4 Simple Ways to Lower Your LTL Shipping Rate

Less than truckload (LTL) freight shipping is used for the transportation of small freight or when freight doesn’t require the use of an entire trailer, typically freight weighing between 150 and 15,000 pounds. Because the shipper pays for the portion of a standard truck trailer their freight occupies, while other shippers’ freight fill the unoccupied space, LTL can be a highly a cost-effective shipping option.

Save more on your LTL shipping rates

You can add even more savings to the already budget-friendly LTL shipping process by following a few savvy cost-cutting steps. This video shows four simple, cost-effective strategies that can help you add opportunities for savings to your LTL shipping process.

1. Choose strategic origins and destinations

Whenever possible, bring your freight to a terminal and eliminate a portion of the journey—and the associated costs. If for any reason bringing your freight to a terminal yourself is not possible, starting or ending its journey at a business, rather than a home address, can also significantly lower your LTL shipping costs.

2. Consolidate packaging when possible

When shipping LTL, package products knowing they will ultimately have to fit onto a pallet. The larger the boxes or packaging materials, the fewer units will fit on a pallet. Additionally, using an excess of packaging materials will contribute to your shipments weight, ultimately adding to your shipping costs.

If possible, consider shipping products in their original packing materials with shipping labels instead of adding additional cardboard boxes—but keep in mind that pallets may be subject to handling and transferred on and off trucks, so only skip boxes if your items are not fragile.

3. Get accurate dimensions and weight

Because LTL freight rates are based partially on weight and dimensions, knowing how to package freight can help you save. LTL carriers rely on freight dimensions to determine the space available for a specific truck. Inaccuracies could result in an adjustment from the carrier and can result in added costs for you.

To protect your freight in transit and gain efficiency in loading time, crate or palletize your freight shipments. Be sure to include any packaging materials in your measurements.

4. Find ways to reduce or eliminate extra services

Think through what you will need for the loading and unloading process so you won’t be taken by surprise and forced to pay a premium for services you could have sourced yourself. Renting a forklift may be more cost effective for loading than choosing a carrier with special equipment.

Keep your LTL shipping rates on budget

When you choose Freightquote, you are already making a budget-smart decision by accessing the lowest prices on shipping. If you want to save even more on your less than truckload (LTL) freight, these four steps make it simple to cut costs throughout the shipping process.

To find out more about LTL freight, our other videos and blogs have a wealth of info on this as well as other topics to streamline your small business shipping. And when you’re ready to get shipping, Freightquote is here with accurate quotes, simple shipments, and real-time updates about your freight. Start your online quote today.