What is LTL freight shipping?

What is LTL Freight Shipping?

A company does not always have enough goods to warrant a full load transport. Fortunately, there is another option: LTL shipping.

As a leader in LTL transport in Quebec since 2009, Transport Econo Nord continues to build its expertise. Here we explain the benefits of this unique transportation service.

LTL freight definition

LTL stands for “less than truckload“. This type of shipping is also sometimes referred to as “less than load” or “groupage freight”.

LTL transportation is ideal for shipping medium or small orders that cannot fill a full truckload on their own. Often, a  trucking company like Transport Econo Nord will group several smaller shipments from different companies into one shipment to fill all available shipping space.

This type of freight delivery is a very economical solution for companies that do not have enough parcels or pallets to fill an entire truck, but need to ship products on a regular basis.

The difference between TL/FTL and LTL freight shipping

LTL transport differs from TL (truckload), or FTL (Full Truck Load), transport. TL/FTL freight shipping involves filling an entire truck, while LTL shipping does not require that your goods take up the entire transport space.

LTL transport, a unique freight shipping service

Less than truckload shipping is often compared to a courier service. In fact, LTL shipping is ideal if you are transporting just one or small number of packages.

If you are wondering why you should use the services of a company specialized in LTL transport instead of a courier company, here are two things to consider:

• Does your shipment exceed the weight-to-volume ratio required for courier?
• Are your courier shipping costs becoming too expensive?

Many carriers specialize in LTL transportation in Quebec and Canada, including Transport Econo Nord. Businesses can choose from a wide range of competing service providers.

The art of LTL freight management

LTL freight management is complex. Transportation professionals have to optimize loads according to the weight and volume of goods, while also taking into account multiple locations and delivery dates. A real balancing act!

Because it is a more complex type of shipping, businesses may be better off relying on the services of a company specialized in LTL transport rather than a company that offers all possible delivery services.

What are the benefits of LTL freight?

Among the many different types of road freight transport, LTL transport offers several competitive advantages.

Custom rates

LTL allows trucking companies to combine loads from multiple companies or individuals into one shipment. This method provides significant savings for customers as they only pay for the space they use.

To provide you with the best possible prices, companies generally take several pricing factors into account:

• Distance
• Weight and volume of the freight
• The type of goods (perishable goods, dangerous products, etc.)
• The additional services that you can request

As a result, prices are generally attractive since LTL transportation costs (fuel surcharge, etc.) are shared by all customers.

Check out this article to learn more about calculating the cost of road freight transport.

Flexible delivery

LTL freight shipping allows for flexibility in your shipping and delivery dates. You can plan your pickup and delivery dates according to your availability.

Your carrier will often offer temporary warehousing of your goods before final shipment to the agreed upon destination.

This makes LTL transportation an ideal solution for small businesses to manage their “just-in-time” shipments.

A benefit to the planet

The environmental impact of road transport is significant, but luckily there are solutions.  Much like carpooling, LTL transportation helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional transportation services. Limiting the number of vehicles on the road also reduces pollution levels!

Ideal for small and medium businesses

Small and medium businesses may opt to use LTL shipping because they need to ship fewer goods and spend less money on freight than larger companies.

LTL shipping allows small businesses to benefit from all the services offered by professional shipping without having to pay for transport space they don’t need.

Vehicles suited to your needs

To meet specific truck transport needs, an LTL shipping company will use different types of vehicles to pick up and deliver your goods:

• A truck with a liftgate (if you don’t have a loading dock or delivery area)
• Refrigerated trucks for perishable goods
• Heated trucks for frost protection (useful in Quebec winters)
• Special trucks for residential deliveries

Trust Transport Econo Nord for your LTL transport

LTL freight shipping offers flexibility and benefits to any type of business that needs to deliver goods.

To facilitate your inventory management and improve customer satisfaction, we recommend using an LTL transportation company that has a system for tracking and tracing its vehicles as well as its freight.

As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what we do! Learn more about our transport services from our website.

Since 2009, our LTL transportation experts have been responding effectively to customer shipping needs. Complete this form or call us at 450-485-5187 to book a shipment today.