| Load to load (LTL) transportation is one of the fields | | | | of first order destinations, a third party logistics |
| where outsourcing your logistics for your business | | | | solution, one that integrates and gets competing |
| can make a large benefit in both timeliness of | | | | quotes from different parcel shipping companies, can |
| operations, and reducing the costs of your shipping | | | | reduce the chaos of your shipping department, and |
| and transportation logistics needs. An LTL solution | | | | at the extreme end of things, can result in them |
| involves integration across several transportation | | | | taking over all of your shipping operations. Good third |
| venues - be it road, rail or ocean cargo. The key to | | | | party logistics firms are effectively technology |
| LTL transportation is that by consolidating less than | | | | companies that happen to sell integrated parcel |
| full truck loads of freight into one line hauling | | | | pickup and delivery services. |
| operation, you can get economies of scale, but at | | | | As with anything that deals with the lifeblood of your |
| the cost of shipping taking a bit longer to turn. | | | | business (shipping, and the attendant management of |
| Third party logistics companies attempt to provide | | | | your relationship with customers), an LTL solution |
| integration of all logistics operations, whether it's by | | | | should be evaluated with regards to what services |
| providing integrated services, or handling rate | | | | you actually use. LTL transportation companies come |
| comparisons with existing logistics providers. By | | | | in several different sizes and often have localized |
| comparison, an LTL transportation company does | | | | areas where they serve; within their constraints |
| only one thing. | | | | they're a great way to save money on your |
| Handling your own LTL solutions contracting means | | | | companies logistics needs. |
| that you 'cut out the middleman', on the other hand, | | | | By contrast, third party logistics providers are going |
| it doesn't work if you need a wider range of | | | | to be more expensive, but more capable, and will |
| services. If your logistics needs involve consistently | | | | handle shipping to a wider range of destinations. One |
| large package pickups and deliveries, but don't need | | | | way to look at both services is that you'd use a |
| extra services like tracking numbers or air freight, an | | | | load-to-load provider if you were shipping |
| LTL transportation company may be able to handle a | | | | components to a vendor to be integrated into a |
| significant portion of your load at a greatly reduced | | | | larger operation, while you'd use a third party logistics |
| cost. | | | | company if you were shipping to customers around |
| By contrast, if you consistently run a large number of | | | | the country, or moving things between branch |
| small parcels, or have parcels that go to a wide range | | | | offices with regularity. |