MTM LOGISTICS’S
How did LTL shipping came about?
Regulation of the U.S. trucking industry came with the “Motor Carrier Act” passing in 1935. The act ushered in freight-hauling rate regulations, limited the number of hours truckers could drive and monitored trucking companies’ range. The industry took a turn in 1948 when Congress permitted carriers to fix prices and be exempt from any anti-trust legislation. Competition was almost non-existent as the ICC denied applications from new carriers for the next 30 years.
In the early 1970s U.S. Congress put into effect a number of acts “Laws” that deregulated the industry and brought down price fixing and collective vendor pricing which was greatly influenced by organized crime syndicates. The final phase of deregulation was the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 – which significantly impacted the entire transportation industry. The new law drove intense price competition and lower profit margins with thousands of new low-cost, non-union carriers entering the market between 1977 and 1982.
At this point, the average LTL rate fell by up to 20% and the number of carriers doubled between 1980 and 1990. Changes in the law opened up the industry to competition and increased the number of carriers.
LTL (Less than Truckload)
Firstly, the phase LTL means a shipment that does not require a full 48- or 53-foot trailer. Essentially, the term less than truckload is the basis for LTL, the acronym that serves as the common moniker of this freight mode. At the most basic level, LTL shipping is the transportation of freight that occupies only a portion of an entire trailer. Multiple shippers share space on the same truck only paying for their portion, making LTL a cost-efficient method of shipping freight.
There are many carriers that specialize or offer this service and, like full truckload carriers, MTM LOGISTICS, specializes in different services such as: lift gate, residential pickups and deliveries, guaranteed services, and bottom line costs to name a few. Products are moved from point to point by several different modes of transport; air, rail, water and truck. In the US, the movement of goods by truck offers shippers infinite flexibility due to relatively low cost.
MTM LOGISTICS offerors two types of service:
Full Truckload (FTL) service or Less-Than-Truckload (LTL).
While the FTL carrier moves full containers or trucks of one product from one customer, MTM LOGISTICS moves goods from many different customers on one truck for a more cost-effective method of shipping goods than the a typical FTL operator. Final thoughts. Depending on your freight and delivery requirements, MTM LOGISTICS’S LTL shipping could be the best alternative for your freight that does not require a whole trailer. Use this breakdown to guide your decisions when considering LTL as a choice for your freight shipping.
What are the benefits of MTM LOGISTICS’S LTL shipping?
MTM LOGISTICS services offer’s you benefit beyond decreased shipping costs:
Eco-friendliness
LTL not only cuts down cost, but also the carbon footprint by sharing space with other shippers on the same truck.
Extra service options
Those who ship LTL have access to extended services like inside pickup and delivery, liftgates, non-commercial delivery and notification options.
Trackability
MTM LOGISTICS generally provides an estimate of transit days and track shipments in real time. Shippers gain access by referring to the bill of lading number, PRO number, PO number or shipment reference number or speaking directly by phone to one of our fleet managers.
What’s the difference between LTL and TL?
Briefly, as far as MTM LOGISTICS is concerned, they each have benefits, but one is better suited depending on the freight details – mainly weight and size, but distance as well. Typically, you may consider full truckload when freight exceeds 15,000 pounds or more than 24 feet of trailer space is required. If the distance to deliver is less than 500 miles, truckload may be a fit even for shipments under 15,000 pounds and occupying less than 24 feet. Truckload is also an option when goods are time-sensitive since it can move from shipper to consignee without offloading and reloading at terminals along the way.
How does MTM LOGISTICS LTL work?
LTL shipping operates on a hub and spoke model where local terminals are the spokes and larger central terminals are the hubs or distribution centers. Spoke terminals gather local freight from various shippers and combine that freight into outbound trailers. Goods then move to the hub terminal where freight is either sorted and delivered or consolidated for further transportation.
Who uses LTL?
When a company has a relatively small load of freight to ship, it often chooses a logistics company such as MTM LOGISTICS to transport their goods. These carriers are accustomed to moving palletized freight that can be broken down into smaller units.
Calculating LTL shipping rates.
Shippers must weigh several factors to generate the most accurate rates:
Pickup and delivery
Fuel usage affects shipping costs. The further the distance to deliver the goods – the higher the rate will be. Shippers should also consider a carrier’s primary region, since shipments outside of their area will typically make final delivery with a second carrier, impacting transit time and rates.
Shipment specifications
These numbers are important. LTL carriers rely on dimensions and weight to determine how much freight can fit on a truck. Freight class calculation can be connected to shipment specs as well and that is a big factor here since the class influences rates. Generally, lower classes refer to a higher density and lower carrier liability, and that results in lower rates.
Special requirements
When freight requires unique handling for things like oversized items, hazardous materials and residential pickups, there is extra cost added to the base freight rate. MTM LOGISTICS provides reliable LTL service on all regular routes.
If the volume of your cargo is not enough to order a whole container or trailer, we can offer you the “DELIVERY OF A SMALL CARGO” service. Transportation of groupage cargo means that your cargo will be shipped with other similar small consignments collected in one large container or trailer for delivery to different consignees on a specific schedule. We make fast transportation of small cargoes from 500 kg to 22 tons. You can get acquainted with the list of LTL delivery rates using online self-service tools for planning, executing and tracking your delivery, or working directly with a cargo transportation expert who will help you at every step of the process.
How does MTM LOGISTICS provide LTL services?
MTM LOGISTICS technologies and experts work hand in hand to offer customers competitive tariffs, create BOL and go through the entire delivery process from start to finish. We use a variety of best practices to ensure you the best speed. A team of our experienced experts works with you and provides assistance throughout the process.
Before reaching the final destination, the goods can be processed several times. To minimize the likelihood of damage, you must load them on pallets or heavy duty cartons “boxes”. And in order to fully prepare the shipment of LTL, you should carefully study the dimensions, documentation, packaging and marking, as well as the correct loading and unloading of the cargo.
Features of LTL shipments
When delivering consolidated cargo, transit time increases, since the truck must stop at several loadings and unloading points. For example, to deliver a consolidated cargo from New York to Los Angeles it will take 8-10 days, while the transportation time for an individual truck will be 5-6 days and if teams drivers are used 3-4 days.
How to order LTL?
To order a service, call one of the phone numbers listed on our website or leave your application and shortly thereafter our management team will contact you and answer all questions. MTM LOGISTICS company works on the principle of an individual approach to each client, and we strive to work with customers on a mutually beneficial basis.