Why can’t LTL freight be on 5 Tons instead of trailers

Done ltl for 22 years. We have pups, 48 and 53’ trailers we use. We use the larger trailers for our bulk customers and out of town p&d runs. Pups in smaller tighter areas, and we load our Linehaul freight into it. Our system is based on pups. Minimizes handling. We build headloads to various points in the states. For example, we pick up 14,000 lb for Tennessee. We headload that, then load freight for Chicago and Minneapolis on the tail. Minneapolis pulls their freight, loads Chicago freight on it. Chicago pulls their freight off, loads freight for points closer to Tennessee. And so on. Bison and truckload carriers are not set up for pups, that’s why you see 53’ and highway units delivering 2 skids. It’s not ideal.

 

Bring the 5 ton!

 

Lots of good answers here.

Having spent 3/4 of my career in LTL van, I can tell you most brokers/planners just load up a trailer, and expect a Highway truck to get it done, cause they simply don't know/care; they just want the revenue.

The company I currently work for in the Office (I drove here also) is primarily focused on LTL. They used to just rely on their exceptional veteran drivers to get it done. But as those guys quit/retire, and the "New Generation" comes in, and cross docking, using day cabs, pups w/power tailgates, and 5 tons is becoming our focus. This requires major dock space, warehouse personnel and some serious coordination. We are also starting to work with companies in the US, like R&L to do our final mile stuff, vs sending the highway trucks.

I enjoyed the challenge of doing LTL with my highway truck, it wasn't so bad in the US, much worse in Canada, so thankfully places like Vancouver/Winnipeg and Toronto now have Daycabs/Power Tailgate Pups and 5 tons at our terminals there.

We used to joke, that the only people who call us, as the ones to cheap to use FexEx/UPS/XPO, who have proper final mile stuff.

 

I love when an LTL company comes for a pickup/delivery and doesn't have a pallet jack.

 

Nope. Never had Bison show up in our yard.

Can't remember the company name off hand, they were a pretty large outfit though. Used to hate seeing them show up because I'd have to drag a pallet jack out to the trailer every time.

 

Don't do it.
When they have to go back to their office and get their own, they will always bring one in the future.

Had a guy show up a few months back, with no way to unload.
I used a loader and chain, then billed the company for my time and the loader.
Next time they sent a hiab truck.

 

I would have told them to go get one but the boss told us to just throw the pallet jack on the forks and unload it. You didn't argue with that guy or you'd be kicking road apples down the street lol.

 

I paid for delivery,
If I was going to do it myself, I wouldn't have hired them.
Who sends a truck with an engine on the deck they can't unload.
I don't send my trucks to places, then make my customers unload.
I have a contract I'm working on right now to load, haul, and unload 8 pieces of equipment.
Imagine if I called them up and said okay we are here, send someone up to unload me.
I would be the laughs stock of the entire industry.

What if all my loaders we gone out working that day, which they often are.
It was in the contract they had to load, deliver, and unload the engine themselves.

The driver stood there as I read to him what his own paperwork said, with a dumb look on his face.

I said to him imagine that you ordered a load of gravel, and when the truck shows up, the driver says you better have a shovel handy, and get to hand bombing that load off boy.