LTL shipping can be challenging, especially for first-time shippers trying to book shipments on their own. Knowing what to submit to carriers to obtain an accurate quote, how to classify cargo correctly, and how to avoid unnecessary fees and shipper-induced delays can be a difficult prospect for shippers unfamiliar with the often-complex logistics surrounding LTL freight shipping.
That’s why shippers may dread hearing from their LTL carriers. If your carrier contacts you, it usually means something is wrong with your shipment that may cost you additional money, time, or resources to complete the delivery. This can have shippers pulling their hair out and not wanting to pick up the phone or open an email regarding their LTL shipment for fear of what they might hear or see. Here are a few things shippers don’t want to hear from carriers and solutions to avoid receiving these dreaded messages.
LTL carriers require accurate and precise information about shipments to be successful. LTL freight involves multiple commodities shipped together on a single trailer, and carriers strive to maximize their available capacity to get the most out of every pickup and delivery. If a load’s characteristics are misrepresented, this careful configuration can be thrown off, resulting in delays, missed pickups, potential damages while in transit, or incorrect pricing offered on a quote. One of the most important metrics used to accurately identify the commodities in an LTL shipment is freight class. Freight class codes are assigned to items based on the transportability of the goods and provide a standard classification that shippers and carriers can use to negotiate freight rates for different types of cargo.
LTL carriers carefully monitor shipments to find those that don’t match the information provided on their bill of lading (BOL). New technology allows the inspection process to cover nearly every piece of LTL freight that carriers handle. Almost all shipments are weighed and dimensionalized at the carrier terminal. If the cargo’s weight, dimensions, or freight class are inaccurately represented, the carrier will issue a reweigh or a reclass attached to your shipping invoice. You will be responsible for any additional charges due to a change in freight class, plus an additional fee for the inspection.
The shipping industry is particularly chaotic at the moment, and many carriers are experiencing capacity issues, labor shortages, bottlenecks, and high fuel costs, leading to rate hikes, high demand, and frequent delays. Many of these issues are unavoidable, and shippers must prepare for potential problems that may affect their shipment. It can be frustrating to receive word that your shipment is delayed, so it is essential to have a backup plan and open lines of communication with the rest of your team so no one is caught off guard. The best way to mitigate delays is to anticipate them and communicate with the other links of your supply chain to allow everyone to adjust. It is also important to communicate potential delays and extended transit times to customers so that expectations can be managed throughout the process and contingency plans can be implemented.
Freight damage during shipping is a fact of life. Because LTL shipments change hands multiple times on their journey and usually pass through more than one carrier terminal, the potential for damage is ever-present. But that doesn’t make finding out your shipment has been damaged any easier to swallow. The best way to avoid screaming into your pillow when you get a call from your consignee informing you of damaged items in your LTL load is to already have freight insurance. Purchasing freight insurance from a third party is highly recommended for all valuable or fragile LTL shipping situations, regardless of how far they are going or how well they are packaged.
To ensure that your valuable items are covered in the event of unforeseen damage or loss due to inadequate packaging, temperature, shifting cargo, natural disaster, theft, motor vehicle accidents, or any other possibility that can occur during shipping, you should purchase additional freight insurance from a third party. When looking at different third-party freight insurance policies to determine which is best for you, consider the value of your shipment, the cost of the deductible against the price of the premium, and whether the insurance limit will cover the shipment’s total value.
In the event of freight damage, you will need a claim document from your carrier or third-party insurance to file your claim. You’ll also need an invoice for the damaged or lost goods, including the manufacturer’s price for the items or the cost to fix the damages. You will also need any photos taken by the receiver upon delivery and the signed Proof of Delivery form that makes note of the damages. Submitting your claim document with the appropriate invoice, photos, and POD ensures that your claim is accepted, processed, and paid out as quickly as possible.
One of the keys to maintaining efficiency and working well with your LTL carrier is being prepared for pickups. Communicating your needs, providing accurate information, and creating an environment that helps speed up loading and unloading goes a long way toward establishing positive relationships and ensuring your carrier treats your freight as a priority.
LTL drivers pick up multiple loads from different locations on a given day, so whatever you can do to help make the process more efficient is not only appreciated, but necessary. If a driver is forced to wait too long at a single location because the loading dock is overcrowded, the shipment is buried or lost in the warehouse, or no one is at the location to receive the truck, they may charge an additional fee or skip the pickup altogether.
Nothing is more frustrating than having an LTL shipment quoted, scheduled, and accounted for, only to miss a pickup due to unpreparedness, causing delays, headaches, and wasted resources. The best way to avoid this is to schedule pickups on low-traffic days (ask your carrier which days are best), plan ahead to give your carrier and warehouse teams as much lead time as possible to coordinate and prepare the shipment, and keep your freight organized.
While all these things can make you throw up your hands, it doesn’t have to be this way! Partnering with a knowledgeable and tech-savvy 3PL like Koho puts a team of LTL experts in your corner that can give you advice, double-check the information you submit for your quote, and help you navigate the world of LTL shipping. They provide a one-stop-shop online shipping platform that puts everything you and your carrier need to complete a shipment in one place. Koho allows you to communicate directly with your carrier through their messaging feature, providing visibility for your team and support from Koho’s shipping experts. Koho’s LTL pros offer expertise on weighing and classifying your freight, tracking your cargo in real-time and mitigating any potential delays, insuring your shipment and filing a claim, and preparing for pickups and deliveries. Contact Koho to make your future LTL shipping experiences simple, efficient, and stress-free.
