Adding “Guaranteed Standard Service” (GSS) to an LTL shipment can increase your peace of mind when your shipment is time-sensitive. To officially guarantee a shipment with a carrier means that you have agreed to pay an additional fee to make sure the freight arrives on time. By paying this fee, the carrier agrees to deliver your freight by a certain date and time, or they will void the charge for the additional service. Here are a few things to remember before getting started:
You must use the correct BOL!
It is imperative that the shipper use the correct BOL on guaranteed shipments: one that states the exact date and time the shipment is to be guaranteed by in the “Special Instructions”.
For example, it may say “Guaranteed Noon Delivery by Tuesday, August 13th” or “Guaranteed 5pm Delivery by Monday, August 12th.” If a sentence like this is not written out on the BOL, the shipment is not officially guaranteed.
To guarantee a shipment does not guarantee the pickup.
The guaranteed transit time clock starts ticking after the shipment picks up. For example, if today is Monday and you’d like to guarantee a 2-day transit for Wednesday delivery, a missed pickup on Monday would mean the guaranteed 2-day transit would deliver on Thursday. Carriers will not void charges for missed pickups.
A guarantee is not 100%.
Having a shipment guaranteed means that the carrier will try very hard to deliver your shipment on time, but it is not sure- fire. If the carrier fails to deliver on time, you’ll be reimbursed the extra money you paid for the guaranteed service itself, but you will usually still need to pay for the remaining shipping costs.
There are some exceptions to what can be guaranteed.
GSS is never offered on deliveries to residential areas or limited access locations, nor are they offered on shipments where delivery appointments or delivery notifications are required.
There are two types of guaranteed shipments:
- Guaranteed Noon Delivery Service (GSS12): Delivery by noon on the scheduled delivery date.
- Guaranteed Standard Delivery Service (GSS5 or GSDS): Delivery by 5pm on the scheduled delivery.
Guaranteed vs. Expedited
Guaranteeing a shipment is different from expediting a shipment. Guaranteed shipments still have the same number of transit days as the estimated transit time of a standard LTL shipment. An expedited shipment means that you’ve paid extra to have the shipment arriver faster than the standard transit time.
There are two ways to get a guaranteed quote or set up a guaranteed shipment with FreightPros:
- Using your online TMS account: Select either “Guaranteed Noon Delivery Service” or “Guaranteed Standard Delivery Service” as an accessorial, and the resulting rate will include that service.
- Call or email: Not all carriers offer guaranteed service on all lanes. To confirm whether or not a particular carrier can guarantee your shipment, give FreightPros a call! We will contact carriers directly to ask if they offer guaranteed service in the area you need.
For more information, visit our website for Freight Quotes or Free Freight Papers or give us a call at 888-297-6968 to speak with one of our LTL shipping experts.