What is expedited trucking?

Thanks to the digital world that we are now living in, anyone can get almost anything online at any given time. Thanks to the whole phenomenon of online shopping, people all over the world have an increasing need for shipping services.

In the United States, the e-commerce business has reached a revenue of about $423.3 billion, and that number is rapidly increasing. In fact, the changes in the retail industry are the driving force behind freight services adjusting, no matter if it’s full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), or parcel. These changes are typically made to accommodate the various new features that retail operations offer. One of those major features is quick shipping.

Time-crunch deliveries add pressure for shippers to move cargo faster and reliably. In order to implement that, everyone in the chain of logistics must be well organized and ready to take action.

Fortunately, when time is of the prime importance, expedited trucking or expedited freight shipping is designed to handle this challenge smoothly to meet the increasing demand for moving freight at a remarkable speed. So, let’s learn in detail, what is expedited trucking?

What is expedited trucking?

Expedited trucking refers to the process of delivering a large volume of goods in a short period of time. Usually, ground freight shipments could take up to 10 business days, whereas expedition truck/freight shipping just takes 1–3 days.

Expedited trucking or freight services are required to get packages where they need to go by the particular date they are promised to be at their end location.

According to Langham Logistics, “the basic goal of expedited freight shipping is to cut out all wasted time and get the goods where they need to go on a time-sensitive delivery basis.”

In addition, there are four major industries that utilize expedit freight companies for various different reasons. Basically, the products that are being shipped will not last for long shipment routes, and they need to get to their destination quickly.

Four Industries and how they utilize expedited trucking or freight services:

S. No.	Industry	Utilization
1	Medical	At times valuable devices can’t sit at the back of a freight for a long period of time. Several medical supplies also are temperature sensitive, and they need to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
2	Pharmaceutical	Many patients depend on their medication to survive, and they just can’t live without it. In such cases, they need to get the medications refilled as soon as possible. An expedited trucking company can come handy to rescue by making sure that pharmaceutical patients get the medicine that they need in a timely manner.
3	Manufacturing	Sometimes, people in the manufacturing industry have to fight with the time to get their work done. For instance, if some parts do not come in on time, the entire project might get delayed.
4	E-Commerce	Retail stores are growing enormously, and most of them offer their products online. Many big retailers also offer fast shipping facilities, including two days or even overnight. In such cases, expedited trucking or freight needs to be used to get the goods where they’re going.

So, here you have it. Expedited trucking/freight is utilized to make sure cargo reaches its location as soon as possible. Ecommerce, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and medical supplies are all some common types of products that need expedited shipping.

Types of Vehicles Used for Expedited Freight

For instance, in order to get a delivery expedited, carriers would deploy teams of drivers in several types of vehicles:

S. No.	Truck Type	Description	Reference
1	Straight Truck/Box Truck	These vehicles can transport 10–26 thousand lbs depending on the size, which makes them ideal for expedited trucking.
2	Sprinter Van	In some cases, an expedited shipping company would disperse a large load across a team of several sprinter vans in order to make a tight deadline.
3	Dry Van	A dry van, or dry van trailer, is a large trailer 28, 48, or 53 feet long. These trucks look like a typical semi-truck, but are not temperature-controlled or rated for transporting wet goods.
4	Hot Shot	Hot shot trucking is typically fulfilled by a pickup or other medium-duty trucks that attach a flatbed trailer to the back of their vehicle. Relying on the truck and type of trailer used, hot shot trucking is a perfect solution for equipment, machinery, construction materials, or delicate freight.

Expedited shipping might also include LTL shipments (Less Than Truckload) in which a traditional-size semi-trailer may have space for your load among the other cargo.

Is expedited trucking right for your operations?

Expedited trucking might become the missing element in your business plan. Each of the below use scenarios demonstrates how expedited trucking can help owner operators in the food industry fulfill customer demands, ensure safety and freshness, meet tight deadlines, and encourage a competitive edge.

i) Food Manufacturers

For instance, a California-based food manufacturer has a batch of fresh strawberries that needs prompt delivery to an East Coast grocery chain within two days. Traditional shipping methods might be unsuccessful to meet this against such a tight schedule.

But, with expedited trucking, the strawberries can be delivered on time and in best condition, preserving their freshness and ensuring customer satisfaction.

ii) Food Shippers

Food shippers have their own set of complications. For instance, let’s take a shipment of frozen seafood that needs urgent transportation from the port to a far-off distribution center. The seafood needs a consistent cold environment in this situation to prevent spoilage.

Expedited trucking companies provide temperature-controlled trailers designed to meet such demands. They ensure the seafood is delivered swiftly, safely, and at the right temperature, reducing the risk of spoilage.

iii) Food Retailers

Consider the common scenario of food retailers for instance, who regularly face a race against time to restock their best-selling items. A grocery chain may find itself running slow on a customer-favorite organic milk brand.

