Logistics services across the county have to decide daily how shipments need to go out to meet the demands of customers. Every bit of information is crucial to make the right call when it’s time for the product to get moving.
Between parcel shipping and pallet shipping, it’s critical to know which is the right choice for your company’s next delivery.
When it comes to the differences between the two, rest assured that our team at Lean Cargo Transportation — a McAllen logistics company — can help make sure you choose the right option.
Our logistics experts are here to break down the differences between parcel and pallet shipping.
Parcel and Pallet Shipping: Key Details and Differences
Though the two have a few things in common between parcel shipping and pallet shipping (also known as LTL), there are a few major differences that make them important in different situations.
- Parcel Shipping – “Parcels” are what you would most likely think of when you think of the word “package.” Parcels are standard packages that weigh less than 150 pounds, which means parcel shipping can be handled by one person and easily shipped within a few days.
- Pallet Shipping (LTL) – Also known as LTL, or “less-than-truckload,” pallet shipping is a little bit more complicated mode of delivery. Parcel freights are usually heavy and can weigh much more than the parcel’s 150-pound limit. Additionally, the freight is palletized to make shipping easier.
Now that you have a basic idea of what the two are, let’s talk about the major differences and why you might want to choose one method over another for an upcoming delivery.
The main differences between parcel and pallet shipping include:
- Cost – Parcels are much lighter and smaller than standard palletized freight, which makes shipping them less expensive. However, if you need to ship a great deal of product, then pallet shipping may prove to be the more cost-effective option.
- Safety – Pallet shipping has fewer “checkpoints” than parcel shipments. Each checkpoint provides the clients with updated tracking information, which makes parcel loads much easier to keep track of.
- Speed – Palletized shipments are more susceptible to unexpected delays at drop-off locations or terminals as well as human error. The result is that LTL shipments are more likely to take longer to arrive than standard parcel shipments.
- Safety – On the other hand, because parcels are smaller and go through so many checkpoints, they are much more likely to be damaged or stolen than LTL shipments.
Lean Cargo Transportation: Helping You Make the Right Delivery Choice
As you can see, there are quite a few factors that can affect whether you should ship via parcel or pallet shipping. Making the right choice can benefit you cost-wise and time-wise.
Lean Cargo Transportation is the McAllen area’s premier logistics company because we pride ourselves on delivering the best customer service possible!