Shipping LTL Freight

Shipping LTL Freight

This blog post will be a quick and handy primer on shipping via LTL freight.  LTL stands for Less-Than-Truckload and refers to shipments that do not fill an entire truck.  Because UPS and FedEx have weight constraints, we would require certain equipment to ship via freight truck. Shipping via LTL freight can also be more economical in certain situations.  When shipping via LTL freight, Sealer Sales can arrange the freight via prepay and add or you can arrange the freight.

If Sealer Sales arranges freight - please keep the following in mind:

  • We will get your approval for freight quotes before shipping; we will aim to find the lowest rate for you via our various freight carriers; please note surcharges will apply for residential addresses
  • We will always add lift gate service at delivery unless we are specifically instructed that the customer has a loading dock
  • Freight shipments will NOT ship out the same day as we would need to contact carrier to pick up your shipment
  • For shipments that do not specify freight, but may be more economical via freight, we will contact you with our recommendations.  Usually larger shipments that can be palletized will be more economical than shipping via UPS Ground

If you arrange freight - please keep the following in mind:

  • Most of our quotes/sales orders will provide you with all the information (weight, dimensions, class) you need to calculate freight on your end; if your shipment needs to be palletized, we will contact you with final weight and dimensions
  • In general, we use the following NMFC freight codes:
    • Class 92.5 - NMFC - 133300-3
    • Class 175 - NMFC - 133300-2
    • We will provide NMFC codes for other shipments as needed
  • When arranging freight, please provide pick up instructions to your freight carrier
    • Entrance in the rear
    • Pick up hours:  9:30-4PM Monday - Friday
    • Liftgate not needed
  • Please provide us with the BOL (bill of lading) that is completed.  Because you are arranging the shipment with your freight carrier, you must provide us with the BOL.  The Bill of Lading states exactly what is being shipped, from where it’s coming and where it’s going.

Once your shipment is picked up, we will provide you with a PRO# to track your shipment.  A PRO number is a tracking number used by carriers.

We hope this will be helpful in helping you arrange freight shipments.  If you have any questions, please contact us and we would be happy to assist you.