They might have to source the milk from a faraway dairy farm while simultaneously working against the clock, where the need to speed up in restocking becomes extremely important.

In this scenario, expedited trucking proves its worth with prompt delivery services quickly transporting the milk to the stores from the dairy farm and fulfilling the demand.

Expedited Transportation Requires a Reliable Provider

Expedited trucking is a critical factor for businesses but comes with unique challenges. A well-chosen provider however, can smoothly mitigate these difficulties and ensure reliable service. Important points to consider while choosing a reliable provider is listed below:

i) Intelligent Logistics and Route Optimization

An expert expedited trucking company utilizes advanced technologies like AI and machine learning. These equip the provider with the ability to decide the fastest and most cost-effective routes, lowering delivery times and reducing environmental impacts.

ii) Efficient Load Balancing

A top-tier provider utilizes strategic load planning, pairing cargo with the most appropriate mode of transportation and combining less-than-load (LTL) shipments wherever possible. This sensible use of space helps in reducing costs and improving the overall efficiency of expedited trucking.

iii) Trained Professionals and State-of-the-Art Equipment

The assurance for the safety of your goods comes from professional drivers skilled in managing and transporting several items. Also, professionals who utilize top-of-the-line equipment helps in reducing the risk of any potential damage during transportation and instill a sense of confidence.

iv) Flexibility and Transparency in Service

The most reliable expedited trucking providers provide several services, allowing shippers to customize their choice depending on their specific needs.
Real-time tracking and open communication offer transparency and assistance for shippers, enabling them the flexibility to make necessary adjustments.

v) Superior Customer Service

Unpredictable issues are an essential part of logistics. A provider that maintains a consistent and responsive customer service team can help shippers in quickly finding solutions to unforeseen problems, reducing potential delays, and maintaining the efficacy of expedited trucking.

vi) Embracing Sustainability

With increasing concerns regarding the environmental impact of logistics, some providers are adopting greener and eco-friendly practices. Utilizing electric trucks or carbon offsetting initiatives by these companies adds an environmentally friendly base to the many advantages of expedited trucking.

Best Expedited Trucking Companies in the US

If your company is under pressure as well to get faster deliveries to their respective locations, consider using one of the top expedited trucking companies listed below:

i) Go Freight

Go Freight is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Go Freight provides truckload solutions for businesses in the neighboring 48 states. With solutions for both dry and temperature-controlled requirements, their equipment ensures that products are delivered quickly and on-time.

Their advanced technology helps them handle their customers’ transportation requirements when they provide a full-service feel and impressive customer service.

ii) Ascent On-Demand

Ascent On-Demand provide global expedited freight solutions within a short period notice and are headquartered in Belleville, Michigan.. They assist companies in optimizing their logistics performance and strengthening their business even more.

Ascent On-Demand uses a wide range of contract carriers to help businesses to get their cargo from point A to point B as quickly as possible, and their staff is available to help at all hours (24/7).

iii) Pegasus Logistics Group

Pegasus Logistics Group utilizes their experience and creativity to ensure that companies seeking expedited trucking services can depend on their on-time deliveries without any second thought. They craft solutions even for the most complicated transportation expectations or timeline challenges, all while keeping costs reasonable for their clients.

With the objective of providing excellent service, Pegasus Logistics Group is constantly innovating to keep their clients confident with their expedited trucking solutions.

Benefits of Expedited Trucking

Expedited trucking/shipping is a great option when loads need to be delivered in no time. In order to provide a quick, reliable, and guaranteed end-to-end shipment, carriers can change the rates based on weight, timeline, and product specifications.

Some of the benefits of expedited shipping are:

i) Attractive to Everyone Involved

One of the benefits of hiring an expedited trucking freight carrier is that an expedited surcharge incentivizes brokers, carrier dispatchers, and individual drivers to take the job and get it done within a short period of time.

ii) Fast and Reliable

Since you’re not depending on large traditional freight or one driver, expedited trucking is significantly quicker than typical jobs. And trustworthy carriers will ensure your product arrives on time.

iii) More Affordable than Air

Expedited air freight is another alternative for quick turnaround times, but it’s comparatively more expensive than ground freight. Expedited freight is your best option when it comes to value.

iv) Safer for Cargo

As shipments spend less time in transit during expedited shipping, they have way less risk of damage. This can help in reducing the packaging costs and keep the cargo safe.

v) Helps Control Inventory

Expedited shipping can help businesses maintain lean inventory and restrict the products they need to pay to store. It also helps in reducing additional costs, managing and handling long-term inventory.

Conclusion

In the fast-paced world of trucking and logistics, expedited trucking emerges as a time-saving hero. Its efficiency, speed, and reliability helps in moving businesses forward, proving that in transportation, swift delivery reigns supreme.