The trucking industry is responsible for nearly 70% of freight tonnage transported across the United States. Studies have shown that the U.S truck market is worth over $700 billion.
Further studies also suggest that full truckload freight generates 85% of the whole trucking industry revenue.
Truckload freight shipping is simply the movement of loaded containers of freight from one location to another. The carriers offer different kinds of trucks, including backhauls, dry vans, flatbeds, intermodal, and refrigerated.
Both for-hire and private fleets ensure that transportation runs smoothly and serves as the primary transportation mode for thousands of companies.
The rule of thumb in full truckload (FTL) is that a bigger freight volume leads to greater cost-efficiency. Hence, a full truckload best benefits shippers having at least 10,000 pounds or at least 10 pallets of freight available for transport.
7 Key Benefits of Full Truckload Shipping
As a shipper, FTL shipping benefits you in many ways, regardless of company size or industry. Below are some of the main benefits.
Speed
Full truckload shipping is an ideal option to consider if your shipment is time-sensitive, heading to only one location, or requires the whole truck space.
Full truckload shipping deadlines are more precise than Less Than Truckload (LTL). For instance, you can cut off two days from the transit time by removing the extra procedures associated with LTL shipments, which may include no less than two freight terminals and three trucks.
In FTL, the driver and whole truck capacity commit to the delivery of your freight. For this reason, there won’t be any stops during the transportation, as there are no terminals to visit, no extra cargo to pick up, and no need for shipment transfer to another delivery vehicle.
Cost-efficiency
The pricing of truckloads is majorly dependent on the mileage, making it a cost-efficient option. In some cases, full truckload may be more economical when compared to LTL shipping services.
Safety
Because the driver doesn’t have to make any stop between the loading point and the final destination, it reduces the possibility of freight damage, loss, or theft that may likely occur with other options while unloading at intermediate docks.
Reduced Risks
Since full truckload shipping dedicates the whole truck to the delivery of your shipment, you need not worry about the possibility of damages from other shippers’ cargo. Or conversely, getting blamed or requests to pay for the damages to another shipper’s shipment.
This is because there are fewer touchpoints. A touchpoint refers to the times during the delivery when there’s contact with your shipment. The lesser the contact, the lesser the chances of your cargo is subject to damages.
With full truckload shipping services, the touchpoints occur only when your shipment is loaded into the truck and when it is unloaded at the delivery location.
Lesser Requirements
Less-Than-Truckload shipping requires that every shipper’s shipment meets a good number of requirements. For instance, all shipping units (crates, pallets, etc.) must be accurately measured and weighed to acquire the freight class and shipment density.
Additionally, the demand for specific accessorials, oversized freight, and liftgates make Less-Than-Truckload shipping services more stressful.
However, if you opt for full truckload shipping, you’ll only deal with lesser requirements before your shipment can be transported from the pickup to the delivery destination. For instance, full truckload shipping carriers do not give weight or size restrictions.
Improved Visibility
Over the years, there has been an improvement in LTL shipping tracking and tracing. However, it still doesn’t come close to the readily available cutting-edge tools aiding full truckload shipping.
Nowadays, some FTL shipping technology allows buyers and shippers to discover the shipment’s exact location during transportation.
Lowered Costs
Full truckload shipping rates are negotiable, as they are based on market variables like the present cost of fuel and demand. They are not regulated by the NMFTA (National Motor Freight Traffic Association). This allows shippers to focus on these factors and agree on suitable rates for your shipment.
Contrarily, Less-Than-Truckload shipping rates are dependent on the categorization of goods as determined by the NMFTA.
The Best Time to Use Full Truckload Freight Shipping
Full truckload freight shipping is undoubtedly one of the most popular and high-in-demand transportation modes thanks to its numerous benefits. Nonetheless, it isn’t the perfect fit for every shipper.
Therefore, before using it, you must ensure that it is the ideal option for you. If you tick all the boxes below, you can opt for full truckload freight and enjoy all of its benefits.
- Your shipment goes a long distance.
- You have goods weighing at least 10,000 pounds to ship
- Your freight is time-sensitive