There appears to be some confusion about the term LTL carrier. Of course, this won’t be the first time a shipping term has caused some confusion, and it’s easy to see why. But in the name of clarity, let’s take a second and squash the LTL carriers myth.

FreightPros is not an LTL carrier. FreightPros is a freight broker. These ARE NOT the same thing. And now, let’s discuss the difference.

LTL Carriers

An LTL freight carrier is a company such as Roadrunner or R&L Carriers that owns and operates a fleet of trucks used to pickup and deliver LTL freight. These LTL carriers own the trucks, pay the drivers, as well as keep a legion of customer service agents and dispatchers who are also part of the LTL carrier team.

These carriers operate terminals across their coverage map, indulge in interline freight shipping, and even operate tracking and tracing through their websites. They are also known as freight companies in Internet-speak.

LTL Freight Brokers

LTL brokers, contrary to LTL carriers, do not often own their own shipping equipment. They do not operate with drivers, or have terminals that polka-dot the countryside. Freight brokers act as third parties, helping to coordinate the pickup and delivery of LTL freight, between the shipper or customer and the LTL carrier.

To best serve their customers, brokers offer FAKs, low freight quotes, as well as customer service that includes running delivery reports, not to mention tracing as well as daily updates on hot or guaranteed shipments.

Not all freight brokers are created equal, so make sure that you find the right one for you and your business. Here at FreightPros, we pride ourselves on our ability to take care of our customers from beginning to end, but each freight broker should have a speciality.

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