LTL shipping can be challenging, especially for first-time shippers trying to book shipments on their own. Knowing what to submit to carriers to obtain an accurate quote, how to classify cargo correctly, and how to avoid unnecessary fees and shipper-induced delays can be a difficult prospect for shippers unfamiliar with the often-complex logistics surrounding LTL freight shipping.
That’s why shippers may dread hearing from their LTL carriers. If your carrier contacts you, it usually means something is wrong with your shipment that may cost you additional money, time, or resources to complete the delivery. This can have shippers pulling their hair out and not wanting to pick up the phone or open an email regarding their LTL shipment for fear of what they might hear or see. Here are a few things shippers don’t want to hear from carriers and solutions to avoid receiving these dreaded messages.
LTL carriers require accurate and precise information about shipments to be successful. LTL freight involves multiple commodities shipped together on a single trailer, and carriers strive to maximize their available capacity to get the most out of every pickup and delivery. If a load’s characteristics are misrepresented, this careful configuration can be thrown off, resulting in delays, missed pickups, potential damages while in transit, or incorrect pricing offered on a quote. One of the most important metrics used to accurately identify the commodities in an LTL shipment is freight class. Freight class codes are assigned to items based on the transportability of the goods and provide a standard classification that shippers and carriers can use to negotiate freight rates for different types of cargo.
LTL carriers carefully monitor shipments to find those that don’t match the information provided on their bill of lading (BOL). New technology allows the inspection process to cover nearly every piece of LTL freight that carriers handle. Almost all shipments are weighed and dimensionalized at the carrier terminal. If the cargo’s weight, dimensions, or freight class are inaccurately represented, the carrier will issue a reweigh or a reclass attached to your shipping invoice. You will be responsible for any additional charges due to a change in freight class, plus an additional fee for the inspection.
The shipping industry is particularly chaotic at the moment, and many carriers are experiencing capacity issues, labor shortages, bottlenecks, and high fuel costs, leading to rate hikes, high demand, and frequent delays. Many of these issues are unavoidable, and shippers must prepare for potential problems that may affect their shipment. It can be frustrating to receive word that your shipment is delayed, so it is essential to have a backup plan and open lines of communication with the rest of your team so no one is caught off guard. The best way to mitigate delays is to anticipate them and communicate with the other links of your supply chain to allow everyone to adjust. It is also important to communicate potential delays and extended transit times to customers so that expectations can be managed throughout the process and contingency plans can be implemented.
Freight damage during shipping is a fact of life. Because LTL shipments change hands multiple times on their journey and usually pass through more than one carrier terminal, the potential for damage is ever-present. But that doesn’t make finding out your shipment has been damaged any easier to swallow. The best way to avoid screaming into your pillow when you get a call from your consignee informing you of damaged items in your LTL load is to already have freight insurance. Purchasing freight insurance from a third party is highly recommended for all valuable or fragile LTL shipping situations, regardless of how far they are going or how well they are packaged.
To ensure that your valuable items are covered in the event of unforeseen damage or loss due to inadequate packaging, temperature, shifting cargo, natural disaster, theft, motor vehicle accidents, or any other possibility that can occur during shipping, you should purchase additional freight insurance from a third party. When looking at different third-party freight insurance policies to determine which is best for you, consider the value of your shipment, the cost of the deductible against the price of the premium, and whether the insurance limit will cover the shipment’s total value.
In the event of freight damage, you will need a claim document from your carrier or third-party insurance to file your claim. You’ll also need an invoice for the damaged or lost goods, including the manufacturer’s price for the items or the cost to fix the damages. You will also need any photos taken by the receiver upon delivery and the signed Proof of Delivery form that makes note of the damages. Submitting your claim document with the appropriate invoice, photos, and POD ensures that your claim is accepted, processed, and paid out as quickly as possible.
One of the keys to maintaining efficiency and working well with your LTL carrier is being prepared for pickups. Communicating your needs, providing accurate information, and creating an environment that helps speed up loading and unloading goes a long way toward establishing positive relationships and ensuring your carrier treats your freight as a priority.
LTL drivers pick up multiple loads from different locations on a given day, so whatever you can do to help make the process more efficient is not only appreciated, but necessary. If a driver is forced to wait too long at a single location because the loading dock is overcrowded, the shipment is buried or lost in the warehouse, or no one is at the location to receive the truck, they may charge an additional fee or skip the pickup altogether.
Nothing is more frustrating than having an LTL shipment quoted, scheduled, and accounted for, only to miss a pickup due to unpreparedness, causing delays, headaches, and wasted resources. The best way to avoid this is to schedule pickups on low-traffic days (ask your carrier which days are best), plan ahead to give your carrier and warehouse teams as much lead time as possible to coordinate and prepare the shipment, and keep your freight organized.
While all these things can make you throw up your hands, it doesn’t have to be this way! Partnering with a knowledgeable and tech-savvy 3PL like Koho puts a team of LTL experts in your corner that can give you advice, double-check the information you submit for your quote, and help you navigate the world of LTL shipping. They provide a one-stop-shop online shipping platform that puts everything you and your carrier need to complete a shipment in one place. Koho allows you to communicate directly with your carrier through their messaging feature, providing visibility for your team and support from Koho’s shipping experts. Koho’s LTL pros offer expertise on weighing and classifying your freight, tracking your cargo in real-time and mitigating any potential delays, insuring your shipment and filing a claim, and preparing for pickups and deliveries. Contact Koho to make your future LTL shipping experiences simple, efficient, and stress-free.
Liftgate Maximums
Average Limits Across Carriers
Maximum Length
66.5"
Maximum Width
65.5"
Maximum Height
79"
Maximum Weight
2,750 lb
