Getting LTL Freight Shipping Quotes is Easy on Shiply

What Is Less-Than-Load (LTL) Freight Shipping?

LTL Shipping, meaning less-than-load freight shipping, typically involves the shipping of large items (or multiple smaller items) that will not take up the entirety of a vehicle’s space, also known as partial loads. It is often cheaper than other freight services as it does not require an entire journey to be made to ship just your items, instead, they are added to a vehicle already making a journey. This is often known as consolidated freight shipping, meaning that these partial loads together make a full vehicle worth of items.

Whilst LTL freight shipping is a very useful method of transporting items, it can often be difficult to choose a service due to the number of options available. On Shiply, there are hundreds of LTL freight companies ready to send personalized quotes for your shipping needs, giving you not only a great space to compare services but also quotes that can be up to 75% cheaper than standard rates.

First, however, you will need to ascertain some basic information about your shipment needs.

How Much Does LTL Freight Shipping Cost?

Whilst it is almost impossible to give a ballpark estimate of the cost of your less-than-load freight shipment due to a number of factors involved that can affect pricing, you can take a look at some of the biggest factors below to get an idea:

Distance - If you need to ship your items internationally or long-distance across the US then this will increase the price of your LTL shipment due to man-hours and fuel.

Item Size - The size and weight of your items will also affect the cost of your delivery. If they take up half a vehicle, this gives the driver less space to fit in other shipments, meaning you will have to pay more for your share of the space available. Essentially, the less of the share of the consolidated freight shipping that you take up, the cheaper the delivery will be.

Locations Of Pickup And Delivery - Items that need to be picked up from rural areas will usually incur extra costs as the driver will need to go out of their way to pick up the item, whereas in urban areas there is likely a service close by.

Timings - If you need to rush your LTL shipment then this will usually cost more as the driver will have to prioritize your delivery, whereas the more relaxed with timings you are the more economical they can make their trip and pass some of the savings on to you.

Time Of Year - Adverse weather conditions can restrict the available routes to an LTL shipper, as well as slow their journey. Often if you still require them to make a delivery in these conditions you may have to pay extra to help compensate for the difficulty.

How Can Shiply Help Find LTL Freight Shipping Companies?

Given the large number of less-than-load freight shipping options available and the number of factors involved, comparing and selecting one to go with can feel like a hassle. This is where Shiply may be able to help.

All you need to do is know the size and weight of the items you need shipping and the pickup and delivery locations. Once you submit these using our simple form you can sit back and wait for LTL freight services to send personalized bids directly to your inbox for your partial load. This gives you a great space to compare and assess your options.

Using Shiply’s feedback and rating system you can select a company you feel confident in, as well as have any questions answered by an LTL service through our messaging system.

Due to the nature of less-than-load freight shipping, drivers on Shiply are often making a journey anyway and are looking to fill the extra space in their vehicles. This means that quotes are not only up to 75% cheaper on Shiply but using our platform is also good for reducing unnecessary emissions and helping the environment.

Preparing For Your Items To Be Shipped

Once you are happy that you have found the LTL freight shipping company for you, it is time to prepare your items for pick up, we recommend taking these steps:

Documents - If there are any documents required for your items, for example, if they are being sold or traveling internationally, then we suggest having these ready to go to avoid any last-minute mishaps. 

Cleaning - Giving your items a good clean before shipping is a great way to assess their condition prior to delivery should any damages occur during transit.

Photographic Evidence - Following on from cleaning, you should take high-quality photos of your items which will give you solid proof of their condition before delivery in the case that any disputes arise.

Packing - You may discuss this with your chosen less-than-load freight shipping company beforehand as to whether they will assist you with packing and material when they pick up your items or whether you will do so beforehand. Either way, you want to make sure your items are secure and wrapped in protective packaging during transit.

What To Do After Delivery

Once your item/s have arrived at their destination, the most important thing you need to make sure to do is immediately check their condition. You can use the photos you took before pick up to assess whether any damages have occurred in transit and should raise any concerns with your LTL freight shipper immediately.

We also ask that you leave feedback and a rating for the service you received so that they can improve their service and so that others on Shiply can browse quotes with the same peace of mind.