What is a truckload (TL)?

What is truckload (TL)?

Truckloads (TL) are the quantity of freight required to fill a trailer, which is usually more than 10,000 pounds. In the freight industry, a truckload is also a mode of freight for transporting large shipments by road. 

Typically, freight is transported in trailers that are 48 to 53 feet long. These trailers can hold around 45 pallets or up to 43,000 pounds of goods. The freight needs to occupy more than half and up to a full capacity trailer to be considered a truckload.

Shippers tend to use the truckload method when they:

• When you have a large quantity of goods that will fill most or all of a trailer.

• For fragile or high-value goods where minimizing handling is important.

• Want the cargo traveling alone in a dedicated trailer.

• Cargo is time-sensitive and requires direct transportation.

• When the total weight of your shipment makes TL more cost-effective than multiple LTL shipments.  

Interested in how you can improve your truckloads (TL) fleet management? Watch this video to learn more.

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What’s the difference between FTL and LTL shipping?

Large volumes of freight are transported through two kinds of trucking operations: full truckload (FTL) and less than truckload (LTL). 

Most full truckload freight are from single suppliers and move directly from a shipper to a consignee. FTL pricing is usually on a cost-per-mile basis and will change daily, making it more expensive than LTL. Also, unlike LTL, freight class is not important in FTL truckload. 

LTL shipments are smaller and require less space, usually less than 5,000 pounds. These shipments cannot fill an entire trailer, so LTL freight typically involves commercial vehicles carrying goods from different businesses. LTL shipping is cheaper than FTL shipping because shippers only pay for the cargo space they use. However, LTL is much slower than FTL because transport often involves multiple stops and transfers before the freight reaches its final destination.

When would businesses use truckload shipping services?

Retailers and large businesses have large supply chains and transportation networks to get their products in the customers’ hands. Over the road (OTR) trucking is a reliable, fast, and relatively inexpensive way to transport goods over long distances. 

Some conglomerate businesses maintain their own fleets to transport truckload freight. Other companies prefer to hire logistics services (such as FedEx) or contract owner-operators, trucking companies, or truckload carriers to transport truckload shipments.

Truckload shipping mainly uses (but are not limited to) three kinds of trucks: 

• Dry vans: Used to move non-temperature sensitive dry goods

• Refrigerated trailers or reefers: Reefers are used to maintain temperature-sensitive goods such as frozen foods, medicine, paint, flowers, and more

• Flatbed: These trailers don’t have walls or doors and are used to move construction equipment, agricultural goods and vehicles, and building materials

Due to their size and loads, truckload freight shipping businesses often transport goods to distribution centers or manufacturing warehouses. 

5 key benefits to truckload (TL) shipping

1. Faster transit times: Since the TL truck goes directly from the origin to the destination, transit times are generally faster compared to LTL shipping, which involves multiple stops and transfers.  

2. Reduced handling: With a single origin and destination, the freight is loaded once and unloaded once. Since there is typically a single pick up and drop off, you can reduce the risk of damage or loss that can occur with multiple handling in LTL shipments. Minimizing handling of freight is often preferred for temperature-sensitive or fragile cargo.

3. Cost-effective for large shipments: When you have enough freight to fill a truck, TL shipping can be more cost-effective overall compared to paying for the space and handling of multiple LTL shipments. You essentially pay a flat rate for the entire trailer.  

4. Greater security: Since the trailer is dedicated to a single shipment, there's less risk of theft or the cargo getting mixed up with other shipments.  

5. Suitable for various freight types: TL shipping can accommodate a wide range of goods, and different types of trailers (dry vans, refrigerated reefers, flatbeds, and more) can be used depending on the specific needs of the cargo.

Improve the safety and efficiency of your truckload (TL) operations with Samsara

Whether your fleet consists of full truckload (FTL) and less than truckload (LTL) vehicles, modern organizations are leveraging powerful fleet management systems such as Samsara to improve the safety and efficiency of their truckload (TL) operations. Featuring a comprehensive suite of AI-powered solutions, Samsara provides fleet managers with the real-time insights they need to take their fleet operations to the next level. Some key products include: 

• Video-Based Safety: Samsara AI Dash Cams offer both road-facing and driver-facing camera technology, improving safety by monitoring driver behavior and providing video evidence in the event of incidents. This is key for reducing incidents and ensuring cargo security in TL operations.

• Vehicle Telematics: Samsara Vehicle Telematics are essential for real-time tracking of FTL and LTL trucks, providing data on vehicle location, driving behavior, and engine diagnostics. As a result, fleet managers can optimize routes and enhance fuel efficiency, significantly improving TL operations where whole truckloads are transported over long distances.

• Cargo Monitors: For shipments that include perishable or temperature-sensitive goods, Samsara's cargo monitors provide environmental condition tracking, ensuring that goods are transported under optimal conditions throughout the journey.

• Trailer Tracking Solutions: Samsara's Smart Trailers solutions provide real-time location data and status updates for trailers, improving trailer utilization and security.

• Driver Workflows: Samsara’s Driver App includes features for electronic logging, digital DVIRs, and direct communication with your workforce. This improves compliance and reduces paperwork, reducing manual work and streamlining operations for drivers and the back-office.

Estes, the largest private freight carrier in North America, leverages Samsara to optimize their operations, enabling them to reduce idle time, automate driver workflows, streamline operations with API integrations, and enhance safety with AI Dash Cams. As a result of using Samsara to streamline their processes, Estes increased automatic departures and arrivals by over 40%, reduced idle time, and saved over $3 million.

“The partnership with Samsara has been key in allowing us to streamline our operations and deliver a better overall experience to our customers," said Todd Florence, CIO.

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If you want to learn more about optimizing your truckload (TL) operations, dive into Samsara’s Platform solution and speak with our team today.