Truckload shipping is the term used when referring to transporting large quantities of cargos. The cargos must fill up an intermodal container or a semi-trailer. It typically weighs 7,000 kilograms. Truckload carriers are companies that offer transportation of goods in a single load. A full truckload is comprised of homogenous product from a single costumer.

While less-than truckload (LTL) transports similar goods from many different costumers. In LTL, products are handled en route. It takes longer for products to reach their destination since there are multiple deliveries made. On a full truckload made by only one costumer, the products are directly delivered to the consignee, which is actually better than LTL.

When a semi-trailer is filled up, the driver of the truckload will ask for various legal documents prior to transportation. Some of these are the Invoice, Bill of lading and Customs paperwork.

After getting all these paper, the driver is now ready to drive the goods to its destination. The time it takes for the products to be transported depends on the Hours of Services regulations of the carrier company.

The distance will also matter. These truckloads usually travel at a rate of 47 mile per hour. The kind of products on a particular semi-trailer depends on the specialty of the truckload carrier company contacted. These carrier companies often specialized on the product they transport. The reason behind this specialization is the law that states which products can go with other products. There are those that solely transport perishable items such as foods. But some transport dangerous or hazardous materials such as certain chemicals.

The packaging of the products is also important. It is inevitable that products will undergo tough handling during transportation. That is packaging engineers make it sure that the packaging needs are met. Packaging needs vary from one product to another. However, products are usually packed through corrugated fiberboards and crates.

But people often wonder how the truckload industry came about. Back to when highways do not exist, the means of transportation of goods was through trains. This was a limited kind of transportation and was quite difficult to merchandisers back then.

However, the American Highway System came around. This gave way to the truckload market. Transportation of goods was made easier and more convenient on both the shippers and costumers. The traveling time for products greatly decreased. The making of the highway really gave a large opportunity for the truckload transportation industry.