Freight can become a complicated business. With people importing and exporting thousands of shipments across the globe daily it can be quite hard to keep abreast with recent developments and changes. To help shipping run smoothly universal classifications are used to clarify cargo loads.

Less than truckload freight (or LTL) is one of the most common freight classifications used. The bulk of most business to business shipments are LTL class, moving materials and produce for sale. As the majority of these shipments are done on a national basis using road haulage LTL is also commonly known as motor freight.

LTL loads generally vary from small shipments of around 40 Kilos to larger loads up to 7,000 kilos. For aid of maneuverability goods to be transported are usually arranged in pallets and stacked. Unlike other arrangements for freight haulage, LTL carriers do not usually provide packaging so the responsibility is on the companies transporting goods. A range of different materials and produce can be transported this way in single shipments or mixed loads. If you are transporting goods that are fragile or perishable it is recommended to use adequate packaging to ensure they arrive at their destination as intended.

LTL is the best arrangement for making economic use of the space and for reducing demurrage when unloading. All LTL carriers are about 28 feet long so employees at docks unpacking them now what to expect. LTL offers similar load sizes to air freight but usually at a cheaper rate. As the goods are traveling by road as opposed to air LTL freight has particular advantages and disadvantages for different individuals.

Shipments that exceed LTL limits logically fit into the next classification “truckload freight”. For loads in excess of 7,000 kilos it is more cost effective to hire a whole truck.

Using truckload freight haulage more produce can be transported at a time than LTL. Truckload freight carriers are usually about 53 feet long and are also wider than LTL containers. Limits apply for the total weight that can be transported and the weight of the truck cab including the freight needs to be taken into account when declaring.

Unlike LTL freight where individual shipments are grouped together truckload freight is generally easier to track in transit. As there is just a single container that is loaded and unloaded it is much easier to monitor.