Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping often takes longer than full-truckload shipping because your freight is traveling with items that will be dropped off in several different locations. While you can't help which other locations the truck driver will have to stop at, you can take a few steps that will make it less likely that your freight will be delayed by something you did. Keep track of each LTL freight arrangement company's deliveries (many have general tracking boards on their websites) to find ones that seem to be more efficient, for starters, but also take a look at your packaging and how you decide which opportunity to take.

Package in a Conventional Shape

Whenever possible, package your freight on pallets with shrink wrap or use crates. Try not to ship oddly shaped packages that could render surrounding empty space unusable because shippers may be reluctant to take on your cargo. Anything on a pallet should not hang over the sides (items like that should be in custom crates). The more conventional the shape of the cargo, the easier it will be to pack it into a truck, so the easier it will be to find a space for it.

Grab the First Possible Opening

One mistake you might be making is waiting for space to open up on a truck that is making only stops that are close to your freight's destination. That can add too much waiting time; you're usually better off grabbing the first available slot on a truck. The only time when waiting might make sense is when the delivery radius for all the items on the truck is so wide that the trip could take a lot longer than you'd expected, even when taking LTL shipping's generally longer times into account.

Track Your Shipment

If you don't already track your shipments, start doing so. You may need to specifically request the tracking information from the freight company (as opposed to getting it automatically). If the shipment seems to stall somewhere, you can contact the freight company to see what's happening, rather than just sending off the items and hoping they reach their destination.

Sometimes LTL freight shipping goes very quickly, especially if you're lucky enough to be among the first to have your items delivered along the route. There may not be much you can do about road conditions or how others handle their freight that will be in the same truck as yours, but you can make your freight easy to deal with so that truckers are more likely to agree to carry your items. And the less you have to wait for shipping options to open up, the faster your items will arrive at their destination.

To learn more, contact an LTL freight shipping company.