We deal with a lot of issues here at FreightPros, because, well, because freight shipping is complicated and that’s what we are here to do, to set the standard for a quality freight experience. And part of that standard is helping you avoid LTL freight reweighs.

Avoiding LTL freight reweighs is not the only problem we run into. No, sir. There’s always the damaged shipments, and holiday freight delays.

But reweighs ARE a common problem. I think the reason most people end up with reweighs is not some conspiracy by the freight carriers to make more money, or to scam their customers; it’s because people miss the details when they’ve got so much other stuff going on. That’s on both the carriers and the customers. Filling orders, dealing with customers; both large and small business shippers have a lot on their plates.

Today we’re going to talk about avoiding LTL freight reweighs, but first, what exactly is a reweigh?

A Reweigh occurs when the weight on the Bill of Lading (BOL) does not match the weight the carrier shows on their scale, resulting in an additional charge. If this seems bizarre or confusing, then you’re probably pretty new to the LTL shipping business. If that’s the case, download our Beginner’s Guide to Freight Shipping. It’ll get you caught up on the basics in no time.

When it comes to avoiding LTL freight reweighs, here are some things you can do:

• The weight on the BOL needs to be the GROSS WEIGHT OF THE SHIPMENT. That means including all packaging; including the weight of the pallet.
• The weight on the BOL is not an estimate. You’ll need exact weights as carrier scales are sensitive. Don’t think something might be about 150 lbs. Weigh it, and if it’s 152 lbs. then make sure you put that on the BOL.
• Don’t try to trick the carriers. They may not catch you cheating on your weight every time, but when they do, they’ll hit you with the reweighs. If it happens enough, they may even refuse to ship your freight.

If you do get hit with a reweigh, don’t worry. If you have the right documentation, you can often get the reweigh fees dropped. Download our Freight Paper, How to Dispute a Reweigh, for more information.