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Businesses who ship between 6-18 pallets have three primary freight options to choose from: Partial Truckload, Volume Truckload, and Full Truckload. Understanding the differences between Shared, Volume, and Full truck services is important to keep costs down and reduce potential supply chain issues that can arise.

For shippers with freight in that pallet range, Partial, Volume, and Full Truck shipping pose unique challenges in the form of a price-service trade-off. Given these options, shippers potentially face longer transit times, higher services fees, risk of damaged or late freight, or overpaying for unused space.

This quick guide will provide shippers with the pros and cons of shipping under each method, as well as practical recommendations under certain conditions.

Partial Truckload Services

Partial Truckload shipments, also know as less than truckload (LTL), are most beneficial for regional freight movements where specific carriers can fulfil lanes more efficiently. Once outside of the region, those carriers will often use freight consolidators to complete the movement to its final destination. Ultimately this results in longer transit times, and additional handling potentially resulting in damages.

Some benefits of partial truckload include:

• Direct, TL-style service, depending on regional capacity
• Predictable delivery windows, depending on TL capacity
• No freight-class requirement (fewer fines and fees)

A few disadvantages of partial truckload include:

• Tight, regional capacity
• Longer transit times
• Higher risk of damage
• Potential for split-up shipments

Volume Truckload Service

Volume Truck Services is an alternative for shippers who ship 6-18 standard pallets of freight. As with LTL freight, Volume shipments move through the a network of multiple terminals until it reaches its final destination. The biggest difference is the number of different loads that will be included on a single truck. Fewer loads normally equates to fewer stops and less handling.

The benefits of Volume Shipments include:

• A more dedicated route for delivery,
• lower handling,
• More options outside of traditional LTL carriers.

The disadvantages of Volume Shipments include:

• Changing size requirements,
• Unsophisticated shipment tracking, and
• Freight-class requirement (potentially more fines and fees).

Full Truckload Services

Full Truckload Services traditionally have provided the best options for shippers to deliver freight via the most direct route. A single dedicated truck  loads directly from pickup locations to destinations. Because shipments stay on the truck for the duration of transit, they’re easy to track and incur almost no damage or load separation. With TL shipping, trucks move immediately, whether they’re half-empty or completely full.

Benefits of TL shipping include:

• Consistent, nationwide capacity,
• Direct transit,
• No Split shipments
• Improved shipment tracking,
• No freight-class requirement (fewer fines and fees).

The disadvantages of TL shipping include:

• Higher costs than partial or volume trucks.
• Larger swings in seasonal pricing

Shared Truckload – Taking the freight world by storm

Within the last few years, Shared Truckload Service has been gaining significant interest from shippers.  Shared truckload freight moves directly from its pickup location to destination, without passing through hubs or terminals. Unlike Full Truckloads, Shared trucks enables several shippers to share trailer space in one multi-stop full truck. With shared truckload, shipments that are traveling on a similar route move on the same truck.

Think of Shared Trucks as the GIG economy of the freight world. The model applies the idea of carpooling to shipping, optimizing truck space and keeping shipments in the same load together.

Benefits of shared truckload include:

• Direct transit,
• Minimal handling (0.001% risk of damage),
• No potential for split-up shipments,
• No freight-class requirement (fewer fines and fees), and
• Cost savings.

Because shippers only pay for required space, shared trucks lets shippers with 6-18 pallets take advantage of full truck services at a fraction of the cost. Ultimately, shared truckload gives shippers what they need: efficient and reliable shipping at lower costs. This mode improves efficiency by allowing shippers to send goods when they’re ready, removing most hubs during the shipment, and lowering shipping budgets.

If you still have questions about which option is best for your shipment, one of dedicated and experienced freight specialist would be happy to assist.

Contact InXpress now to find out more.