What is LTL Shipping in Freight Service
LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) shipping is a freight method for shipments too large for standard parcel services but not requiring a full truck trailer. It consolidates cargo from multiple shippers onto one truck, maximizing space and reducing costs.
LTL Shipping in Freight
A typical LTL shipment is picked up by a local driver, then passed to "line haul" or OTR drivers who transport it between terminals until reaching the destination city. There, a local "city unit" collects and delivers the shipment.
How LTL transportation works
LTL carriers utilize a hub-and-spoke system, much like airlines do for passenger transportation.
- The pickup stage: A truck driver picks up palletized freight and takes it to a local terminal for consolidation with similar shipments before transferring it to other trucks for final delivery.
- The consolidation stage: Consolidation combines smaller freight shipments with similar destinations into larger loads, reducing transportation costs, maximizing truck space, minimizing handling, and decreasing damage risk. It's an efficient strategy for shippers with frequent, smaller orders.
- The hub-and-spoke model: The primary operational stage involves collecting freight from local terminals and consolidating it at a central hub for sorting and transfer to other hubs or final destinations. This process repeats until delivery, maximizing truck utilization and cost-efficiency for smaller shipments.
- The delivery stage: "Last mile delivery" is the final stage where freight is moved from a terminal to a local truck for delivery to the customer's door, involving unloading, sorting, and loading.
Advantages of LTL Shipping Service
- • Cost-efficient: LTL shipping is cost-effective because you pay only for the space your freight occupies on a shared truck, reducing fixed costs for multiple shippers. This makes it cheaper than renting an entire truck, ideal for small to medium-sized businesses with smaller shipments.
- • Convenient for small businesses: Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) shipping offers small businesses a flexible and cost-effective way to transport freight by sharing truck space with other shippers. This is perfect for moderate-sized loads and helps smaller companies manage logistics efficiently and compete with larger corporations.
- • Adaptability, scalability and versatility: Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping offers small businesses flexibility, on-demand capacity, improved inventory control, and diverse delivery options. By sharing truck space and costs with multiple shippers, LTL provides a scalable, adaptable solution.
- • Echo-friendly benefits: LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) shipping has significant environmental benefits by consolidating smaller shipments onto one truck. This reduces the number of trucks on the road, lowers fuel consumption, cuts greenhouse gas emissions and supports sustainable business practices through better truck space utilization.
- • Accessorial and additional services: Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) carriers offer accessorial services—fees for specialized needs like liftgates and residential delivery—beyond the base freight cost. While these services ensure customized handling, they can increase shipping expenses if not disclosed upfront.
Three most common challenges faced in LTL (Less Than Truckload) transport and shipping
- Extended transit times: LTL shipments have longer transit times than Full Truckload (FTL) deliveries because they make multiple stops and are routed through terminals.
- Increase the risk of freight damage: The LTL shipping service's extra handling and terminal transfers can increase the risk of freight damage. Proper packaging is essential to mitigate this risk.
- Complicated shipping quote: LTL shipping rates are influenced by distance, weight and freight class, making pricing more complex than FTL.
Key Pricing Factors for LTL Shipping
- • LTL Freight Classes: The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) standardizes the classification system (Classes 50 to 500) based on a shipment's density, stowability, ease of handling, and liability.
- • Dimensions and Weight of Shipments: The size and weight of your shipment on a pallet are essential for determining its freight class and the space it will occupy to provide a shipping quote.
- • The Distance your Freight Travels: The distance your freight travels is an important factor in calculating the overall cost rate.
- • Accessorial fees in Less Than Truckload (LTL) rates: Accessorial fees in Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) shipping are extra charges for services beyond standard pickup and delivery, including additional labor and equipment such as liftgates and residential delivery. These fees can increase shipping costs, so it's important to understand and plan for them.
LTL Freight Categories and Classes
When shipping LTL, it is essential to classify your cargo correctly to ensure it is handled appropriately at each terminal. For example, you will need to assign your shipment to one of the 18 freight classes.
- • Class 50 freight includes strong, heavy and dense cargo that is easily transportable on standard pallets, representing the lowest rate due to its high density and durability.
- • Class 92.5 is a freight classification for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, assigned to items with a density of 10.5 to 12 pounds per cubic foot. These items are relatively durable but require careful handling.
- • Class 500 is the highest and most expensive freight classification for items that are either very light and low-density or have a high value.
Freight class, determined using your carrier's online calculator, impacts the cost of your LTL shipment. It considers factors such as density, liability, handling and stowability of the package.
LTL SHIPPING SERVICES FOR PARTIAL LOADS, PALLETS AND SMALL EQUIPMENT
Call now or fill out our simple information form to get quotes and have all your questions answered about our versatile LTL shipping solutions. Our certified customer assistance team can give you options in the price range that you feel fits you, and add you to the growing list of satisfied Tractor Transport clients.
Tractor Transport offers a dependable solution that saves you money in the form of our efficient and reliable less-than-load (LTL) shipping. Contact Tractor Transport directly at (877) 373-0109.
CONSOLIDATING FREIGHT MAKES SHIPPING MORE EFFICIENT
LTL shipping involves carrying your cargo on the same trailer as other clients, so simultaneous hauling can make the process more stable and efficient. Weight is balanced from back to front on the trailer, and two orders to a general location can be completed at the same time, using less money and capital, and passing the savings on to you.
