Do you want your freight to “fly” (ship) commercial, or private? Most people without a foot in the logistical services industry do not know the difference between same-day/rush trucking and line-haul or LTL freight trucking. The easiest way for me to describe the difference to people is, if you want your freight to fly private – i.e. by itself on a truck especially reserved for your freight and your freight alone – then you will want to book a “dedicated load” and/or a “hot shot” shipment. Just as flying private is a luxury and will cost significantly more than flying commercial (or even first class), you can rightly deduce that shipping your freight on a dedicated or “hot shot” carrier is going to cost you a lot more than if you were to ship by other means.
Let’s back up a minute. “Hot” freight? To the layperson, you may think I am speaking of freight that needs to be kept at a high temperature, but “hot” in the logistical services industry stands for anything that needs to be picked up and delivered as quickly as possible. If freight is “hot”, it typically needs to ship by the fastest means possible. For extremely hot freight going long distances (that cannot ship by air), companies will sometimes hire two man driving teams so that one driver can sleep/rest while the other drives. This insures that the cargo arrive as quickly as humanly possible whilst the drivers adhere to appropriate DOT rules and regulations regarding rest and road time.
Additionally, if you have highly sensitive or delicate cargo, a dedicated truck may be the best option for you. Freight loss or damage is less likely on dedicated shipments due to the fact that there is minimal handling of the freight– once the cargo is loaded it stays on the same truck until it is delivered.
Some industries that typically need dedicated or “hot shot” trucking include the medical industry, the manufacturing industry and the bio-tech industry. First Call Trucking & Courier has specialized in same-day, “hot shot”, rush trucking for the past 24 years. In fact, it’s our “bread and butter”. If you need to move something fast, we are your guys (and gals). With equipment ranging in size from sedans to cargo vans to dock high box trucks and even a trailer, we can handle most anything thrown our way. Big or small – we ship it all!
Conversely, if your freight is not time sensitive, and it can be put on a pallet for easy shipping, you can save substantial money by sending it “commercial” or Linehaul/LTL (LTL stands for “less than load”). Most retail items and food products are shipped this way. Through First Call’s partnership with RR Donnelly/DLS Worldwide, we are able to offer competitively priced LTL and Linehaul shipments in addition to our “bread and butter” – same-day/rush trucking. As an international leader in logistical service options, RR Donnelly/DLS Worldwide is able to leverage its size to offer the lanes of the major regional Linehaul and LTL carriers at a fraction of the cost. As an Agent for DLS Worldwide/RR Donnelly, First Call can pass along these savings to our customers as well.
So whether your freight needs to “fly” commercial or private, or maybe in between as first class, I’m confident First Call Trucking & Courier can offer a logistical service solution that fits your needs, and budget.
For rate requests, and general shipping inquiries, please email: Nancy@FirstCallTrucking.com