Why LTL Cost is Impacted by Dimension-Based Technology
Those who ship via LTL carriers may have noticed an uptick in pricing on their shipping invoices. While the driver shortage and rising fuel costs are a major contributing factor, the inclusion of dimension-based equipment is showing up on many shipper’s invoices. But, it’s not because of the LTL carriers need to recoup their investment […]
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Why the Reefer LTL Market will Grow in 2019
The recent signing of the revised NAFTA agreement by President Donald Trump was a hidden gem for the reefer LTL industry. While there are several specifics that need to be fine-tuned and adjusted, the new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico will increase the export of US-based products that require temperature control. Beyond this new […]
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3 Certain Freight Labeling Best Practices
There is nothing worse than receiving a phone call from an upset customer – because their delivery was delayed because of faulty labeling. While many shippers rush to blame the carriers for damaging their packaging and labeling issues, the truth is, label damage is something that is 100% controllable. Missed deliveries or delays in delivery […]
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3 Tips for Hiring the Best Third Party Shipping Companies
Navigating the complex supply chain is a difficult task – even for experienced operators. The changes in shipping regulations, increasing costs, and complexity of international logistics procedures often inspire shippers to search for the best third party shipping companies to help them with their logistics programs. There are several good 3PL’s out there – but […]
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3 Hurdles that Self Driving Trucks Need to Climb to Become a Reality
It has been estimated that companies including Otto, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and others have invested more than $2 Billion in the development of self-driving or autonomous semi-trucks – just for long-haul logistics. While the transportation industry has come a long way in a short period of time, the reality of self-driving trucks entering the supply chain’s […]
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How to Avoid Mistakes with Less Than Truckload (LTL) Shipping
When it comes to setting up freight shipment, most shippers dread the Less than Truckload option. Whether it’s the excessive charges that some carriers rate, or the inability to get a direct delivery estimate, it’s quite common for shippers to get frustrated with LTL shipping. However, in most cases, the frustration is due to the […]
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What is Causing the Truck Driver Shortage And How Can It Be Resolved?
The truck driver has been a staple in the American supply chain for more than a century. From transporting livestock across the country to delivering gasoline to service stations, the efficient movement of freight is only possible when an ample supply of qualified truck drivers exists. Unfortunately, the United States, in fact, the global logistics […]
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The Impact Of Amazon Planning To Hire Thousands Of Seasonal Delivery Drivers
Amazon has rolled out a new shipping program for the 2018 holiday season. In anticipation of an influx of orders, especially with their implementation of holiday free standard shipping for all customers, Amazon is putting an emphasis on last-mile logistics. To meet the demand of nearly 9 million daily packages, Amazon has announced they are […]
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What is the Cubic Capacity Rule – and How Does It Impact Shippers?
If you’ve recently reviewed an LTL shipping invoice, and noticed a surcharge classified as “minimum cubic capacity rule” – don’t worry; you’re not alone. While shipping less than truckload (LTL) is convenient and can save money under certain situations, there are some rules that must be complied with to ensure accurate billing. One of them […]
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5 Tips for Reducing Freight Costs for Manufacturers
With the cost of goods rising, resources and manufacturing supplies dwindling, and operational expenses blowing through the roof, finding creative ways of reducing costs is a daily struggle for any shipper. The struggle is real for manufacturers, who depend on the efficient flow of supplies and commodities. One way to reduce expenses and improve bottom-line […]
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Accessorials in LTL Shipping: What Business Owners Need to Know
Let’s start off by understanding what accessorials in LTL shipping are. LTL means “Less than truckload.” An accessorial in this context is referring to an added service that does not come standard with traditional LTL shipments. There are times where carriers can add accessorial fees to shipments where they were not necessary, which is why […]
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5 Common Myths About LTL Shipping
LTL shipping is typically referred to as the neglected child of the logistics supply chain. While most shippers prefer to ship full truckloads (FTL) whenever possible, the truth is that less than truckload is just a way of life. If you are new to shipping or a seasoned veteran, another reality is that there is […]
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Damaged Freight Best Practices – Five Ways to Reduce the Potential
A major expense that all shippers deal with is damaged freight. Whether it’s caused by the carrier in transport, at a freight terminal, or by the recipient, the reality is that freight damage can significantly impact a shipper’s business operation. However, a smart shipper understands that most damage to their freight can be avoided. To […]
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Top 3 Challenges Of The Trucking Industry in 2018… And Beyond
The trucking industry faces a lot of challenges on a daily basis. And every few months there seem to be new rules being enacted, drafted up or talked about. In actuality, the majority of the time, it is less discussion and more stress. But did you know that there are 3 really big challenges that […]
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Shipping LTL Freight – 3 Ways to Beat the System
In a perfect world, every shipper would have their own fleet of full trucks delivering their goods to millions of customers across the USA. Unfortunately, the perfect the supply chain world exists for about 1 percent of all shippers. For the other 99 percent, LTL freight or less than truckload shipments come into play. While […]
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What is a Bill of Lading and Why is it Important?
