Blog

Are you sure that you know the best shipping option for your shipments and your business?

What is the right choice, FLT, LTL or even Groupage services?

Don’t worry, I will help you get a clear understanding of all these options, so you can make an informed decision for your business.

The shipping process can be very complex because there are many different options that you can choose for your cargo. In the road freight services, you can either choose FLT, or LTL, or you can even combine these two and choose a groupage option. But, let’s break it down and understand what each of these options mean.





FTL (Full Truck Load)
FTL means that the shipment will take up an entire truck. As you can imagine, FTL is usually used for large shipments of 10 or more pallets, weighting more than 10,000 pounds.

It’s not mandatory to reject the FTL option if you have a smaller shipment. Actually, you need to ask yourself some questions before deciding whether to choose the FTL option.

What is the size of your shipment?

What is the nature of your shipment? (Is it fragile? Is it temperature sensitive?)

Do you need to deliver your shipment quickly to the final destination?

If your shipment is at high risk, then it is wise to use FTL, as you reduce the likelihood of your cargo being damaged. Further, if you want your shipment to quickly reach its final destination, then, once again you can benefit from FTL.

The major advantage of FTL is that, your shipment will remain on the same truck from point A to point B, since an entire truck holds only one shipment, your shipment. FTL price rates are set on a cost per mile basis or on a single door to door rate. Moreover, these shipments are subject to fuel surcharges.

When it comes to the disadvantages of FTL, every one can point out its high price. It is an expensive option that is often prohibited for shippers with smaller shipments or small businesses. In addition, FTL gives drivers the opportunity to set prices and availability, making it difficult for the shippers to find the right driver at the right time.





LTL (Less than a Truck Load)
LTL, on the other hand, refers to the shipment that will not take up an entire truck itself. This type of ground freight transportation combines shipments from different companies and travels in a hub system, meaning that the shipments are being transferred to multiple destinations until they arrive at their final one.

In general, LTL shipments are not more than 12 pallets, weighing from 10 to 10,000 pounds. LTL is a budget-friendly option, ideal for small businesses because you can share the costs with other companies. Using LTL shipment means that you have to pay only for the space that your shipment occupies. For instance, if your shipment needs to take up half of the truck space, then you will only pay for the space that you used and the length of the travel. 

One disadvantage of LTL services is that it will take your shipment a longer time to reach its final destination. The truck does many stops because not all of the cargo shares the same destination. In addition, increased handling of freight leads to more delays, more fuel surcharges and a higher possibility of your cargo being damaged. If your shipment is fragile, then you may want to consider the FTL option.

Haulystic freight services provide you only with the best LTL carriers, using different transportation management techniques such as shipment aggregation and cross-docking, to combine shipments and deliver your cargo safely and efficiently to its destination. We work hard to save you money by matching your shipment with shipments that share the same destination.





Groupage shipping
The choices that you have, are not restricted only to FTL or LTL; you can use both. You may want to consider to use a combination of these two options, in a way that it will best suit your business. Groupage transport is the option where freight forwarders try to consolidate different products, in most cases, pallets and parcels, onto single or multiple pallets to create a single shipment that is more cost-effective.

By analysing and monitoring various variables, such as origin, destination, size, driver availability, Haulystic can find the most efficient solutions to consolidate freight and to deliver it on schedule 99% of the time.

The greatest benefit of groupage transport is that it reduces the costs of your shipping. Further, the flexibility of this option allows freight forwarders to use a number of road carriers in order to deliver maximum quality at minimum cost. Groupage transport can be also easily tied to other services, such as air freight and sea freight services. Finally, the price rates of this option can be affected by the size and weight of the pallets/parcels, the destination and the delivery time.


Which transportation option do you prefer? Have you used groupage and road freight services before? What, in your opinion, is the most effective choice for your shipments?

Do you feel even more confused now than before? The one thing that you should have in mind is your shipment. Assessing every shipment differently, gives you the power to see what’s best for you and your business. Collaborating with an experienced freight forwarder, such as Haulystic, you can benefit with tailored logistic solutions that meet your requirements.

We always try to deliver quality services, as our customers rely on our values to have a transparent shipping process with efficient lead times.

Join our team and let’s change the landscape of global distribution together!

Start by booking your shipments online!
 

Follow us on