In a perfect world, LTL & TL pickup/deliveries would be as dependable as shipping small packages through FedEx or UPS. The carriers arrive on time for the pickup and then deliver it the day they tell you. In the real world of freight shipping, that isn’t always the case.

Delays due to a number of reasons can and do happen on a regular basis. LTL drivers typically have a much larger area to cover than your typical FedEx/UPS driver, so they are more prone to delays in traffic or having to wait while the freight is getting wrapped or loaded. Loading numerous pallets obviously takes longer than picking up a few small boxes at your office. Paperwork delays or heavy volume of trucks coming and going at certain pickup locations are also reasons for delays, as the driver may have to wait for dock space or the correct BOL. On a recent shipment, the driver was given the wrong bill of lading and that sent it to Texas instead of Arizona, as planned. On top of that, the actual delivery location is a remote area and only serviced twice a week. What would have been a 2-3 day transit time turned in to an 8-day transit time.

Full truckloads that may travel across state lines or even coast to coast are subject to weather delays, especially in the wintertime because of snow and ice. A route the driver may have planned on taking could be closed by weather or road conditions and that may cause either the driver to wait it out, or travel many miles out of his way to get around the weather. Either way, it causes a delay in getting your freight delivered, or someone else’s freight delivered and unloaded, and then going in to pick up your load.

If your freight ‘absolutely, positively’ must be delivered on a certain day, contact us for an Expedited Quote. We work with a number of carriers that can and do get your freight picked up and delivered quickly. The rates are higher, but if your shipment is time sensitive, we can cover it for you.

Granted, some carriers seem to have more ‘excuses’ for not arriving on time than others. Just know we are working as hard as we can with the carriers to get your freight picked up and delivered in a timely manner. We don’t like delays any more than you do.