Shipping to Residential Addresses: Getting Accurate Freight Quotes

Sometimes your business has to ship to customers at residential addresses. LTL freight companies need to charge for extra services associated with residential delivery because of the additional care required when accessing residential communities -narrower roads, lower speed limits, and increased distances from highways and major routes. Additionally, tailgate (liftgate) service will likely be required as residential locations are rarely (if ever) equipped with dock level loading options. If your shipment is heavy or large this means more time and manual labour involved, (as well as coordination to ensure the appropriate truck is dispatched), for both the driver and the carrier.

Here are some tips to make residential pickup and delivery as smooth as possible.

Check both the pickup and destination addresses to determine whether they are business or residential.

It is best to provide your carrier with this information up front, knowing your exact needs means they can give you the most accurate rate so no unexpected charges are added to your invoice. Home offices are considered residential locations, so make sure to ask for curbside pickup/delivery and tailgate /pickup delivery when requesting a quote or booking an order. Having it right the first time will help you better plan your transportation costs.

If residential service is required the next step is to have the consignee (delivery location) prepare for curbside service.

Curbside service means that the goods are picked up or delivered at the edge of the property, usually on a city sidewalk, shoulder or end of driveway. Unlike moving companies, LTL carriers will only be able to go as far as the curbside to pickup and deliver freight. This means that in most cases, someone will need to available and waiting to assist with moving the freight the rest of the way.

Knowing ahead of time and coordinating with your consignee for the curbside delivery will ensure you have the most accurate freight costs up front and keep the extra charge surprises away. The other option to limit extra service charges is to ask your shipping company to hold your shipment for pickup. CSA has 15 regional distribution centres and this is sometimes a good option for clients who ship between these regions. Just remember, freight docks are busy and space is tight; storage charges will usually begin to accrue for freight left on a carrier's dock for more than a few days.

Learn more about CSA's accessorial shipping services.