Cargo can be transported in many ways and using various types of vehicles or methods of transport. From pallets on semi-trailers to pallets in containers placed on ships, goods can be transported in various quantities and in various arrangements. FTL and LTL transport are the two most popular solutions used for transporting goods over long distances. The difference between them is simple but significant, so when making a decision, it is worth considering which solution will be the most optimal.
In the era of the pandemic, minimizing transport costs and maximizing effects is one of the biggest priorities in the logistics industry. Something that has always been important today may result in gaining a client or losing them, because even a seemingly small difference can be crucial to winning a tender or selling an offer. It is worth knowing how goods can be transported at all and what it entails. Depending on how much goods are transported, a different solution may be the most profitable. At the beginning, let’s deal with the abbreviations to know what they refer to and what we are talking about at all. [grve_title title=”FTL Transport” heading_tag=”h2″ heading=”h2″]
FTL, or Full Truck Load, is – as the name suggests – filling the entire loading area (or a significant part of it) with goods. Such a full truckload goes directly from the sender to the recipient. The supplier does not carry goods for several customers, so they move from point A to B. This works especially well for companies that want to transport goods from production halls to warehouse centers. It is similar with import, when there is a large load to be transported. Although LTL transport is often encountered here .[grve_title title=”LTL Transport” heading_tag=”h2″ heading=”h2″]
LTL, or Less Than Truck Load, is the opposite of FTL in almost every respect. Sometimes such a load is called groupage. Similarly in the case of less than container load transport, i.e., LCL (Less Than Container Load). Here similarly, the same means of transport is used for both FTL and LTL, whereas in LTL the entire loading area is not filled. Thanks to this, you can transport e.g. several pallets of a given good instead of loading “to the brim”. The downside, however, is that the road from point A to B is full of various stops along the way, because before the goods reach the place, the transport serves other recipients along the way.
[grve_title title=”FTL, LTL – differences are known – what to choose?” heading_tag=”h2″ heading=”h2″]
Everything depends on how much goods are to be transported and what kind of goods they are. In the case of hazardous ADR materials, a specialized vehicle adapted to their transport will be needed. Depending on the needs, each solution has its advantages. If we need to transport a lot of cargo quickly, FTL is the appropriate service. If there is less cargo and we can wait a bit, LTL will be a more cost-effective solution. Especially with products where utility is not negatively affected by time. Instead of transporting e.g. an entire FTL load and worrying about its storage in a new place, you can repeatedly bet on LTL transport, thanks to which a specific amount of goods will reach the destination at specific intervals. [grve_title title=”Contract logistics, i.e. comprehensive Customer care” heading_tag=”h2″ heading=”h2″]
As Trans-Tok, we offer both LTL and FTL transport, and at the same time comprehensive warehouse service, preparation of shipments, transporting goods within specified deadlines, as well as ad hoc express transports. We are able to comprehensively take care of the Client, and we treat every cooperation individually and guarantee partnership relations. Depending on the situation, we are able to advise which type of transport will be the most appropriate. Storing Clients’ goods, we know how to transport specific batches to optimize all aspects of transport.