Logistics Glossary

Get to know the vital terms of Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Carriers

What Are Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Carriers in Logistics?

In logistics, LTL carriers are an invaluable service to business operations that need to ship smaller loads but don’t have enough volume for an entire truck. LTL carriers combine shipments from various businesses and place them all in one truck. This shared transportation model allows each company to pay only for the portion of the truck space they use, making it a cost-effective choice for shipments with smaller volumes.

Key Benefits of Less-than-Truckload Shipping

Cost Savings: LTL shipping is good for businesses that ship out shipments that do not fill up an entire truck. Since the space is shared, businesses pay only a fraction of the cost if they have shipped Full-Truckload (FTL). LTL benefits small-to-medium shipments.

Environmental Impact: Combining multiple shipments in one truck reduces the number of trucks on the road and, subsequently, the carbon emissions and thus reduces the environmental footprint.

Unlimited shipping options: LTL carriers ensure frequent pickups and deliveries that may enable businesses to make shipments at a convenient time for them without waiting to fill an entire truck.

More tracking and reliability: Most of the LTL carriers ensure they provide real-time tracking that enables businesses to trace and know where their shipment is. It is usual for LTL carriers to have a specific set route and schedule, which means delivery timelines are usually more reliable.

Conclusion

LTL carriers offer efficient and cost-effective transportation solutions for business customers who have smaller loads. They share the resources to reduce their costs by appropriating the transportation resources across different deliveries. The repeated delivery options and reliable tracking make LTL shipping an integral component of logistics operations in modern times.

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