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The Fundamentals Of LTL Shipping For First-Time Shippers

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As a business owner, there will be times when your shipping needs aren't sufficient for a full trailer load. Those are the times when you may find yourself pursuing less-than-truckload shipping, also referred to as LTL shipping. For those business owners who don't fully understand the LTL shipping process, there are a lot of different steps along the way that can lead to mistakes. If you want to ensure that you have the best possible outcome from your LTL shipping experience, there are some things that you need to keep in mind.

Know Exactly What You're Shipping

If you want to be sure that you get a quote that's as accurate as possible, you should be sure of exactly what you're shipping. Pack everything on the pallets before shipping. That way, you can get the precise pallet and load dimensions as well as the weight.

You'll need to provide this information to your LTL shipper to get an accurate quote. Remember that LTL shippers plan their trailer loads based on these figures, and any inaccuracy could affect the way that the load fits in the trailer. In serious cases, it can leave the shipper without space for a portion of the load.

Ensure Adequate Packaging

Another important thing for business owners to consider when planning LTL shipments is the packaging of the products. Any time you ship with an LTL shipping carrier, your shipment will be moved and handled several times along the way. As a result, you want packaging that's going to hold up to all of that handling. Consider strong, reinforced packages that will hold up to transportation, including the chances of repeated handling, moving, and other changes in transport.

Ask About Tracking

One of the biggest challenges of LTL shipping is the fact that your load will travel with many others, being delivered along a predetermined route. That means it isn't necessarily going to go straight to the recipient. You'll want to be able to track the shipment along the way so that you know that it is secure. Talk with your LTL shipping company about the tracking options that they provide so that you know what kind of shipment visibility you'll have.

LTL shipping is a completely different service from traditional freight shipments. Keep these things in mind as you start looking for an LTL shipping service. To learn more, contact an LTL freight shipping provider. 


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