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J.C. Nester Company,Inc. 866.429.4994 FLATBED, STEPDECK and SPECIALTY TRUCKING |
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Archived Articles
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SHIPPING INFO This page contains articles or information that may be helpful to shippers. Emphasis will be placed on current trends in shipping.
Who Knows More About Flatbed Rates? You or Your Competition?
Is your competitor smarter than you? A little. Does he know more about controlling his shipping costs? Oh, yeah! He has a secret! He knows about shipping partial loads. If he has a shipment that is less than a full load, he is sometimes able to ship it as a partial load. He doesn't pay for a full load. He pays a rate that is less than the full load rate. By combining two or more shipments, the flatbed carrier is able to save the shipper some money while at the same time generating more revenue with the truck. Everyone wins. If you have a shipment that is one-fourth of a full load, can you expect to pay one-fourth of the normal full truckload rate? No. When delivering partial loads, the truck is usually not able to go straight from point A to point B. The truck must zig-zag over to point C to drop off the second shipment. In order to recover the cost of the extra mileage the truck has to travel, a rate greater than one-fourth of a normal rate is charged. Yet this is still a good deal for the shipper. He still saves on his shipping costs. You can take advantage of this technique. Shipping "partials" as they are often called in the trucking business, may mean that it takes a little longer to pick up your shipment. The flatbed trucking company must not only find another load going near the destination of your shipment but there must be enough available trailer deck space for your shipment. You will probably need to allow for some extra shipping time to enjoy the savings. Not all shipments will be able to transport at the reduced rate. Shipments over 28 to 30 feet usually ship at a full load rate. Loads traveling less than 350 miles are sometimes not good candidates for the lower rates. There will be some origins or destinations that are not conducive to the reduced ratings. Some trucking companies will not haul partial loads. The companies that do will need to know the length, width and height of your shipment. The weight and dollar value of the cargo is also needed. Commodities such as farm tractors, farm equipment, steel, lumber, vehicles and crated items are well suited to shipment as partials. You can take advantage of these partial load rates today. Give us a call and let us quote a rate for your flatbed or stepdeck shipments. You CAN control your shipping costs! James Nester November 22, 2005 www.jcnester.com
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