Can LTL Shipping Offer Guaranteed Delivery?

Your Standard LTL Delivery is Late. Now what? Unfortunately, because a standard LTL delivery isn’t guaranteed to be delivered on a certain date or time, there’s not much you can do about late delivery. To avoid late delivery, it might be worth considering guaranteed LTL delivery, which can ensure your shipment arrives by your imposed deadline.

Read on to learn the difference between Standard LTL and Guaranteed LTL Delivery.

What is Standard LTL Delivery?

The standard LTL delivery date is based on an average delivery time based on similar past shipments. But there’s a major caveat here: the estimated delivery date isn’t an exact science, and there are a lot of factors that go into the estimate. Here are a few factors considered:

• Size of shipment
• Value of shipment
• Method of shipping
• Carrier
• Weather
• Route
• Lane

A quick glance at that list can explain why shipments are often delivered late, and how unavoidable that can be at times. If an “estimated” delivery date doesn’t work for your shipment, you might need to consider a guaranteed LTL delivery instead.

What is Guaranteed LTL Delivery?

Guaranteed LTL delivery comes at a premium cost but there’s a reason for the added fee – the shipment will get to its delivery point on time or it’s free. While the money-back guarantee isn’t mandatory, it’s a common industry practice.

Unfortunately, the guarantee will add on about 25 to 35% cost in addition to the original freight charges. Additional cost factors include delivery location and ease of access, delivery method, delivery time, and freight lane.

How can I Guarantee My LTL Delivery Date?

The process of getting a guaranteed LTL delivery date depends on the shipping carrier. Unfortunately, because there is very little standardization in shipping practices and contracts, getting a guaranteed LTL delivery can be a challenge.

One tip is to talk to the carrier before you even place the order. Have the carrier representative explain to you what their guarantee policy is and find out the associated fee. Be sure to have the terms of the guarantee in writing with both parties signed, so your shipment is covered in the event the shipment arrives after the guaranteed delivery date.

Guaranteed LTL Through Amware

Here at Amware we can offer guaranteed LTL pickup and transport. In addition to our cutting-edge transportation management system, Amrate, we have a fleet of asset-based trucks we own. This affords Amware clients an option to obtain quotes for guaranteed pickup and delivery for your shipment.

Contact our team now, or sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amrate, our industry-leading LTL software.