The short answer
Your pallet is loaded, unloaded and reloaded at every terminal it passes through, alongside other people’s freight. Packaging that survives one truckload move can fail on the third handling.
The reason is handling count
Truckload freight often stays on one dedicated trailer for most or all of the trip.
LTL normally moves through a network.
That can mean:
- Pickup handling
- Origin-terminal unload
- Sorting
- Reload to linehaul
- Destination-terminal unload
- Reload to local delivery
- Final delivery handling
Longer lanes can involve additional network transfers.
Your freight travels next to other people's freight
LTL trailers contain mixed shipments.
Your pallet may be beside:
- Crates
- Tall pallets
- Heavy freight
- Non-stackable freight
- Different package shapes
Good packaging has to protect the product through that shared environment.
Do not solve this page with more wrapping advice
The detailed preparation already exists.
Use:
The important LTL lesson is why that extra packaging discipline matters.
Sources
- https://www.estes-express.com/resources/what-is/ltl-freight-shipping
Shipping something that cannot tolerate repeated handling?
Send the commodity, packaging, dimensions and timing and I will help compare LTL with a lower-handling service.
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