|
|
What Is The Difference Between LTL Freight And Full Truckload Operations?
Home » Logistics » LTL Freight » What Is The Difference Between LTL Freight And Full Truckload Operations?Full truckload carriers normally deliver a semi trailer to a shipper who will fill the shipment with freight for one destination. After the trailer is loaded the driver returns to the shipper to collect the required paperwork, such as Bill of lading, Invoice, Customs paperwork, and departs with the trailer containing freight. In most cases the driver then proceeds directly to the consignee and delivers the freight. Occasionally, a driver will transfer the trailer to another driver who will drive the freight the rest of the way. Full truckload transit times are normally constrained by the drivers availability according to Hours of Service regulations and distance. It is normally accepted that full truckload drivers will transport freight at an average of 47 miles per hour, this includes traffic jams or queues at intersection.
One advantage full truckload carriers have over less than truckload carriers is that the freight is never handled in route whereas an LTL shipment will typically be transported on several different trailers.
Less than truckload carriers typically have several drivers in a city where is shipper is located to collect freight from various shippers. Usually the same driver will visit the same shipper each time a shipment goes by a particular carrier. Once the driver has made several stops and has picked up enough freight to fill his trailer with either enough volume or weight, he returns to his terminal to have his trailer unloaded. The trailer is unloaded and the individual shipments are then weighed and rated for billing purposes. Next, the freight is then loaded onto an outbound trailer that will forward the freight to either a break bulk or other terminal. Once the freight arrives at its next stop along its way it will be transferred to another trailer and forwarded to the terminal in its destination city where it will be transferred to the trailer that will deliver it to the consignee. A shipment may be handled four or more times by the carrier, not including the initial loading and unloading.
Transit times for Less Than Truckload freight is much slower than for Full Truckload. Transit times in Less Than Truckload shipments are not exactly related to the direct distance from shipper to consignee. Less Than Truckload transit times are solely dependent upon the makeup of the network of Terminals and Break bulks that are operated by a carrier. If a carrier offers a next day service region shipments ranging from 0 to approximately 500 miles will most likely be delivered at similar times during the next day.
The main advantage of using a Less Than Truckload carrier is that a shipment may be delivered at a very small percentage of the cost if it had to be sent on a large trailer by itself. Also, Less Than Truckload carriers typically offer guarantees whereas Full Truckload carriers normally do not.
Related LTL Freight Articles
- What Is LTL Freight?
- What Is The Difference Between LTL Freight And Full Truckload Operations?
- What Is The Difference Between Less Than Truckload Operations and Parcel Carrier Operations?
- How Do I Prepare A Shipment For LTL Freight?
- Is LTL Freight Only Shipped By Trucks?