LTL shipments can be paid for by using a credit card, certified check, money order, or a line of credit.

Credit is considered for accounts of $2000 or more only, however. Credit cards are pre-approved before a shipment and then charged once the freight delivers. Certified checks and money orders must be received before a shipment is picked up.

The Bill of Lading is a legally binding document used to tie the carrier, the shipper, the consignee and a 3rd party company together with the freight being shipped.

The Bill of Lading describes the freight being shipped, states the consignee (person/company receiving the freight), the consignor (person/company shipping the freight), the trucking company hauling the freight and the party that the trucking company is going to bill for the shipment.

The shipper must give the Bill of Lading to the driver for the trucking company handling the freight transit at the time of pickup.

The driver will sign the Bill of Lading at the time of pickup. By signing the carrier agrees that the freight description and count (if any) that was loaded and the pickup site matches what is indicated on the Bill of Lading. The driver will take the Bill of Lading, but it is recommended that the shipper make a copy for their records.

To avoid headaches and additional fees and to make sure your shipment has legal standing.

A Bill of Lading legally binds all parties to a contract. If it is not used a contract is not formed and it becomes difficult/impossible to hold parties accountable for any negligent actions in relation to the shipment. Most importantly, however, is that the Bill of Lading tells the trucking company what party is paying for the cost of the transit.

A fee of $35 or more will be assessed and delivery can be delayed.

If it is not used the carrier may attempt to collect funds from the consignee before delivering the freight. Or, the carrier may deliver the freight but eventually bill the consignee. In rare cases if the carrier bills the consignee or shipper and the invoice is paid it is impossible to un-do the payment. Since 100% of the time the amount invoice by the carrier will be higher than what Redhawk would charge this is a costly mistake.

All items must be crated, or palletized. Palletized items must be shrink-wrapped to or banded to a pallet. You can ship items that happen to be in the original manufacturers box.

Throughout transit your freight will be unloaded and reloaded at least twice, maybe more. To facilitate the handling process LTL carriers require that freight be banded to a pallet or placed in a crate. At times carriers will require palletized freight to be wrapped in cardboard and/or shrunk-wrapped.

Most cities have companies that sell pallets or offer a crating service.

Neither Redhawk/eFreightLine nor our contracted carriers offer this service.

The cost of shipping an item is directly connected to the weight.

If you declare a weight that is lower than the actual weight you will be charged more for the additional weight along with a fee. If you declare too much weight you will be paying too much for your shipment (and no, carriers do not offer refunds if the shipment weighs less than what you declared, sorry).

An exact shipping rate cannot be provided without knowledge of weight.

Redhawk can approximate a price for you, but it will be subject to change if you choose to move forward with the shipment.

Yes, the declared weight must include both the item being shipped and its packaging materials.

Carriers are not only shipping the product, but its packaging as well. Since the gross weight of trailers and their contents are federally regulated, carriers need to me mindful of everything that goes into the truck/trailer…fuel, weight of the driver, pallets and packaging included.

Inaccurate shipping weight will be subject to additional costs and fees.

All LTL carriers weigh every pallet they ship. If they determine the weight is more that what is declared on the Bill of Lading (see above) the price of the shipment will increase and there will be a fee assessed as a penalty. Alternatively, carriers do not offer a price reduction when a shipper declares a higher weight that is actually shipped.

Yes, packaging can affect the shipping price.

On occasion the freight class (see below) used to calculate a price is partially determined by the packaging method. For instance, it can be less expensive to ship a machine that is crated rather than palletized. Since crated freight is better protected and less fragile the freight can be handled more easily without risking damage. And since handling characteristics are considered when determining freight class, this fact can lead to your shipment qualifiying for a lower class and hence a lower price.

The carrier will not be liable for damages when freight is not well packaged/protected. The driver can also refuse to load your freight onto their truck if not properly packaged/protected.

Drivers often refuse to load freight that looks as if it may be damaged during transit due to improper packaging (which can result in a fee, see below). On some occasions drivers will load the freight and indicate on the paperwork that the freight is either “improperly packaged” and/or “unprotected”. If this happens the carrier is released of all liability if the freight is damaged while in their care.

