Drop And Hook Shipping: What Is It, and Do You Need It?

Drop and Hook trucking refers to the process of dropping off a trailer and hooking up a new one that is preloaded by the facility staff. This differs from live loads which involve a trucker pulling up to a facility and having the staff actively unload and reload the trailer while the driver is idle. 

Read on to learn more about the drop and hook trucking process and whether or not it might be right for your business from your McAllen logistics company.

Who Uses Drop and Hook Trucking?

The short answer is anyone. Anyone looking to save time and energy and move more efficiently is able to use drop and hook trucking. Primarily the people who use this service are facilities that have 

  • Loose cargo: Any facility that has many small boxes of loose cargo, such as a mailing company, where the facility could save time in preloading the trailers could use this method.
  • Many orders: Any facility that transports a high volume of cargo could use drop and hook trucking to preload trailers to save on time, especially if the live load trucking appointments have all been filled for the day. This method allows the warehouse to move more products faster. This is especially useful if the warehouse is experiencing staffing shortages or too many orders to fill in one day.

Drop and hook trucking is also referred to as no contact or no-touch freight, and is ideal for those who don’t wish to handle the process of loading and unloading the truck themselves. This process also saves time and allows the driver to be back on the road more quickly.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Drop and Hook Trucking

Drop and hook shipping isn’t right for everyone. Before you hire a logistics company or start planning your transportation process, consider whether or not drop and hook shipping might work for you.

What are the advantages of drop and hook trucking?

    • No contact: With this method, the driver does not need to touch the cargo at all, and does not have to come in contact with the staff loading or unloading the truck, resulting in a socially-distanced way of delivery.
    • No wait times: Drop and hook trucking allows a trucker to load and unload a trailer in a little under an hour, resulting in more time spent on the road and less time idle.
    • Cost-effective: With drivers able to be on the road quicker, your business can save money. Plus, the less time the driver spends in the loading dock, the fewer fees the facility will accrue.

What are the disadvantages of drop and hook trucking?

    • Refrigerated trailers: These types of trailers used for food and pharmaceuticals cannot hold their temperature if sitting on a hot lot, and with no set schedule, there is no way to ensure a trailer would be picked up quickly enough to prevent the items from perishing. 
    • Space: The facility will need the means to store fully loaded and empty trailers in a yard indefinitely, which means that smaller facilities might have trouble using this method.
    • Hookup installation: A full trailer can be very difficult to hook up by yourself, and could result in a driver needing to find someone for assistance, negating any time saved. This is also true if the trailer needed is offsite or stuck behind other trailers. 
    • Trailer quality: A facility can’t always guarantee that the trailer a driver receives will be in as good of shape as the previous trailer.
    • Overweight trailers: Drivers are still responsible for making sure their trailers are up to weight restrictions. If the trailer is overloaded, a driver may need to turn around and offload some items, resulting in a costly mistake for the facility. 

Take Your Business to the Next Level With Lean Cargo Transportation

The key to running a successful business is fulfilling promises, whether that means getting cargo to a certain location on time or providing high-quality service in exchange for payment.

You can trust Lean Cargo Transportation to get your products where they need to be, on time, every time.

Ready to see if drop and hook trucking is right for you and your facility? Please contact McAllen Logistics Services for more information!