Whether you want to ship personal belongings or commercial products, it may seem confusing; if you are new to shipping goods, the wide variety of terms related to the process of shipping goods through the supply chain, you may have difficulty dealing with it for the first time, but understanding the most important types and methods of shipping goods, related terminology is critical; To ensure that the goods are shipped on time and in good condition, in this article we will show you everything you need to know about freight shipping as well as the benefits of shipping freight.
What is freight shipping?
Freight shipping means transporting a number of cargo shipments, whether large or small, locally or internationally, through a number of ways, such as land, air or sea freight.
During freight shipping, they are loaded on large and sturdy containers; they also can be transported by relying on a single mode of transport or using a multimodal transport system.
What classifies as a freight shipment?
We can say Freight Shipping on any shipment that will exceed 30″ by 30″, or exceed 150lbs, and these dimensions are the most cost-effective for freight and transportation.
As for standard trucks, they can accommodate a maximum of 26 pallets, a typical pallet dimension is 48 inches wide, along with a length of about 40 inches, and the maximum possible height is 80 inches.
Speaking of truck containers, we find that their height is 4 feet from the ground, so there are warehouses equipped with elevated berths for loading and unloading trucks.
In the absence of warehouses or storage facilities with a raised berth, the only solution to loading or unloading the truck is the use of forklifts, and a truck with lift gate service can be booked for an additional cost.
Freight Shipping methods
There are 5 types of fright shipping that the shipper can choose from, and the following are those types and their explanation:
1. Full truckload (FTL)
It is a complete container for transporting the inventory you want, meaning that your goods will consume all the truckload and this type of shipments can be transported by road or by rail.
FTL can transport from 24 to 26 pallets, and all FTL shipments are direct, i.e. from the shipment pick-up location directly to the requested destination
2. Less-than-truckload (LTL)
It is not a full container but less than a truckload, and it can take from 1 to 6 pallets, and the LTL method is the most used method by shippers and traders.
And e-commerce stock is often transferred on various trucks until it reaches its destination
3. Partial truckload (PTL)
They can accommodate 6 to 12 pallets, and once stock or goods are loaded onto that truck using the PTL method, often no more than one truck is used during the transportation process.
4. Intermodal
It is one of the ways of fright shipping, in which more than one means is used to transport goods. It can be shipped by rail, then sea, then trucks, for example.
One of the advantages of this method is that it is sometimes very economical, especially since the use of railways as part of the method of shipping goods reduces the use of fuel and also reduces shipping costs
5. Expedited
It is a fast shipping method, and it is used with shipments that are important to deliver on a specific date that cannot be delayed, and in a more precise sense, urgent shipments, and this method is the most expensive method, and air freight is often used during it.
How to prepare a freight shipment
The preparation of the freight shipment is one of the most important things that you should care about, because it will affect the safety of the transported goods as well as the cost itself.
In general, the preparation of Freight Shipping varies from one package to another, but here are a number of tips that will help you ship the ordered goods safely as accurately as possible:
1. Choose the right size for the pallet
The first thing to consider while preparing a Freight Shipping is choosing the right pallet size for transported items.
Pallets are used for the purpose of unifying shipments and facilitating their movement and transportation.
In general, when you choose a pallet, check that it is sufficiently robust and large enough to accommodate goods without stacking or accumulating, so as not to damage the goods or movables.
2. Design the appropriate non-palletized shipment
If you are not going to use a pallet to ship the goods, choose suitable shipping containers, and you can use corrugated boxes.
Try to avoid reusing the boxes to ship the goods, but if you do, check that there are no holes before use to keep the shipment safe.
3. Put clear labels on the pallet
Each pallet must include visible labeling with a phone number and shipper’s address written on all sides of the pallet.
4. Follow all instructions of the freight carrier
Finally, and the most important thing that you should also take into account is to follow the instructions of the shipping company, as each shipping company has a number of important instructions on how to prepare for receipt,
So check that you have read all the instructions of the shipping company that you will deal with, in order to avoid any transportation problems.
Benefits of shipping freight
There is more than one benefit that Freight Shipping can provide for you, as it is one of the most common ways that saves you a lot of effort, in addition to the possibility of transporting goods in large quantities safely and at reasonable cost, and here are some points that explain the benefits of shipping freight:
1. Deliver your goods on time
Choosing a good carrier will help you deliver your goods on time safely and easily, thus eliminating any worry about how the goods will be delivered and transported from one place to another.
2. Ship your goods safely
Shipping your goods through pallets helps you ship those goods safely, protecting them from the risk of damage or theft.
Also, Freight Shipping services will give you all the details of your Cargo Tracking, thus identifying the movements of goods until reaching the desired destination.
3. Shipping your goods at lower cost
Freight Shipping provides you with more than one way to ship goods, and there are a number of ways that can save you a lot of costs,
Especially the LTL and PTL methods, they help you pay for the space that your goods will consume and not the whole load of the truck.
In most cases, the cost of goods is determined by the cost of the dimensional weight, and these methods help you to divide the cost of using the truck with other shippers, thus significantly reducing costs.
How does freight apply to ecommerce order fulfillment?
E-commerce companies use Freight Shipping to send inventory to 3PL fulfillment centers. Many Delivery logistics providers help customers book Freight Shipping with outside suppliers.
They also advise on shipping and receiving processes, and provide you with acceptable shipping rates for goods and how to ensure that they reach the delivery destination safely and efficiently.
