What Is Volume LTL shipping?
Volume LTL shipping can be an attractive proposition to a freight shipper looking to save money. A freight shipment that takes up as little as 8 linear feet or weighs over 5000 pounds is eligible. There are limitations with volume LTL shipping but shippers that are willing to forego certain LTL provisions will benefit greatly.
Volume LTL shipping by definition is a shipment that has one or more of the following attributes:
- Ships in 4 or more pallets;
- Is greater than 5000 pounds;
- Occupies 8 or more linear feet on a truck.
Advantages of Volume LTL
Besides affording shippers a lower cost to ship, with proper planning, volume LTL offers several advantages.
- Usually faster pick-up times
- Less risk of damage for freight
- Pay only for space you use
- Huge savings compared to standard LTL rates
The Downside of Volume LTL
There are important details to keep in mind when requesting a volume freight quote. Volume LTL shipping is not solely based on the space and weight your freight occupies. A volume freight quote is affected by lane volume and market conditions as well. A shipping lane that is in high demand is more expensive than one that is not. This increased price occurs because a trucking company can benefit more handling simple LTL shipments.
If your cargo is high value a volume freight quote may be a liability for the customer. Sometimes reduced LTL rates offered through volume LTL shipping quotes come with limitations, such as a limited liability. This limited liability can vary from LTL carrier to LTL carrier. A limited liability may not be important to the customer who only seeks a lower shipping quote.
Also, volume LTL, unlike regular LTL, does not have standard transit times. A volume LTL shipment takes less precedence over more profitable standard LTL shipments. A customer has an estimated time frame of delivery; however, due to capacity issues, a shipment may sit at a terminal for a day or two awaiting a trailer with available space.
What Is The Upside To Volume LTL Shipping?
The advantages of volume LTL shipping far outweigh the drawbacks. With proper planning volume LTL will often save you money. Volume LTL allows shippers to ship into emerging markets or hot lanes at a fraction of the cost of using standard LTL rates or having to contract full truckload services.
Cost Savings Of Volume LTL shipping
If you are shipping a freight load of four to six skids with weight totaling more than 5,000 pounds or that will require over 8 linear feet of truck space, your shipment can qualify for volume LTL transport classification. Your logistics expert or transport carrier account executive can assist you in calculating freight shipment fees from your total load weight, dimensions, and description.
A volume LTL shipment is calculated according to many variables. As discussed previously total weight, linear footage and heavily-traveled lanes are more costly to use than others. Since lane traffic volumes change often, a volume freight quote is valid only as long as spot market conditions remain. Therefore, volume freight quotes must be taken advantage of quickly. Also, volume LTL shipping does not include guaranteed delivery times. If traffic is heavy in your shipping lane, your freight load is stored at a terminal for a day or more until a trailer becomes available. Even with these inconveniences, however, with careful planning, a shipper will definitely benefit financially from shipping freight by volume LTL.
Contact Freight-Specialist to see how volume LTL will help lower your shipping costs.
