LTL carriers need to fill a semi-trailer with several different shipments at any given time to help control costs. If a carrier is shipping palleted palletized goods, for example, they’ll know how to organize the pallets to ship the goods affordably. A standard 53-foot semi trailer can hold 30 pallet footprints. And considering the vertical height of semi trailers and the type of palletizeded goods being shipped, a truck could hold twice that or more.
There are also a number ofseveral factors that might limit the amount of goods an LTL carrier can ship at a time. Overall weight, freight density, and the quality of the goods themselves can potentially limit the amount of freight that a carrier can ship on a single semi trailer. In these cases, costs will increase accordingly for shippers.
With FreightorGator, you can find the best quotes for LTL shipping all over the country. It’s a simple, low-cost way to quote and book LTL freight for your business. FreightorGator allows you to compare LTL shipping rates, book LTL freight, and track your shipments accordingly. If you’re interested in LTL shipping with FreightorGator, get a free quote today! Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about what determines the cost of freight.
What Determines the Cost of Freight?
Before you can get an accurate quote on an LTL shipment, carriers need to know some specifics about the goods you’re shipping. Here are some main factors that matter to carriers, and that will impact your quote:
- Density: Freight density helps determine your Freight Class, and ultimately the price of your shipment.
- Distance: Your pickup and delivery locations are a big factor in determining your overall shipping quote.
- Type of Freight: The type of freight you’re shipping can keep quotes low, or potentially raise your quotes. Stackable and turnable freight, for example, is preferable for carriers. Fragile or potentially hazardous freight can increase shipping costs.
Freight Class Explained
Freight Class was first established by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) to help standardize freight pricing. All goods are designated a certain Freight Class, which is based on a freight’s density, stow-ability, handling difficulty, and liability. While all these factors contribute to determining the Freight Class of a commodity, density is the biggest factor. Freight Class is scaled from 50 to 500, and helps carriers keep their total freight within a safe weight limit.
If you’re unsure of the Freight Class of your shipment, FreightorGator is happy to help make a recommendation based on the goods you’re shipping.
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