
No matter the size of your business, logistics is an important arm of your day-to-day operation and helps you utilize your existing supply chain more efficiently. LTL or FTL - Which is the Best Freight Shipping Option? LTL or FTL - Which is the Best Freight Shipping Option?.Now that you have a sense of the differences between FTL and LTL, you can make the jump from packages to freight with peace of mind. LTL and FTL are merely tools to help your business grow and prosper. Is your shipment delicate or temperature sensitive? FTL is the way to go.Īs a business owner, you know best with regards to what your company needs. How fast do you need your shipment delivered? If you’re in a time crunch FTL delivers your shipment faster and more reliably. What is your shipping budget? LTL provides you budgetary flexibility but FTL gives you more bang for your buck.

If it weighs more than 10,000 pounds you should go with FTL. What is the size of your shipment? If your shipment is between 100 to 10,000 pounds, you should probably go with LTL. Which shipping method should you choose? This very much depends on the type of shipment you’re looking to move. Shipment remains in the same truck from pick up to destination (decreasing the odds of damage).Ideal for high risk or delicate packages.

#Ftl vs ltl full#
You may also use a full truck with a partial load if you prefer to use a dedicated truck and get the shipment there within a certain timeline.

Overall if cost and flexibility are your priorities then LTL shipping is the way to go. As a result, transit time is always estimated and not a guarantee. One of the cons of this way of shipping is that LTL shipments often take a bit longer to reach their destinations, this is due to the freight being taken back to carrier terminals and consolidated with other shipments going to the same destination area.

One of the ways that this budget friendly approach is achieved is that the shipper shares transportation costs with other companies and mostly use a third-party logistics company (such as FREIGHTCOM). This flexibility makes LTL a great choice for small businesses that don’t ship in large quantities and are looking for something that is budget friendly. For example, your shipment of razors might only take one-third of the space of the truck so you would only have to pay one third of the cost. Less than truckload (LTL) is when a shipment does not take up an entire truckload and weighs between 100 to 10,000 pounds. What is Less than Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload Shipping (FTL)?įor a more general definition, the transport of freight that does not require the entire space of a truck is also known as less than truckload (LTL) freight shipping, in contrast, shipments that take up the space or weight limit of an entire trailer are called Full Truckload (FTL) shipments.Ī Closer look at Less than Truckload (LTL) Let’s dive into the differences and examine the benefits of both options. However, the biggest difference between the two services is in the name itself, which is indicative of how much space your freight may take. The factors that may weigh into which freight shipping option to use could be, freight dimensions (length, width and height), freight classification, special services required and time sensitivity. These two options would be Less Than Truckload ( LTL) Shipping and Full Truckload (FTL) Shipping. A lot of factors can weigh into what shipping services you should use, however, if you’re transporting large shipments weighing over 100 pounds there are two essential services you may use to save money on shipping costs. The world of shipping includes many variables and modes of transportation.
