There's a lot to know when shipping less-than-a-truckload in Northeast Ohio. Save time and money by putting our expertise to work for you!
LTL shipping rates are calculated in large part by the freight class, which is a uniform standard by which all carriers use to determine the weight and density of the shipment.
The density, or cube weight, helps them determine how much of something they can put on a truck and still be compliant with NMFTA weight rules. LTL carriers have many shipments on the truck at the same time, all with varying weights and cubic feet (volumes).
Let's say you are shipping something from Cleveland to Indianapolis via LTL. Once booked, the city driver will pickup the freight and take it back to their terminal in Cleveland. The truck is then unloaded and your shipment is loaded onto a truck headed for Indianapolis, along with other freight going in that direction. Much like a flight, the other shipments may be delivering in Indy or may be moving along to another terminal.
The carrier will use a calculation to see what exactly can go on that Indy bound truck and typically the more dense the shipment, the more weight or space it takes, the more it will cost per mile.
In the above example, the shipment is picked up in Cleveland, moved to the Indianapolis terminal over night and is out for delivery the next day. This is an example of a 1 day transit. To figure out transit time, you subtract out the day it was picked up and account for the freight moving toward the terminal and the day it delivers.
An example would be if you ship from Cleveland to Dallas, TX. It's picked up on a Monday and will deliver on Wednesday. The transit days are Tuesday and Wednesday, a 2 day transit. Like the Indianapolis example, it is picked up, taken to the local terminal, put on another truck and moved overnight to Dallas, however, Dallas is 1100 miles away from Cleveland.
You may also upgrade your shipment for a Guaranteed Transit time. If you'd like an accurate transit time for your shipment, contact us using the form below and we can help.
Located in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland site on the south shore of Lake Erie. Main roads include Interstates 80, 90, 77, 71, 271, 480 & 490, US Routes 422, 20, 6, 322 & 42. Suburbs and nearby towns include: Cleveland Heights, Mayfield, Garfield, Middleburg, Brooklyn, Parma, Warrensville Heights, Broadview Heights, Euclid, Mentor, East Lake, Westlake, Avon, Fairview Park, Brecksville, Independence, Lakewood, Beachwood, Pepper Pike, Willoughby, Newburgh Heights, Bratenahl, Strongville, Twinsburg, Richfield, Maple Heights, Chagrin Falls, Solon, Shaker Heights, Richmond, Berea.
Use the table below as a guide. Have questions, please contact us.
Freight Class | Example of Commodity | Weight Range Per Cubic Foot | |
---|---|---|---|
50 | Nuts, Bolts, Steel Rods | More than 50lbs | |
55 | Hardwood Flooring, Paint, Bricks | 35-50lbs | |
60 | Bottled Beverages, Ceramic Tile | 30-35lbs | |
65 | Car Parts, Boxes of Books | 22.5-30lbs | |
70 | Food Items, Boxed Paper | 15-22.5lbs | |
77.5 | Tires, Bathroom Fixtures | 13.5-15lbs | |
85 | Engines Pharmaceuticals | 12-13.5lbs | |
92.5 | Computer Monitors, Refrigerators | 10.5-12lbs | |
100 | Car & Boat Covers, Canvas, Wood Crates | 9-10.5lbs | |
110 | Cabinets, Table Saw, Drill Press | 8-9lbs | |
125 | Radio, Stereo, Coffee Maker, Small Appliances | 7-8lbs | |
150 | Medical Instruments, Sheet-Metal Parts | 6-7lbs | |
175 | Stuffed Furniture, Clothing | 5-6lbs | |
200 | Aircraft Parts, Aluminum | 4-5lbs | |
250 | Bamboo Furniture, Mattress/Box Springs | 3-4lbs | |
300 | Wood Cabinets, Chairs, Tables, Misc Firniture | 2-3lbs | |
400 | Paper, Coffee Fiters | 1-2lbs | |
500 | Ping Pong Balls, Styrofoam | <1lb |