Whether you’re shipping via LTL or parcel package, using a bill of lading is vital. This legal document not only provides details about the shipment to carriers, but it also provides a paper trail of information that protects the rights of the shipper. While several freight companies have streamlined their operations to include a computer […]
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A Day In The Life Of An LTL Pallet
What happens to your products when they leave the factory or warehouse and head on their journey to the next stop? What does a pallet go through before getting brought to its final destination? Today, we’re taking a peek behind the curtain into the life of an LTL pallet. What is a Pallet? A pallet […]
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What Transportation Modes Are Most Affected By The Capacity Crunch
The 2018 capacity crunch has been even more impactful than originally anticipated. Raised transport rates have become inevitable, slow and off-time deliveries are common, and small ecommerce retailers are losing shipment space to larger organizations. How is this capacity crunch impacting different transportation modes and the overall shipping industry moving forward? The Impact What has […]
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5 Strategies to Reduce Supply Chain Cost with LTL
What it costs for your business to plan, source, deliver, and return your products is called the supply chain management cost. The supply chain costs can be a huge budget eater for many businesses, large and small. Getting your cost reduced using Less than Truckload (LTL) shipping can help your profits skyrocket. Faster Long-Haul Transportation […]
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Nine Ways to Improve Carrier Relationships
When it comes to shipping and logistics, the importance of good carrier relationships can hardly be overstated. Vendor-client relationships must be carefully managed and cultivated in all businesses, so as a shipper, it is vital that you work to nurture your carrier relationships. After all, if it weren’t for your carriers, you would not be […]
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What is LTL Shipping & How Did it Come About?
LTL, or less than truckload, shipping is the transportation or shipment of small freight. LTL shipping is the in-between shipper for parcel shipments that can be sent through the postal service, UPS or FedEx, and full truckload shipping. Parcel carriers can typically only handle packages that are less than 150 pounds, and full truckload shippers […]
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A Brief History of Supply Chain Management and Best Practices
In the modern world, a company’s supply chain is the backbone that holds up everything else and is the most crucial part if they want to grow and prosper. Your supply chain could be defective, costing you a ton of money and can waste resources unnecessarily. Knowing who to buy from, how, when, and where […]
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Transportation Liability – Busting Three Common Myths
There was a time when transportation liability was rather simple to comprehend. However, as federal regulations have tightened, and the transportation industry has evolved, liability insurance has become increasingly difficult to standardize and understand. The truth is that today’s transportation liability contracts are negotiated on an individual case, and between shippers and carriers. The problem […]
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Concealed Damage in Freight & What You Need to Know
There is nothing worse than opening up a delivery and finding concealed damage. Whether you’re a customer receiving an order placed online, or a company waiting for a critical component for your business, finding damage upon delivery can cause delays in manufacturing and significantly impact the daily operations of any type of industry. While filing […]
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LTL (Less than Truckload) vs. FTL (Full Truckload) Shipping Rates
Shipping your items correctly and efficiently is important and should be treated with care during the process. When researching how to move freight, there are two industry terms that are important to know – Less Than Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL). Both provide advantages to the customer and our company, LTX Solutions can connect […]
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LTL Freight vs Small Parcel
Understanding the basic packaging guidelines in order to converse in the world of small package and freight shipping will provide key intelligence needed to effectively ship an individual’s product. For those individuals who are experienced with running an e-commerce company, it is common knowledge that using small parcel carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS will […]
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US Trucking: LTL Shippers Pressured to Digitize Bill of Lading
There are few areas of 21st Century society that have not been touched by advances in digital technology. A few decades ago, the thought of smartphones and social media were just dreamed of by future billionaires. The shipping industry and LTL shippers, in particular, have been significantly affected by these technological advances. In most cases, […]
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Compensation of Damage Claim in a CIF Shipment
Shipping doesn’t always go as planned. In fact, it’s quite common for accidents or damage to occur during the supply chain movement of commodities. The potential of damage is enhanced when you are importing products from international destinations. For this purpose, many shippers who are importing products will either purchases Free On Board (FOB) from […]
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Inbound vs Outbound Logistics Processes
Logistics is a rather wide and diverse industry. When you simplify things, Logistics is nothing more than the movement of commodities and the management of this action. For warehouses and many retailer or manufacturing companies, there are two aspects of logistics – inbound and outbound. While each has their own quirks and process – both […]
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Parcel vs LTL Freight Auditing
Many shippers depend on professional third-party logistics providers (3PL’s) to help them streamline many aspects of their supply chain operations. One important task is freight auditing, where the 3PL will review several aspects of a specific shipment method to determine the legitimacy, and ensure their customers are being charged correctly. While the freight audit process […]
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