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Residential Delivery: LTL Residential Freight Services

residential freight services  

Getting freight picked up from or delivered to a residence is different when shipping LTL than when you’re shipping small package with UPS or Amazon. Part of this has to do with the size of most LTL freight shipments. LTL shipments are rarely a cardboard box that can be left on a doorstep.

More often than not they are palletized and weigh over 100lbs. The second has to do with the size of the truck delivering or picking up the freight. Residential streets are often small and not equipped to accommodate a semi-truck.

25 Genius Tips to Save You Money on Your Freight Shipping

Because of these LTL shipping aspects, if you need something picked up from or delivered to a residence you’ll need to pay the additional services fee for LTL Residential Delivery or Residential Pickup. All freight carriers are different, so check with your freight broker for pricing.

Unfortunately one charge does not cover both pickup and residential delivery. As pickup will be handled by one terminal, and delivery handled by another terminal (and sometimes even a different carrier due to interlining) residential delivery is a separate charge from residential pickup.

You Will Need a Liftgate

The other thing to keep in mind for residential freight services is that you’ll probably need a Liftgate for both pickup and residential delivery. LTL carriers are not moving companies, so they will not take freight to the front door. If you’re having freight picked up at a residence you’ll need to have the freight palletized and on the street so the driver can easily get the freight on to the truck.

Unless you have a forklift or the freight is small, you’ll need a liftgate to help get the freight on or off the back of the truck. Some carriers do not charge for liftgate fees and some do, however if you are charged for a liftgate you’ll need one for both pickup and residential delivery.

Residential Pickups/Delivery Fees

If you are having LTL freight delivered to a residence, make sure that you’ve selected the Residential Delivery additional service, as well as a Destination Liftgate. When creating the BOL, make sure you put the street address and contact information for the resident in the Special Instructions where it’s clearly visible and legible.

The carrier will need to call and make a delivery appointment with the resident, and without correct contact information delivery delays can occur.

Freight Paper – Instructions for Receiving an LTL Shipment

Standard protocol for LTL shipping is business to business and dock to dock. This does not mean that they can’t deliver or pick up from a residence, it just means that you’ll need to pay for some additional services and make sure you have all the necessary contact information on the BOL used at the time of pickup.

Residential Delivery / Residential freight services in LTL shipping are not things you should be afraid of, and a few simple steps will go a long way to ensuring your freight moves successfully.

 

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