FOOD AND MEDICAL SHIPPING
Although there are several types of freight trucks out there, you want to stick to a select few. Any truck that does not have an enclosed trailer will not offer your freight sufficient protection. Food and beverages are sensitive items and need to be treated as such through the usage of additional services to ensure they arrive fresh to their destination.
SHIPPING MEDICAL SUPPLIES
Medical supplies can include any and all medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. When you are shipping medical supplies you need to provide specific information. The shipper needs this information to best determine how to classify your load. Some medical supplies are not allowed to be shipped via parcel services, or may have special handling requirements. For example, temperature control may be necessary or special handling might be required.
SHIPPING FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Shipping food and other perishables can seem like a difficult endeavor, and often requires specialized services to transport deliveries while maintaining the quality of the product. Secure the most competitive refrigerated freight rates on your next load. Roper Air Freight Inc can help you find a dedicated truck for reefer loads and temperature-controlled shipments.
TIPS FOR MEASURING PROPERLY
The most essential step in the entire shipping process if you want to avoid any re-bill charges. If you miscalculate the weight or dimensions for your shipment, it can result in hefty monetary consequences.
- If your item is oddly shaped, be sure to measure at the widest points of the item
- Some carriers go by density weight, consult with a freight agent to find out if that is the case with the carrier you chose
- Include all packaging materials in your final measurement
LIMITED ACCESS
This is different from residential in the sense that even a commercial location could be considered limited access. If the location is in a rural area or in a tight urban area that a freight truck has trouble driving in, there will be a surcharge for this limited access location.
RESIDENTIAL
No matter what, a carrier will always charge you extra when you ship to or from a residential location. Even if it’s a business you’re running out of your residence. We always encourage shippers to drop off and pick up their freight from a terminal or commercial location when possible, as it will save you money in the end.
WHITE GLOVE SERVICE
This is the royal treatment. A group of workers come in to package your freight up for maximum protection, load it onto the truck, and even unload it and un-package it at the destination location. If you’re shipping a highly fragile item that you don’t want to fuss with, be sure to include this service and save yourself the headache of having to worry.
GUARANTEED DELIVERY
Does this produce or medical equipment need to get to its destination by a certain date? You will need to opt in for this additional service. Your freight shipment dates and transit times will never come with a guarantee, due to how unpredictable the world of freight is. Something small could through off track the drivers entire schedule for the rest of the day. The only time we can guarantee dates and times is if you book with guaranteed delivery.
LIFT GATE
It’s likely that you won’t be able to lift a heavy piece of medical equipment with your bare hands and hoist it onto the trailer of a freight truck. That’s where a lift gate comes in. We’d almost ask you to consider this a mandatory additional feature, even though it’s technically optional. If a truck driver determines its necessary for a lift gate to be used to complete a pick up or delivery, they will use it and you will later get re-billed for not only the usage of the lift gate but for also for an additional fee. It’s better to just commit to using a lift gate to avoid any outstanding re-bills.
TRUCKLOAD (TL)
- If you are shipping a large enough load, you may need an entire truck. This option requires a lot of freight to make it a more economical choice than LTL.
LESS-THAN-TRUCKLOAD (LTL)
- Refers to shipping an item that is relatively small and will not take up the entirety of the trailer. You pay for the amount of space you take up, not the entire truck.
LTL OR TL
Depends on how big are we talking? If you’re shipping machinery like an engine, it won’t take up an entire trailer and you’re better off choosing LTL. If you’re shipping something like 3 commercial lawn mowers though, you enter the arena where you may want to consider choosing TL. Any time your freight weighs more than 15,000 pounds or if you are shipping more than 10 pallets worth of goods, it makes sense to ship truckload. Consult with an agent when getting your free, instant freight quote to determine which option is right for you.
