What is FTL?

FTL shipping, which stands for Full Truck Load, involves utilizing the full cargo space of a truck to ship your freight. FTL shipping is cost effective when you have enough inventory to completely fill a truck. For lighter loads ,LTL (Less than Truck Load) shipping, which consolidates your order with other orders that are heading to a common destination, is often used. Bonded Service offers both kinds of shipping to its customers and can handle FTL orders across the southeast with our own fleet of trucks. For cross country shipping, we tap into our network of carriers to find you the best price and quality service.

When to Use FTL?

If your shipments are going to consistently fill up the full cargo bay of a truck, then FTL shipping is an excellent option. Because there are no loading and unloading stops on FTL shipments, like there are on LTL orders, shipment time is faster and there is considerably less handling of the product. If you need your product packed into pallets to fit a truckload, our Order Fulfillment services can be seamlessly integrated into our FTL shipping services to get your inventory ready and shipped as fast as possible.

Who Uses FTL?

FTL shipping is frequently used by large companies with a steady stream of inventory that needs to moved. A good example is American Airlines, which utilizes an extensive FTL network to ship maintenance equipment and in flight service items. Large companies like American Airlines use FTL not just because it is faster and they have the inventory to fill trucks, but because it also offers them exclusivity. For any company that wants its product to have the truck all to itself, FTL shipping is the only way to go.

Will I Save Money With FTL?

Whether you will save money with FTL over LTL depends entirely on how much product you are shipping and how far it will go. While LTL shipping usually charges by weight of the freight, FTL shipping usually is charged by the mile. This means that you will have to do the math yourself to find out which option is best for you.

Long Distance Shipping and FTL

Because most carriers have limited routes and ranges, FTL shipping may not always be available for coast to coast orders. Bonded Service has partnered with carriers across the country however, to provide a carrier-to-carrier collaboration for LTL shipping that may also be able to accommodate your FTL needs. Call us today at (404) 349-1466 to find out more about our extensive shipping and warehousing services!