Partial Shipment - Pros and Cons Explained
Partial Shipping: Is It Right For You?
There are many different shipping methods out there, and it can be difficult to understand the differences between the various transportation modes. Sometimes you may need something fully shipped in one fell swoop, but other times you may only require your goods to be partially shipped. If you’re feeling confused about what partial shipped means, don’t worry — you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve created this guide so you can determine whether partial shipment is right for your transportation needs.
What is Partial Shipping?
What does partially shipped mean? A partial shipment, or part shipment, refers to the delivery of an order in multiple shipments. When a customer buys multiple products from a business, the products are sent to the customer in different shipments. The consumer needs to agree that they’re okay with the partial order shipment in a letter of credit in order for the business to send the partial shipment.
The Pros and Cons of Partial Shipping
Here are some of the top benefits of partial truckload shipping:
● One truck. One of the top benefits of partial shipping is that it enables all of your items to stay on one truck for the entire shipment process. The freight is only loaded and unloaded a single time, with only one truck in the mix. This means that you can expect quicker transit times and less handling than you would with Less-Than-Load (LTL) shipping.
● No freight class is needed. Partial shipping offers the benefit that the freight class is not required. This means you can avoid any additional charges related to freight reclassification if you end up getting the freight class incorrect.
● Less freight handling. Partial truckload shipping allows for less freight shipping since the freight is only loaded and unloaded one time. With less freight handling, there is less opportunity for items in your shipment to be damaged upon arrival — or lost entirely. If you have any particularly sensitive or fragile items in your shipment, then partial truckload shipping is the way to go.
● Cost efficiency. Similar to LTL shipping, partial shipment offers cost efficiency. With partial shipping, you only pay for the amount of space that your items take up in the truck, rather than the whole truck itself.
Here are some of the drawbacks of partial truckload shipping:
● Unit shipping costs are higher. While partial truckload shipping can save you money on small shipment orders, the unit shipping costs are typically much higher with partial shipping than with Full Truckload (FTL) shipping. This is definitely something to keep in mind if your shipment order is fairly large.
● Longer transit times for international shipping. Another thing to keep in mind is that partial truckload shipping is in between full truckload (FTL) shipping and Less-Than-Load (LTL) shipping in terms of speed. Full Truckload shipping tends to be the fastest, while LTL is the slowest because it usually has to make multiple stops. In addition, partial truckload shipments must be transloaded at the border between the United States and either Mexico or Canada, and can therefore lead to a longer transit time.
When Does Partial Shipping Make Sense?
It’s crucial to determine whether partial shipping is the right option for your shipping needs before moving forward with this mode of transportation. Partial truckload shipping can save you a ton of time and money, but only if it makes sense. You should have something part shipped in the following situations:
● You can’t use LTL or FTL shipping. Partial shipping is best in a situation where neither FTL nor LTL freight shipping will work for you and your shipping needs.
● Low-density shipments. Partial shipping is an excellent option if your freight needs a lot of space but it’s not very dense. If you have any low-density shipment orders, then partial shipping is the way to go.
● Your freight is over 7,000 pounds. If your freight takes over seven pallets or it weighs more than 7,000 pounds, then partial truckload shipping is likely the right option for you. Partial truckload shipments usually range from seven to 18 pallets.
Partial Shipping vs. LTL Shipping
There’s a difference between partial shipping and Less-Than-Load (LTL) shipping. A partial truckload is a freight transportation option for larger shipments that don’t need to use an entire truckload trailer.
A partial truckload shipment falls somewhere between full truckload shipping and LTL shipping. Partial truckload shipping is usually for shipment orders that include at least six pallets or more than 5,000 pounds. Partial truckload shipping leads to quicker transportation times, involves less handling, and doesn’t require a freight class to secure a rate.
If you want to learn more about partial delivery, contact CSA Transportation today to learn more about our partial shipping and Full Truckload services.
Author
Matt enjoys exploring creative ways to connect people through marketing, with a particular passion for sales, marketing automation, and AI. At CSA Transportation, he works on branding, content strategy, automation, SEO and campaigns that help tell CSA's story. From website updates to email designs, Matt brings ideas to life while keeping the bigger picture in mind.
