Advantages of utilizing full truck load (FTL) deliveries

Girteka Logistics‘ focus has been on full truck load (FTL) deliveries. Whether it would be fresh & frozen food or any other temperature-sensitive products, common household items, or automotive & industrial parts, our trailers are sold out to the brim. In the simplest of terms, full truck load (FTL) is just that – when a logistics company like Girteka Logistics offers its customers the capacity equal to a full trailer to ship their goods. On the other side of the spectrum, there are fewer than truck load (LTL) deliveries, whereupon a road transport company sells a portion of the capacity on a trailer, picking up multiple loads from multiple locations and delivering them to several locations.

The two types of deliveries, naturally, have their advantages and disadvantages.

One of the obvious benefits of an FTL delivery is that the single customer utilizing the truck is given priority in terms of loading and unloading, as well as customer support if anything goes south.

“Since an FTL delivery is sold to a single customer, we can exactly plan when the truck will be able to load and unload, as the cargo onboard the trailer is destined to a single or if the customer requests so, to multiple locations across Europe,“ says Sandra Senulienė, the Head of Key Account Management at Girteka Logistics.

“Still, that customer’s cargo is the only cargo that is carried by our truck, meaning we can offer a tailored solution with our full attention span directed towards them.”

That not only means that a lane is dedicated to a single entity, it also means that the logistics company can provide customer support to a single client, resulting in a more efficient process. “As we provide real-time tracking, 24/7 live support and are noted whenever there is a deviation, we can start resolving any kind of issues on a moment’s notice,” adds Senulienė. “That is important when delivering goods in the cold-chain supply chain, where getting everything done on time is a must.”

Another advantage is that a customer gets as much space as he needs and, of course, as much as a trailer can fit. “This means that it is much easier to plan shipments for a customer, as they know exactly how much capacity they are getting when they need it,” notes the Head of Key Account Management. “The planning is also much easier due to the fact that the journey goes from point A to point B, rather than from point A, through C, D, E, F, before finally arriving at point B.” That also reduces the risks of delays occurring throughout the road transportation process. If unloading is delayed at one point, the “whole schedule falls like dominoes,” she points out, while “the nature of FTL deliveries coupled with our customer support package allows to minimize the risk of delays to a minimum.”

“Sprinkle in the fact that Girteka Logistics owns its fleet of over 8,000 trucks and 8,700 trailers, including 5,700 reefer trailers, which means that we can offer a complete end-to-end road transportation product to our customers,” says Senulienė. “Whether they want a simple transfer from point A to point B or a more complex agreement for multiple lanes that includes intermodal transport or even the use of HVO, we can arrange that. Simply put, the combination of FTL deliveries and owning all of our assets allows us to do that,” concludes the Head of Key Account Management at Girteka Logistics.

However, some might find arguments to utilize LTL deliveries.

“While full truck load (FTL) deliveries bring a whole host of advantages, less than truck load (LTL) deliveries have leverage as well. For example, if you run a small business and your cargo is not perishable and you don’t have many goods to deliver, you could be swayed to buy capacity on an LTL delivery, as you could be paying a premium for unused space on FTLs,” notes Senulienė.

“But there is counter-argument in terms of LTL versus FTL, full truck loads can also be a more budget-friendly option if you can nail down a spot delivery. At the same time, spot deliveries do not guarantee capacity if you know when you would need capacity, as the availability of short-notice deliveries fluctuates depending on the balance of capacity in certain regions,” she remarks. “Sometimes we see LTLs in smaller and less developed markets, where there might be a gap between the demand for import and export. The growth of e-commerce can also benefit LTLs, as for example, retailers want to ship their goods quickly between distribution centers, yet they do not have enough backlog to fill up a FTL shipment,” concludes Senulienė.