There is increasing recognition in countries around the world and here in the U.S. that human activity is contributing to climate change. In the U.S. alone, we already see some of the early consequences of this in record-setting wildfire activity and damage throughout western states, years-long droughts and shrinking rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the southwest, and increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes along the east coast.
But it is not too late to take action that could prevent the worst-case scenarios predicted by the scientific community. Countries around the world are beginning to embrace approaches to environmental policy that can positively impact the health of our planet. There is a shared understanding of the threat we all face, and a common goal to keep the increase in the global average temperature below 2°C.
What does this mean for the freight shipping industry, and for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping in particular?
In the U.S., the transportation sector accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, at 27% of total GHG emissions for the year 2020. Within that category, medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for 26% of total GHG emissions, second only to light-duty vehicles. There are many times more light-duty vehicles operating in the U.S., which means that trucks are making a hugely outsize contribution to GHG emissions.
Climate change isn’t the only threat caused by emissions. There are other environmental impacts as well, including air pollution that can have serious negative impacts directly on public health. Tailpipe emissions from trucks contribute to smog and particulate pollution. For the people that have to breathe this polluted air, it can cause irritation and inflammation in the lungs, lower resistance to lung infections, worsening coughing and asthma, and even premature death.
Many freight carriers offer a shipping option known as LTL. They don’t fill an entire truck with cargo from a single customer like they do with full truckload (FTL) shipping; instead they combine smaller shipments from multiple customers onto one truck. This also changes the routing of trucks, as shipments are often brought to central distribution points in a region where they can be rearranged and sent on to their final destinations along with any other freight headed that direction. LTL trucks also usually make multiple stops on their routes, picking up and dropping off shipments along the way.
With FTL, shippers and carriers are not financially incentivized to only ship trucks that are completely full. They may want to rush products out at a rate faster than they can actually fill trucks, resulting in unused space. This reduces efficiency and increases the ratio of fuel burned to goods moved.
They are also not necessarily incentivized to package their products in the smallest and most efficient manner possible, which has the same effect. If products take up a lot of space because their packaging hasn’t been optimized, then more fuel is burned for each product moved as well.
In LTL shipping, on the other hand, both carriers and shippers are highly incentivized to be as efficient as possible. For carriers, in order to maximize profits, trucks must be as full and carry as much freight as they can. There’s no sense for them to send off a truck with unused space—they could be charging a customer for that space.
Shippers, meanwhile, get the lowest prices possible from their carriers by packing their freight densely and taking up the minimum amount of space. One of the main factors in the pricing for LTL shipments is density, and shippers must provide both weight and dimensions to their carriers to get a quote.
The result of all this is to ensure that freight is moved efficiently, moving the maximum possible amount of goods for every gallon of fuel burned. With LTL shipping, this aligns with the self-interest of all parties involved, making it far easier to implement.
If you want to learn more about how LTL shipping can reduce the environmental impact of your supply chain, contact the team of experts at Koho today.
There is increasing recognition in countries around the world and here in the U.S. that human activity is contributing to climate change. In the U.S. alone, we already see some of the early consequences of this in record-setting wildfire activity and damage throughout western states, years-long droughts and shrinking rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the southwest, and increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes along the east coast.
But it is not too late to take action that could prevent the worst-case scenarios predicted by the scientific community. Countries around the world are beginning to embrace approaches to environmental policy that can positively impact the health of our planet. There is a shared understanding of the threat we all face, and a common goal to keep the increase in the global average temperature below 2°C.
What does this mean for the freight shipping industry, and for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping in particular?
In the U.S., the transportation sector accounts for the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, at 27% of total GHG emissions for the year 2020. Within that category, medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for 26% of total GHG emissions, second only to light-duty vehicles. There are many times more light-duty vehicles operating in the U.S., which means that trucks are making a hugely outsize contribution to GHG emissions.
Climate change isn’t the only threat caused by emissions. There are other environmental impacts as well, including air pollution that can have serious negative impacts directly on public health. Tailpipe emissions from trucks contribute to smog and particulate pollution. For the people that have to breathe this polluted air, it can cause irritation and inflammation in the lungs, lower resistance to lung infections, worsening coughing and asthma, and even premature death.
Many freight carriers offer a shipping option known as LTL. They don’t fill an entire truck with cargo from a single customer like they do with full truckload (FTL) shipping; instead they combine smaller shipments from multiple customers onto one truck. This also changes the routing of trucks, as shipments are often brought to central distribution points in a region where they can be rearranged and sent on to their final destinations along with any other freight headed that direction. LTL trucks also usually make multiple stops on their routes, picking up and dropping off shipments along the way.
With FTL, shippers and carriers are not financially incentivized to only ship trucks that are completely full. They may want to rush products out at a rate faster than they can actually fill trucks, resulting in unused space. This reduces efficiency and increases the ratio of fuel burned to goods moved.
They are also not necessarily incentivized to package their products in the smallest and most efficient manner possible, which has the same effect. If products take up a lot of space because their packaging hasn’t been optimized, then more fuel is burned for each product moved as well.
In LTL shipping, on the other hand, both carriers and shippers are highly incentivized to be as efficient as possible. For carriers, in order to maximize profits, trucks must be as full and carry as much freight as they can. There’s no sense for them to send off a truck with unused space—they could be charging a customer for that space.
Shippers, meanwhile, get the lowest prices possible from their carriers by packing their freight densely and taking up the minimum amount of space. One of the main factors in the pricing for LTL shipments is density, and shippers must provide both weight and dimensions to their carriers to get a quote.
The result of all this is to ensure that freight is moved efficiently, moving the maximum possible amount of goods for every gallon of fuel burned. With LTL shipping, this aligns with the self-interest of all parties involved, making it far easier to implement.
If you want to learn more about how LTL shipping can reduce the environmental impact of your supply chain, contact the team of experts at Koho today.
Liftgate Maximums
Average Limits Across Carriers
Maximum Length
66.5"
Maximum Width
65.5"
Maximum Height
79"
Maximum Weight
2,750 lb
