one of the most common freight shipping and is often considered the easiest, affordable, and efficient way to ship bulky items quickly.
In Full truckload freight shipping, a dedicated freight truck is assigned for a shipment. There are no other shipments and no other stops included in FTL shipping. Full truckload shipping is the best option when any of the following are true:
1.The shipment is too large or heavy for LTL shipping
2. The products are expensive or sensitive, hence its risky to send through LTL
3. Specialty vehicles such as refrigerated vans, flatbeds, step decks, removable goosenecks (RGN), and air-lift suspension vehicles are booked as full truckload shipping.
4. The shipment needs to deliver fast.
Difference Between LTL Quote and TL Quote
The process for getting a freight quote for LTL and TL shipments is a little different. With LTL, the rates are more negotiable than with truckload shipments. Here’s how it breaks down:
LTL Freight Quote Process
LTL rates are negotiated with LTL carriers and are heavily discounted ahead of time if you tie-up with a third-party logistics company (3PL), like Tenax Transport. When you get an LTL freight quote, it will show you estimated, discount prices and estimated delivery times for available carriers that ship to and from the zip codes you entered. An LTL shipping expert will confirm the details of your shipment and let you know if there are any accessorial charges, such as the need for a truck with a lift gate.
TL Freight Quote Process
TL rate quotes are far more fluid because the availability of trucks for these hauls is constantly in flux. A truck that’s available in one area today could be in another area tomorrow. Quotes for full truckload shipments are estimates, just like with LTL shipments. But rather than seeing freight shipping cost estimates for multiple carriers, you’ll see one quote with no carrier’s name attached.
You can select that quote, but the process won’t be complete until you speak with a truckload specialist who will examine the route the truck will need to take, the availability for trucks on that route, and whether or not you require a specialty vehicle, such as a flatbed truck, a refrigerated van, an air-lift suspension and so on.
Choosing a Carrier
There are many benefits of tying with a 3PL like Tenaxx Logistics, but securing a carrier to fit your needs is perhaps the biggest benefit of working with a 3PL.
Choosing an LTL Carrier
Some carriers specialize in handling cargo that others rarely handle. Others might be offering deals on certain routes that are not built into the quote system. Still, others might be subbing out part of the shipment if their nearest terminal is a great distance from either the starting or destination location, and you might not want that. For these reasons and others, your best choice may be one that is not necessarily the lowest bid. Your Tenax Transport LTL shipping expert can properly explain all your options and help you make the decision that suits you and your shipping needs best.
Choosing a TL Carrier
With a truckload shipment, the matching system works the other way around. Once you have secured an estimate through a 3PL, your haul will be posted by Tenax Transport on online freight boards used by a network of more than 5,000 carriers who find freight runs that originate in locations where they have available trucks.
On the board, the carrier sees the origin and delivery points of the haul as well as the type of vehicle needed and the estimated rate the shipper has secured. Tenax Transport also emails information about the haul to a preferred list of 500-800 carriers. Interested carriers contact Tenax Transport, and our carrier agents verify that the carrier has the type of vehicle needed for the job, the availability to get it done on the shipper’s schedule, and the desire to haul the load at the estimated price.
Occasionally, due to capacity issues, no carrier will be willing to carry the freight at the agreed-to shipping cost. When that happens Tenax Transport contacts the shipper and gives them the revised estimate. The shipper may choose to agree to the new estimate but is not obligated to pay the revised estimate and has the option of canceling the order. Keep in mind that capacity issues happen infrequently.
Ship your LTL AND FTL Freight with Tenax Transport
You can rely on Tenax Transport to take care of business for you, easily and affordably. Our powerful transportation management system(TMS) and organization of the most notable, most elevated performing LTL and TL cargo transporters along with our expert shipping agents will get you the correct delivery answers to keeping your supply chain moving.
Have a LTL or TL shipment? Get a free online quote or call 519-260-2738.