Road freight services are the cornerstone of the logistics and road transportation community. For this reason, road freight services are an efficient and economical service for businesses and organizations of any shape (whether a single parcel delivery, large multi-pallet motions or anywhere in-between). Road freight services give flexibility on multiple delivery options, such as the following: Full Truckload (FTL), Less-than-Truckload, Ground, etc.

What Are Road Freight Services?

Road freight can move many different types of freight including perishables, as well as oversized freight, fragile cargo and heavy equipment. Road freight services can be catered to accomplish the weight, size, urgency and commodity type of business that is being shipped.

Types of Road Freight Services

Full Truckload (FTL) Shipping

Full Truckload (TL) shipping is best suited when your business has enough freight to fill a truck or when you need a dedicated truck. Some associations for TL shipping are:

• Faster transit times: because there are no multiple stops from the point of pickup to delivery location.

• Reduced chance of damages: less handling of the goods gives your products a better chance of arriving damage-free or not lost.

• Cost efficiency: when shipping in bulk, the per unit of freight FTL trucking services typically are much lower.
• FTL trucking services are normally thought of for large volume shipments, high-value items, or time-sensitive deliveries.

Less-than-Truckload (LTL) Shipping

LTL shipping is used for shipping smaller shipments that don’t fill an entire truck. When freight is shipped using LTL, freight from several customers can be applied to more than one 

freight shipment, providing businesses with an affordable freight shipping solution for a shipment that may not fill a truckload.

Advantages of LTL include:

• Lower costs for smaller loads
  
• Flexible scheduling and frequent departures
  
• Environmentally friendly due to consolidated shipments
  

However, LTL may take longer than full truckload shipping due to multiple stops and transfers.

Ground Freight Services

Ground freight refers to cargo that is shipped over land. Primarily accomplished through roads, ground freight can either be FTL and LTL, and is typically used for users for domestic deliveries, and cross-border shipping within a regional area.

Key features of ground freight services include:

• Door-to-door delivery capabilities
  
• Customizable shipping schedules
  
• Cost-effective for short- to medium-distance transport.
• Wide coverage across rural and urban areas
  

Whether you are a small e-commerce company shipping across cities, or a large manufacturer shipping goods across the country, ground freight is a reliable option.

Factors to Consider When Selecting A Road Freight Service

There are many considerations to consider when selecting the right type of road freight services, which includes:

1. Shipment Size and Weight

FTL trucking service is best for larger shipments, while LTL shipping is a better option for smaller shipments since it allows you to save money. 

2. Delivery Time

FTL shipping typically delivers faster transit times compared to LTL or shared ground services. If the delivery is time sensitive, full truckload shipping is usually the better option.

3. Budget

Consider your transportation budget. While FTL service provides speed and security, LTL and ground freight provide more affordable options for smaller shipments.

4. Cargo Type

FTL trucking will be the more appropriate shipping option for fragile or high-value items, while LTL service is suitable for standard products.

Benefits of Using Road Freight Services

There are many benefits of road freight for businesses, such as:

• Flexibility – Routes and timing can be customized to delivery situations.

• Access – Roadways provide access to remote areas for deliveries that would not be accessible by air and in some cases rail.

• Real-Time Tracking – With better logistics systems, it is possible to get updates on the current location of a shipment while the delivery is in motion.

• Lower costs – For the most part, road freight is considerably cheaper than rail and air freight, especially freight in regional or short-haul distances.

Businesses can utilize each of the distinct advantages of road freight services to better something in their supply chains or improve customer experience.

How Road Freight Supports the Supply Chain

Reliably moving products along the road network across some distance allows goods to flow smoothly from distribution center, warehouse or supplier, and ultimately to the customer. 

It is essential for:

• Last-mile delivery
  
• Retail and e-commerce shipments
  
• Industrial supply chain operations
  

If you can successfully incorporate full truckload shipping and ground freight into your logistics plan, you will make everything more efficient with less delays along the way and reduced transportation costs.

Road Freight Services with TTC Shipping

At TTC Shipping, we provide reliable and cost-effective road freight services that accommodate your specific needs. If you are after FTL trucking services for large shipments or LTL trucking services for smaller shipments, our qualified team will be able to safely transport your shipments to your destination on time and at a reasonable price. 

At TTC Shipping, we are the leading provider of freight services across Canada. Our services include full truckload shipping, road freight services and FTL trucking services that can help you manage your supply chain process. Contact us today so we can assist you with your ground freight and logistics needs.