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LTL freight line reccomendations for small rural shop?

S

stoneaxe

Stainless
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Location
pacific northwest
Just wondering if any of you have good experiences with any particular LTL shippers. (USA)

We are in Western WA, rural residential area, and ship all over the country. I don't want to get hammered with residential pick-up charges, and I need a line that is reliable-some of the regional lines may be good, but the ones they transfer freight to can be awful. Losing a widget is one thing, but a custom made expensive item is another!
Typically we ship wood crates roughly 1' x 3' x 8', a few hundred lbs. The product is fine woodwork, well cushioned inside.

They love to hit us with lift gate charges, residential delivery charge, residential pickup charge, fuel surcharge, etc.

Thanks, I need some options!
 
Call R & L Carriers but ask them about your concerns. I have used them a few times with excellent luck. They once tried to charge me for residential pickup a month after the fact. I refused because I had a quote and they dropped it. Anyway service and delivery wise they are good.
 
Trucking companies love they're no longer necessary fuel surcharge fees. The price for diesel will never return back to pre 2001, under a buck a gallon, so they need to get over it.
As previously mentioned, always get a quote and keep a hard copy of it. I think they purposely add extra bullshit charges, and if they can get away with it, the better off they'll be.
 
Carriers do have sales reps y'know. Have you talked any of them? How do you load? Virtually all regular shippers have discounts from the origin carrier. You might be surprised what you can negotiate. However the residential delivery charge is certainly legit. When a carrier sends out a driver with 25-30 bills on a truck to get off and then make pick ups there is no time for waiting while Billy Bob figures out how to get it off.
 
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Have you tried a broker? They have a lot more power to negotiate with shippers. I almost always use a broker and I've never had a shipping charge differ from what they quoted. My feeling is that the brokers are smart enough / big enough not to get pushed around by the truck companies and have added charges tacked on. When I used to deal with freight companies directly, I would get caught with freight reclassification charges and other BS. Now I try to only deal with transfer companies directly. Their rate structure seems easier and with less likelihood of random fees. I let the broker do the work for anything out of the region.

I am using a broker called Volta Logistics at the moment.
 
kb0thn said:
Have you tried a broker? They have a lot more power to negotiate with shippers. I almost always use a broker and I've never had a shipping charge differ from what they quoted. My feeling is that the brokers are smart enough / big enough not to get pushed around by the truck companies and have added charges tacked on. When I used to deal with freight companies directly, I would get caught with freight reclassification charges and other BS. Now I try to only deal with transfer companies directly. Their rate structure seems easier and with less likelihood of random fees. I let the broker do the work for anything out of the region.

I am using a broker called Volta Logistics at the moment.
Click to expand...

You don't know the difference between a "shipper" and a "carrier" and you're giving advice.
 
stoneaxe said:
Just wondering if any of you have good experiences with any particular LTL shippers. (USA)

We are in Western WA, rural residential area, and ship all over the country. I don't want to get hammered with residential pick-up charges, and I need a line that is reliable-some of the regional lines may be good, but the ones they transfer freight to can be awful. Losing a widget is one thing, but a custom made expensive item is another!
Typically we ship wood crates roughly 1' x 3' x 8', a few hundred lbs. The product is fine woodwork, well cushioned inside.

They love to hit us with lift gate charges, residential delivery charge, residential pickup charge, fuel surcharge, etc.

Thanks, I need some options!
Click to expand...


I cant advise on a carrier in your area but will say cover yourself damage wise on your product. It seems on the many occasions we have had damage it is almost impossible to get a claim paid through the carrier.
 
Tubeguy is right. The tariffs usually stipulate a ridiculous price per pound and exclude "items of extraordinary value". Look into an "inland marine" rider on your business policy or get such a policy.
 
Also check your current insurance policy.
I asked my broker today about getting a shipping rider for sending a spindle out, and was informed that our policy already has a $25000 "Transit Extension" that covers any business property while it is off premises.
 
My younger brother works for Southeastern Freight Lines. They cover from eastern NM up thru DC. Their preferred Northwest interline carrier is Oak Harbor. Discounts in effect all the way. Check with your sales rep.
 
stoneaxe said:
Just wondering if any of you have good experiences with any particular LTL shippers. (USA)

We are in Western WA, rural residential area, and ship all over the country. I don't want to get hammered with residential pick-up charges, and I need a line that is reliable-some of the regional lines may be good, but the ones they transfer freight to can be awful. Losing a widget is one thing, but a custom made expensive item is another!
Typically we ship wood crates roughly 1' x 3' x 8', a few hundred lbs. The product is fine woodwork, well cushioned inside.

They love to hit us with lift gate charges, residential delivery charge, residential pickup charge, fuel surcharge, etc.

Thanks, I need some options!
Click to expand...



OLD STEAM POWERED MACHINE SHOP 18 Progress on the steam engine - YouTube

start at the 15 minute mark the story is self explanatory i shipped this to Dave Richards in New York from here in Arkansas through Fastenal with no problems complete satisfaction on my end and on Daves at 1/5 the cost of LTL.

there good people give them a call
 
If you're shipping nationwide, no one carrier can handle it all. There are several on-line brokers who do pretty good work. The worst problem is turnover of the account reps. Establish a relationship and he's gone the next time you ask for a quote.

Also, the on-line brokers have tiers of discounts. If you'r'e Amazon-like-volume, it's dirt-cheap. If you're like me and once a month or so, they'll be high. You can often get an account direct with FedExFreight for about the same as what the brokers can.

jack vines
 
"If you're shipping nationwide, no one carrier can handle it all."
Some of these cover Canada and parts of Mexico, too


ABF
Estes
Old Dominion
Fed Ex
UPS
YRC
 
I've gotten quotes from U-ship that were 50% lower than anyone else. I guess their deal is brokering fill-in for LTL trucks that need more load. Last time FedEx freight picked up a 200#
motorcycle engine crated on a 3'x3' pallet in MD near DC and delivered it w/ a lift gate in Long Beach CA for about $180.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
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