One Size Does Not Fit All: A Guide to Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight

When multiple shipments from multiple parties are combined on the same truck to create efficient solutions, Less-Than-Truckload can reduce costs and create better shipping options for your complex needs.  But LTL freight shipping can be tricky to understand for some. To help shippers understand the ins and outs, we recently sat down with Reo Hatfield, LTL expert and Vice President of Business Development at TA Services and he shared some insights on LTL Logistics 101.

Trends
Hatfield says that over the past few years, online shopping has drastically increased the need for less-than-truckload shipping. With the onset of one- or two-day shipping with Amazon, it’s increased demand to deliver freight quicker, at a higher volume. This trend grew during the pandemic, with more people staying home and ordering essentials for speedy delivery. People expect their delivery to be trackable as well, so the technology behind LTL is becoming even more fine-tuned—down to the hour.

Myth or Fact?
A common misconception is that freight moves quicker in the air versus over the road. But according to Hatfield, many freight shipments won’t even fit on an aircraft. It’s also sometimes easier and faster to drive a shipment from its origin to its destination, rather than fly it, again, making LTL freight shipping a very viable option for shippers. 

One Size Does Not Fit All 
In order to determine if LTL is a great fit there are several factors which should be taken into consideration: from weight to transit time to equipment and more… For more information on when to choose LTL for your next shipment check out our Quick Guide to Everything You Need to Know about LTL Freight. 

TA Services has been America’s trusted, premier integrated solutions provider for Freight Brokerage, Managed Transportation, Warehousing & Fulfillment, and Cross-Border Logistics for over 35 years. If you are interested in how TA Services can help you increase efficiency and reduce cost, then please check out our website or email us today.