How To Ship Consolidated Freight

Figuring out how to ship consolidated freight could feel confusing and overwhelming when trying to put all the pieces together. When dealing with multiple shipments, you need to manage containers, schedules, shipment sizes, and freight shipping costs across the supply chain.

This is where freight consolidation comes into play. This simple maneuver lets you combine shipments from multiple shippers into a single consolidated shipment. Consolidated freight helps shippers manage a large quantity of freight, lowers transportation costs, shortens delivery times, and simplifies the shipping process.

This quick guide will walk you through everything you need to know about consolidated freight shipping, including how shipment consolidation works and how freight services benefit from it.

What Is the Difference Between LCL and Freight Consolidation

LCL (Less than Container Load) and freight consolidation appear to be similar because both methods of transportation handle mixed shipments.

However, they have distinct purposes:

• LCL covers “ocean loads” and means that you share container space with other freight when shipping smaller cargo overseas.

• Freight consolidation covers the entire industry, referring to shipments from different clients that are being put together and follow the same route.

What Are the Benefits of Freight Consolidation

There are many advantages of freight consolidation for everyone: the shippers, the delivery services, as well as the client. Here’s what these benefits are:

That’s only the tip – there are many more benefits!

Freight Consolidation Types

There are several consolidation types that differ by structure, and each of them works best in a specific scenario or certain shipping requirements:

• Pooling: With pooling, the freight is merged from several origins into one load that moves together on a steady route with good timing.

• Cross-Docking: With cross-docking, the freight is moved through a transfer point, where goods shift to their correct route without storage downtime.

• Hub Consolidation: The freight is being sent to the central hub, where items are being grouped by their destination for efficient loading.

• Scheduled Consolidation: The scheduled consolidation involves a stable timetable, and sometimes repeated routes, and the freight follows the departures.

Freight Consolidation Process

The process of freight consolidation is a structured approach that combines separate pieces into one consolidated shipping load, moving through an organized route.

Here are the steps involved in the process:

• Intake: The freight is received from multiple shippers, and all the parameters are being recorded (weight, labels, conditions, and more).

• Grouping: Shipment consolidation takes place in real-time when freight is grouped by destination, and the route is created based on dependencies.

• Routing: At the routing phase, timing is being planned so the consolidated delivery can keep up with the schedule, featuring predictability.

• Breakdown: The final stage of the process is breakdown, which means unloading the freight piece by piece during transit.

LCL vs. LTL vs. FTL Shipping - What to Choose for a Small Shipper

There are three paths you can choose when it comes to the shipment method for small transits, and each option fits best in a specific scenario:

• Choose LCL when you have something small that you need to ship overseas, and you can accept a longer routing time for lower costs.

• Choose LTL shipping freight consolidation when your pallets are not enough to fill the entire area of a truck, and you want tighter control of freight shipping costs.

• Choose FTL when you can fill an entire truck, you require fast shipment, and you can’t afford having any of your freight damaged due to “cluttering”.

Types of Goods Suitable for Freight Consolidation

If you don’t know whether your freight is suitable for consolidation, there is one thing to know: your freight will share space with other loads.

This ultimately means that anything that is very precious, expensive, or fragile might not be suitable for freight consolidation in any variety.

However, here are common freight types that are suitable:

• Consumer Freight: Any type of packed and protected items.

• Industrial Pieces: Boxed components with strong packaging.

• Electronics: Well-packaged electronics are completely safe.

• Furniture: Most bulky pieces travel well when consolidated.

Essential Documentation for LCL Shipping

When dealing with LCL shipping, you must prepare a specific set of documentation so your load moves securely without delays and hiccups.

Is Consolidated Freight Shipping Right for Your Business?

You get the most value from grouped freight when your load size, timing, and product profile fit the structure used by consolidation trucking, also known as “consolidated trucking”, as well as any other consolidated LTL (Less Than Truckload) networks.

Your business logistics will get routing support from consolidated freight shippers by a dedicated consolidator in shipping. Not to mention the savings you will get when a broader consolidated freight service matches your lanes.

Yes, consolidated shipping could be right for your business, especially if you want to improve planning, efficiency, and cost savings. Best of luck!