Understand your Modes: 6 Ways to Ship Freight

If you're responsible for the logistics of your business, you know that it's not just what you ship, it's how you ship it.There are several different modes of transportation, and choosing the right one is crucial to keeping your supply chain as efficient, affordable, and green as possible.

The Most Common 6 Ways to Ship Freight in Logistics

• Full Truckload

• Standard LTL

• Volume LTL

• Shared Truckload

• Intermodal

• Box Trucks & Sprinter Vans
  

Full Truckload

Full truckload，sometimes abbreviated FTL, TL, or OTR (Road transport), is when a shipper orders an entire semi truck (usually a 53-foot tractor-trailer) to transport goods from one facility to another.

When should I use a full truckload?

FTL shipping is ideal for businesses who either have a single large load to move or consistently send out shipments that can fill an entire trailer. The benefits of FTL shipping are: 

• Direct routes with one carrier 

• Less handling of products 

• Fastest shipment times and fewer delays 

• No shared trailer space 

It’s ideal to use FTL shipping if: 

• Need to send products to their destination quickly 

• Have concerns about security or product damage 

• Have 20 or more pallets of freight 

The general drawbacks of FTL shipping are: 

• Cost: it can be more expensive to ship products, especially if you are not filling the entire trailer 
  

Standard LTL

LTL shipping is ideal for shippers who do not have the shipping frequency to justify full truckloads but need the flexibility to send what freight they have, when they have it.

When should I use a Less-than-truckload?

The benefits of sending freight via LTL shipping include: 

• Reduced costs: since you share trailer space with other companies, you also share the cost of shipping, fuel, etc. 

• Flexibility: you don’t have to wait until you have the shipments to fill an entire trailer. Shipments can be coordinated and scheduled as needed. 

• Environmentally friendly: trailer space is not wasted when sending LTL, so fuel is maximized 

• Variety of carrier options depending on your specific needs and delivery requirements 

It’s ideal to use LTL shipping if you: 

• Are an ecommerce business 

• Small to midsize shipment volume 

• Mostly send shipments of 6 pallets or less 

• Standardized dimension freight  

• Dense freight 

The general drawbacks of LTL shipping are: 

• Increased delivery time: because shipments are subject to capacity constraints driven by carriers consolidating freight on the linehaul. 

• Increased handling of products: products are touched multiple times between original pick-up to final drop, which can result in damage 

• Shipping high value freight may experience lack of limited liability coverage 
  

Shared Truckload

Partial truckload (PTL) shipping is classified as shipments that range from 5 pallets up to 20 pallets, with no more than 30,000 lbs. But that doesn’t mean the trailer is solely devoted to your freight; some other products from other companies can be picked up by the carrier to fill the remaining space on the trailer.

The benefits of PTL shipping are: 

• Less handling: once your products are loaded onto a trailer, they aren’t touched again until they are unloaded at the final destination. 

• Freight classes: freight rates are not determined based on classification, rather weight and/or linear feet 

• Cost saving advantages: great for higher value freight with far less risk of damage than moving in the LTL network 
  

It’s ideal to use PTL shipping if you: 

• Have high value freight  

• Have fragile products 

• Have low-density freight / higher class freight 

• Have 5 to 20 pallets and do not exceed 30,000 lbs. 

The general drawbacks of PTL shipping are: 

• Increased delivery time: because carriers generally make multiple stops along the way 

• Potential delays in shipping due to freight consolidation wait times and capacity of carriers 

Intermodal

What is Intermodal?

Intermodal transport refers to the transport of containerized goods by a combination of rail and truck transport.

At the point of departure and destination, haulage carriers (specialized freight carriers) will transport your goods to and from rail facilities. Most of the miles will take advantage of an extensive rail network across North America.

According to BTS, 1.7 billion tons of cargo are transported by rail in the United States each year.

When should I use the Intermodal transportation?

Intermodal transport is a vehicle conversion mode of transport.

If you're transporting a truckload of goods more than 600 miles and want to reduce freight rates and reduce carbon emissions, intermodal is a good choice.

While 600 miles is the minimum mileage, you must check with the intermodal provider to find out if your particular lane is serviced. Compared to transporting the same goods by road, intermodal transport can reduce emissions by up to 30%.

There are some important differences between truck loading and intermodal transport, namely transit times and differences in terms of blocking and supporting. Make sure you partner with an experienced provider to help you succeed.

Box Trucks & Sprinter Vans

What Are Box Trucks & Sprinter Vans?

These are smaller vehicles - which can range from 10 to 26 feet in length - used to transport goods, often for last-mile deliveries.

When should I use a box truck or Sprinter van?

Box trucks and Sprinter Van can provide you with direct point-to-point less-load freight services at rates that are much lower than those of fully loaded trucks.

Many of the carriers that specialize in this model are regional, so it's better suited for shorter distances, especially last mile deliveries.

Need more help choosing a mode? Talk to a Specialist

Our transportation Specialists are on here to help you find the best way to get your goods to the destination you need.

Whether your main concern is price, safe handling, sustainability or any other issue, we can find a transportation solution for you.

Contact us today to find out how we can strengthen your supply chain with the right model ！！

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