Supply chains in the US are busting at the seams. Carriers are running at near-full capacity, and shippers everywhere are struggling to find the right trucks at the right price. You have a load to move. Complicating matters, your load is bigger than a regular LTL move but smaller than a full truckload. What do you do?
Maybe you have a large LTL load and you are about to call one of your LTL carriers. Or maybe you have a small FTL load and you are reaching out to your typical FTL providers. Maybe there is a better option. Logistics companies that specialize in partial loads may be the solution you need. A partial load expert may be able to save you significant money, and provide you enhanced service levels above your traditional methods.
If you typically ship your freight via full truckload, whether on flatbed or vans, why pay for the full trailer when you only need part of a trailer? By working with a partial load specialist, you can save up to 70% over typical full truckload rates. And you may get better service, even dedicated service, to boot.
According to Will Yarborough, sales executive at FlatbedLTL.com, “Working with a partial load specialist helps minimize wasted space on trailers which is such a critical issue right now. It allows you to match the size of your shipment to the right equipment. In some cases, using a specialized equipment option such as a hotshot flatbed or sprinter van can match the freight to the equipment more appropriately, save the shipper money, and give faster service to the receiver.”
And if you typically ship via LTL carrier, you have probably experienced rules such as Density Minimum, Cubic Minimum, Linear Foot, or Capacity Load that can dramatically impact freight charges. They can quickly turn a $500 freight bill into a $3,500 freight bill. Any time you tender 6 or more pallets to an LTL carrier, you are rolling the proverbial dice in terms of freight charges. LTL carriers generally do not want these larger loads in their network unless they are moving in specific lanes at specific times. Some may even embargo loads of this nature. So if your load does not fit their preferred lanes and profile, you will end up paying the price for not considering other options. For LTL shippers, reviewing a partial-load solution is sound advice when shipments reach 10 feet in length or greater. It’s really a no-brainer.