subject: Courier Service And Ltl (less Than Truckload) [print this page] Businesses in Minnesota who require transport of goods in or out of the state will generally need a Minneapolis courier service; unless, of course, they have their shipping facility. There are a large number of courier services in the Minneapolis area, and it's always best to choose a company who fits your business's shipping needs, as well as maintains a good reputation in the industry. When searching for the best courier to use, one of the terms you should familiarize yourself with is "less than truckload" or LTL, for short. This describes any shipment that takes less than one full truck size to ship. Intuitively, the opposite of LTL is FTL, or "full truckload." Businesses that need an FTL are usually those who have a shipment large enough to justify the cost of an entire truck or semi trailer. Regardless of size, acquiring a FTL through a Minneapolis courier service is going to be far more expensive than simply shipping small packages in limited. However, you must determine for yourself if this is the cost-effective way to go.
The typical LTL falls in the range of somewhere between 100 and 10,000 lbs per load. This is a huge difference, and represents the size at which a business should contemplate investing in a FTL. Shipments that weigh on the lower to middle end of the scale will not necessarily need an FTL. Those shipments on the higher end may require an FTL, or at least will be responsible for a good portion of the shipping costs for that particular truck. This is something you will have to discuss with the courier service.
One of the benefits of investing in an FTL is time. LTL shipping will rely on a courier schedule of pick up and drop, after which time the goods will be taken to the terminal for transference to a different truck or location. In short, your goods will on a schedule that will take them on a less efficient route, where as items on an FTL can be picked up and taken to the location straight away. To re-emphasize, if time is an important consideration, you may have to weigh the pros and cons of getting an FTL. The additional cost may be worth the time benefit, particular if you have a large truck load that would have cost you near the amount of a FTL.
