If you’re a business owner, you know that shipping is one of the most expensive and time-consuming aspects of running a company. You have to figure out how to get your products from point A to point B, and then you have to pay for that shipping.
Have you ever considered using full truck loads (FTL) shipping? FTL is a great option for businesses; it allows you to ship large or heavy items at an affordable rate. Keep reading to learn more about FTL and how it can be beneficial for your business.
What is Full Truck Load (FTL) Shipping?
If you have a carrier move an entire truck load of goods for you, that’s full truck loads (FTL) shipping. FTL is often used for large and heavy orders, or in situations where you have a lot of goods to take up a full truck load.
Almost any company can benefit from full truck loads (FTL) shipments. You can especially benefit if:
- You have a full truck load to ship.
- You have fragile, breakable packages, such as glass,
that can’t be stuffed into a truck with a lot of other packages. - You have a large, heavy order, such as furniture.
- You need an order delivered as fast as possible, and
you don’t want to pay expensive air freight fees. - You value increased security.
- You want more convenience.
FTL is distinguished from less than a truck load (LTL). With LTL, you won’t ship a whole truck load—your goods will be combined with other distributors’ goods. There will be several stops along the route, with the truckers taking time to unload goods on one route.
Benefits of FTL over LTL Freight Shipping
1. FTL Shipping is faster
Because your shipments keep getting stopped along the way, LTL is undoubtedly slower and less efficient than FTL shipments. With FTL, your goods will be delivered to one destination. No stops and less transfers speed up your shipments, making FTL a fast, efficient option.
FTL is also faster because there is less work involved in the initial loading. You’ll typically be charged by the truckload, but with less than a truck load (LTL), all the different deliveries need to be weighed and classified, which determines shipping costs.
If you have merchandise that is time-sensitive, FTL is your best option.
2. Increased security and less breakage
Since your goods are delivered to one destination, there are less touchpoints along the way. A touch point is any time your goods are moved or handled. Each touchpoint risks damage, loss, or misplacement. Fewer touchpoints mean there’s less of a chance that something will go wrong. Your goods will stay in place, safe and secure, until they reach their destination.
FTL shipping also offers the benefit of less breakage. When shipping fragile items, such as glassware, full truck loads (FTL) shipping is your best option. You can put the package in the truck alone, rather than having your goods stuffed alongside plenty of other packages, meaning your goods are far less likely to break in transit.
3. FTL is more convenient
With FTL, you’ll avoid the hassle and expense of dealing with multiple ground freight shipments. When you use FTL, you’ll only have to make one shipment instead of many small ones. This means that your business will save money on shipping costs, because you won’t have to pay for each individual package separately.
Instead, you can focus on getting your products to their destination as quickly as possible. That way, your customers will be able to get their hands on them faster than they would if they had to wait for individual shipments.
4. FTL gives you more negotiation power
When you know what factors to look at, full truck loads (FTL) shipping gives you more negotiation power, compared to LTL shipping. Quotes from FTL shippers are highly dependent on market factors, such as:
- Type of freight
- Available freight lanes
- Current demand
- Fuel costs
- Destinations
- Where the shipment is coming from
- Any extra charges, for example: extra packaging
Understanding these factors means you can better negotiate your FTL shipping prices in the long-term. However, in the short-term, some of these factors might increase your costs, such as rising fuel prices.
5. What shipments benefit the most from FTL?
Any industry can benefit from full truck loads (FTL)
shipping. However, some shipments use FTL far more often than others. These
include:
- Aerospace equipment
- Gasoline
- Crude oil
- Grains
- Gravel and other crushed stones
- Textiles
- Sand
- Coal
- Farming equipment
- Construction equipment
- Power tool
- Auto parts
- Furniture
- Household appliances
- Gym equipment
- Fragile items (such as glass)
- Canned goods and other food that doesn’t expire
No matter what products you’re shipping, FTL shipping can increase speed and convenience, reduce breakage and security issues, and save you money. It’s worth looking into FTL to see if it is the best ground freight option for your business.
If you’ve decided on using FTL, Packair can help. Packair is fully equipped with a fleet of 13 trucks and vans, with certified drivers ready to attend to your shipping needs. We are the one-stop solution for your custom trucking needs.
Request a quote today, or view our blog to learn more about logistics, shipping, and freight forwarding.