RATES THAT MAKE TRACTOR SHIPPING ATTRACTIVE
Rates for LTL shipping are based on the weight of each piece of cargo, the distance travelled, and fuel surcharges, among other factors. The positive aspect of LTL shipping for our clients is that when only one trailer is used for multiple orders, you only pay a fraction of the fuel and equipment costs that would otherwise be billed to you at full price. Tractor Transport understands that shipping your equipment involves many considerations, given the specific cargo's specifications, and LTL shipping offers the versatile service you need to ensure your tractor is in safe hands.
EXPERT SERVICE, EVERY TIME
LTL shipping is as efficient as the company handling it, and the experts at Tractor Transport specialize in finding LTL solutions that fit your needs. As a Tractor Transport client, you can expect to become educated on all your pricing and shipping options so that you can find the method and equipment that's right for the task at hand.
Tractor Transport offers a dependable solution that saves you money in the form of our efficient and reliable less-than-load (LTL) shipping.
TRACTOR TRANSPORT OFFERS AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF TRAILER CHOICES TO HAUL YOUR AIR SEEDERS
FLATBED
TRANSPORT SERVICES
Our most versatile and commonly used trailer by far is the standard flatbed trailer, made evident by the sheer number of them on the road every day. A great aspect of flatbed trailer shipping is the stability of the bed and the fact that these common carriers come in a wide variety of sizes and dimensions. A flatbed trailer, as the name suggests, is marked by a flat trailer surface that's able to be loaded with stability by balancing and securing cargo on the outside edges of the trailer.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
48,000 lbs
Max Height
8.5 ft
Max Length
53 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
RGN (REMOVABLE GOOSENECK)
TRANSPORT SERVICES
The Removable Gooseneck (RGN) trailer has a detachable front end that turns the trailer into a ramp. Past the detachable section of the trailer, RGNs are equipped with a double drop formation that lends the payload an extra amount of height, usually around 12 extra inches. The variable nature of the RGN trailer allows it to accommodate cargo that is more difficult for less flexible trailers. Referred to as a "detach", the RGN is ideal for transporting less than standard cargo, equipment that is longer, taller, or otherwise a non-normal size.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
42,000 lbs
Max Height
11.6 ft
Max Length
29 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
EXT. RGN (REMOVABLE GOOSENECK)
TRANSPORT SERVICES
Similar to the standard Removable Gooseneck Trailer, the extended RGN has an added section for additional length and capacity for particularly tricky transport jobs. When cargo is too long for the standard Removable Gooseneck (RGN), we sometimes employ the extended RGN. Like the standard RGN, the back portion of the stretch RGN is removable, creating a convenient ramp. The extended RGN has a versatile extension feature that allows it to meet an increased number of length requirements for cargo.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
150,000 lbs
Max Height
11.6 ft
Max Length
65 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
DROP DECK
TRANSPORT SERVICES
A drop deck, or "step deck" trailer resembles a standard flatbed model with a single drop in order to give the trailer the capacity for more cargo height. This is especially advantageous when the payload exceeds the standard height requirements for a regular flatbed. This is especially advantageous when the payload exceeds the standard height requirements for a regular flatbed. For especially large or oddly sized pieces of equipment, the drop deck trailers present a uniquely ideal solution; tractors, farming combines and large construction and industrial equipment.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
48,000 lbs
Max Height
11 ft
Max Length
53 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
EXT. DROP DECK
TRANSPORT SERVICES
When a job necessitates a trailer that can carry an irregularly long piece of equipment or cargo, we employ the extended drop deck trailer. Like a flatbed with either a single or a double attached gooseneck, the extended drop deck gives the user capacity for additional height and length to meet the needs of a specific cargo load. Typically, the extended RGN is more flexible than the standard RGN, so it's only used when absolutely necessary.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
45,000 lbs
Max Height
10 ft
Max Length
63 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
LOWBOY
TRANSPORT SERVICES
A lowboy is one of the lowest trailers to the ground, as its name suggests. Many heavy hauling tasks are carried out with the help of the lowboy trailer because of its use for extremely large, heavy, and oversized or over-dimension equipment. Typically when you see a sign that says "Oversize Load" on the interstate, the cargo being hauled is done so with a lowboy trailer. Many shippers use lowboy models as their top choice for these jobs due to their capacity to carry extremely heavy weights of cargo, and their stability as the lowest, off-the-ground option.
Trailer Specifications
Max Weight
40,000 lbs
Max Height
14 ft
Max Length
24 ft
Max Width
8.5 ft
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Partner with Tractor Transport For Your Next Farm Equipment Transport Needs
Tractor Transport has over 15 years of experience shipping farm equipment and agricultural machinery nationwide and overseas. We provide everything individuals, farmers and small businesses need to transport their machinery safely.
Partner with Tractor Transport for safe,
reliable, and quality equipment shipping.
COMMON ITEMS WE TRANSPORT
LICENSED, BONDED AND INSURED FARM EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT COMPANY
Tractor Transport is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured farm equipment transport company that ships farm equipment across the country and to other countries worldwide. All of our drivers are experts with years of experience hauling oversized equipment and they are licensed and insured. As a company, Tractor Transport operates with:
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Bonded
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Contingent Cargo Insurance
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Motor Carrier License #693977
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A Division of Nationwide Transport Services
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Department of Transportation License #2245458
BOOK YOUR FARM EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT NOW
Tractor Transport simplifies the process of shipping farm equipment, whether it's across the nation or overseas. Our team of specialists is trained, experienced and ready to handle your machinery. We offer a comprehensive and complimentary farm equipment shipping estimate, providing you with all the necessary transport details. Our farm equipment transport experts will be there for you from the first call to the safe delivery of your machinery. Let's start this journey together.
