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Know the Basics of Expedited Shipping

expedited shipping
CC image courtesy Wajahat Mahmood 

 

Expedited Shipping is one of the many types of freight shipping we handle here at FreightPros, but we've found that some people don't quite understand the different ways we do this. Today, we're going to fix that problem. We're going to learn the basics of expedited shipping for LTL, Truckload, and even Intermodal.

Expedited shipping is the action of paying an additional fee to "speed up" your freight shipment. As you can learn in our Beginner's Guide to Freight Shipping, less-than-truckload freight transit times are estimated. This philosophy protects the freight companies, but can cause delays for an LTL shipment. Expedited shipping is a way to get around these estimated transit times.

As mentioned above, if you want expedited shipping, you're going to have to pay for it. The fastest way to move your freight is through the air. We offer Fedex air shipments, and though they'll get your freight from Florida to California in a flash, it's going to cost you. Another form of expedited shipping comes in the form of hot shot carriers. These carriers are available if you're in a pinch and need freight picked up ASAP.

On the truckload side, things aren't as laissez-faire. Pickup and delivery times are agreed upon before the freight is in transit. There is however the opportunity for a "team service."

Team service means that drivers switch off during their trip when each driver's legal limit is hit in hours driven. With this service the freight is always moving, outside of the occasional food or bathroom stop.

As for Intermodal shipping, well, don't use intermodal shipping if you're looking at expedited shipping. Though the price might be lower, intermodal shipping offers slower transit times.

 

See how much time and money you'll save by having our pros help manage your freight.