Freight (and its packaging, in some cases) is assigned one of 18 freight classes which directly correlate to the shipping cost.

Every possible shipment has a class of either: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400, & 500. In general, the lower the class, the less costly (per pound) to ship.

The shipping class of an item can be based on density, fragility, bulk, and/or value. A body known as NMFTA (National Motor Freight Traffic Association) determines what freight belongs in which class.

Class encompasses the value, density and fragility of freight. The denser and/or less valuable items (i.e. concrete, stones, and bottled water for example) will have a lower class and will cost less (per pound) to ship. Fragile, less dense, and/or higher value (i.e. computers, glass, foam, automobile body sections) will have a higher class and cost more (per pound) to ship.

NMFTA publishes reference books and administers websites that assist with determining class. These books and websites are not free to the public, however.

Our sales representatives can determine the freight class by the information that you provide.

Call 866.411.4295 and ask for an LTL sales representative, or follow the prompts for LTL shippers. Be prepared with the dimensions and weight of the shipment and packaging, along with a description of the item being shipped and our sales rep will both class your shipment and give you a freight rate.

An item’s density is determined taking its weight divided by its volume.

Once the item is palletized or crated measure the widest, tallest and longest points of the freight, in inches. Also, determine the weight making sure to include the pallet/crate and any packaging. Density = weight * 1728 / (L * W * H) where weight is in pounds and L,W & H are in inches.

An item’s density is determined taking its weight divided by its volume.

Once the item is palletized or crated measure the widest, tallest and longest points of the freight, in inches. Also, determine the weight making sure to include the pallet/crate and any packaging. Density = weight * 1728 / (L * W * H) where weight is in pounds and L,W & H are in inches.

Fees and/or delays, whether the freight is not ready or no one is there to load the truck.

Failure to have freight ready at the pick-up time can cause a shipment to become delayed by at least one business-day. Additionally, some carriers charge a pickup-attempt fee to offset the costs associated with attempting a pickup.

Fees and/or delays.

If the carrier attempts a pick-up/delivery and is unsuccessful because no one is there to load/unload additional fees can result. Freight can not be loaded or delivered without someone (other than the driver) present.

Yes, you can have freight picked or delivered at your residence.

This typically requires the carrier to schedule a time to pick/deliver the freight which can delay the transit by a few days.

Home businesses are considered a residence by LTL carriers.

Any pickup or delivery in a residentially zoned area (whether a business is ran there or not) will be considered a “residential” delivery/pickup.

Residential neighborhoods are more difficult to navigate with standard trailers so carriers send in shorter ones.

Shorter trailers do not generate as much revenue for trucking companies as larger ones, so they tend to cost more when they are needed.

A liftgate is an elevator-like system at the rear of some trailers. They are used for moving freight between the deck of the trailer and ground level.

A liftgate is needed when the shipper/consignee does not have the resources to unload or load their own shipment.

This is usually required for all residential deliveries and deliveries to commercial locations without docks or forklifts.

Yes. Not all trailers have liftgates. If liftgate service is in high demand your pickup or delivery may be delayed.

Liftgates can be scarce because not all trailers have liftgate systems. Often times the trailers that have liftgates are booked several days in advance. Liftgates can add 1-4 days to a carrier’s standard transit time.

While some carriers offer free liftgate service they can cost as much as $70.

An interline carrier is one carrier (usually smaller) that transports freight for another, larger carrier to expand the larger carrier’s reach.

Interline carriers are often utilized in remote areas, or regions in which the carrier services but does not have a terminal.

Pickups and/or deliveries can be delayed. Online tracking can be in-accurate, also.

Interline carriers often operate in remote areas. While it is common practice for carriers to have availability every day nearby large cities, remote cities are sometimes only visited once or twice a week. This can delay transit. Additionally, the interline carrier may not have the IT in place to accurately report the location and ETA of the freight in its possession. This can make results of online tracking inaccurate. In some cases a phone call is necessary to accurately determine delivery ETA.