The cost of business keeps going up. If you’re looking to reduce your LTL shipping costs, here are some of our best tips.
Businesses that frequently ship freight know that shipping costs can add up quickly. That’s why it’s important to find ways to reduce those costs. Here’s how you can save money on Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipping.
Avoid High Traffic Days
You can save money on your shipping costs by avoiding high-traffic days. Many carriers offer lower rates for shipping on Mondays or Fridays, which are usually less busy days. If you’re not sure which days are low-traffic for your carrier, ask them. They will be able to tell you which days they run light and direct you toward better rates. Shipping on low-demand days benefits both your business and the carrier.
Consolidate with Others
A great way to reduce your LTL spend is by avoiding it all together. If you commonly ship to major stores, restaurants, supermarkets or any other type of business that gets deliveries from different vendors in the area, think about consolidating your freight with shipments from those other vendors. That way, everyone can share the shipping cost equally.
If you want to find appropriate shipping partners, consider partnering with a 3PL that specializes in freight consolidation. You could also ask your client to recommend other companies you can work with. Shipping full truckload will not only lower your costs, but improve delivery speed (since FTL is direct) and reduce the carbon impact of your freight overall.
Avoid Product & Packaging Design Problems
Many product engineers and marketers fail to take shipping and warehousing costs into account, though both play a huge role in how much profit your product makes. To make sure shipping and storage are considered from the start, get your logistics team involved early in the design process.
Your product won’t do you any good if it’s too expensive to ship or store, so ensure that your designers are taking transportation and storage costs into account.
Through our member companies, the ShipNorthAmerica Network provides a broad range of services in specialized freight movement, including LTL shipping. Visit our blog for more articles, news, and updates on the transportation industry.