LTL shipping (less than truckload) is used by countless businesses for a host of different reasons. But if this isn’t something that you need to deal with on a daily basis, then you may find that you lack a lot of crucial information about the process. You may, therefore, find yourself on the back foot in negotiations, and not knowing precisely how to get the best deal or what you should expect from the services you work with.
There are a lot of common myths surrounding LTL shipping that it pays for companies to perpetuate. Therefore, in this post, we will take a look at some of the top LTL Shipping Myths what the truth behind them is.
Common LTL Shipping Myths
Transit times are guaranteed
This is something you need to be aware of when reading the marketing of any business offering LTL services. Companies will often claim they can guarantee a certain time, but you should be very wary of these claims!
In reality, there are countless different factors that could derail an expected delivery time. Instead, then, you should look for companies that offer a timeframe. This is a more realistic offer, but even then your shipment might end up arriving sooner or later than planned.
Shipping classes stay the same
The shipping class will partly determine what you can expect to pay for your freight. If you have been shipping the precise same thing to the same place for years, then you might expect that this cost would be set in stone. In fact, though, the National Motor Freight Classification meets twice a year to determine freight classes for various commodities. This means that the charge can change at any time. Don’t get too comfortable, and don’t be surprised if this happens!
You should always opt for discounts
When shipping, you might find yourself tempted by impressive discounts. Of course, this can be a great way to save money on a one-off shipment. But if you are intending on making lots of shipments and using the same company for recurring services, then you should pay more attention to the base rate. This is ultimately what will end up costing you the most in the long term!
Accessorial fees are constant
Just as freight fees can vary, so too can accessorial fees. These are calculated by the carrier and they can vary from one company to another by 50%. This is where the difference in price really lies in many cases.
Cheaper services are just as good
As with many services, you get what you pay for to an extent. Or as the old saying goes:
“If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!”
In other words, the cheaper services often aren’t as good as the more expensive ones. You need to look at this in terms of investment: an eCommerce business can be extremely lucrative but only if your customers are impressed with your service and they want to keep shopping with you. If you decide to “cheap out,” then you might ultimately limit the long-term viability of your business. This will cost you a lot
more over the years!
The Junction LLC | Truckload Shipping
As a leader in the transportation industry, we demand excellence from our entire team. Our team at The Junction LLC strives to deliver the best possible customer service and by a desire to solve our customer’s toughest transportation and supply chain needs.
Our team is dedicated to serving our customers and will take the necessary action to deliver our customers’ products safely, efficiently, and on-time. This is our promise to you!
Nationwide Services include:
Trucking & Freight Shipping Services:
- Overweight,
- Over-dimension
- Time-sensitive shipments
- LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)
- FTL (Full Truckload)
- Flatbed
- Flatbed LTLRGN (removable goose neck lowboy)
- RGN (removable goose neck lowboy)
- Maxi’s / A-Train / B-Train
- Heavy Haul
- Over Dimensional
- Dry Van
- Dry Van LTL
- Refrigerated
- Refrigerated LTL
- Power Only
Additional Services:
- Our sister companies can also provide warehousing in our food-grade facilities, cross-docking, and contract warehousing.
