A massive quantity of goods are bought and sold every day, making freight packing and shipping one of the most important elements of any business’ success. But how does freight shipping work, and how can you make the most of it for your company? Read on to get a quick overview of what it entails and what it takes to succeed with it.
Understanding Freight
In the broadest terms, the term freight is used to describe bulk shipments of goods that are delivered between two points. The difference between shipping and freight in a general sense is that the former typically describes smaller packages, such as an order delivered to a single customer. Freight, on the other hand, usually means the delivery of large quantities of those products between the manufacturer and a distributor or retailer. These are packed for transport on pallets or in heavy-duty crates.
There are several categories of freight shipping. For example, shipments may be sent as full truckload (FTL), meaning a single order fills an entire semitrailer. Others may be sent as less-than-truckload (LTL), meaning they do not take up an entire trailer’s worth of space. Partial truckload shipments allow shippers to combine loads and split the cost of the transport. Intermodal refers to shipping that uses a combination of ocean freight, railroad and/or over-the-road trucking to deliver.
Optimizing Your Freight Packing and Shipping
There are a number of steps your company can take to ensure you’re getting the most effective and affordable performance from this aspect of your operations. For example, taking advantage of LTL and partial truckload shipping means saving money over choosing to send goods FTL when you don’t have an exceptionally large shipment. Often, you can reduce the size of your shipping freight quote by knowing which method is right for you. One of the most important steps you can take in this regard is to partner with a third-party logistics (3PL) partner who can take care of all the behind-the-scenes work for you.
Choose AMS Fulfillment
As one of the nation’s leading 3PL fulfillment providers, AMS can be your complete source for everything you need. Our ability to ship from both coasts and extensive knowledge of the supply chain mean you won’t have to worry about anything. We will help you reduce your costs and improve the service you provide for your customers. No matter what industry you’re in, you can depend on us to be there when you need us. As a B Corporation, we’re also dedicated to doing business in a way that benefits our stakeholders as well as our community and the environment. To learn more about everything we have to offer, get in touch with us today.