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Trucking is one of the most critical components of the global supply chain, responsible for delivering goods from one location to another. Whether delivering groceries to your local grocery store or transporting raw materials across the country, trucking is crucial in keeping the world's economy moving. But with so many different types of trucking, it can take time to understand their differences. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at some of the most common types of trucking so that you can better understand the freight transportation industry.

Dry Van Trucking

Dry van trucking services that involves moving freight in a large enclosed trailer, also known as a dry van. and is the most common type responsible for delivering a wide range of goods, from consumer products to construction materials. These trucks have an enclosed trailer that protects the goods from weather and theft. The trailers come in various sizes, from 28 feet to 53 feet, and can accommodate multiple loads.

Benefits of Dry Van Trucking

1. Versatility: Dry van trailers can haul a wide range of cargo, including packaged goods, palletized freight, and other items that don't require refrigeration or specialized handling.
2. Security: Dry van trailers provide excellent security for the freight they transport. The cargo is protected from theft, damage, and weather conditions.
3. Cost-effective: Dry van trucking is often less expensive than other forms of transportation, such as refrigerated or flatbed trucking. This is because dry van trailers are widely available and can be used for a variety of cargo types.
4. Time-efficient: Dry van trucking is a fast and efficient way to move freight, especially when compared to rail or sea transportation. This is because dry van trailers can go directly from the shipper to the receiver, without the need for transloading or intermediate handling.
5. Accessibility: Dry van trailers can access a wide range of locations, including docks, warehouses, and distribution centers. This makes them ideal for transporting goods to and from urban areas.

Dry van trucking is a reliable and efficient transportation method that can help businesses move their products quickly and cost-effectively.

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Refrigerated Trucking

Refrigerated trucking, also known as reefer trucking, is used to transport perishable goods, such as food and pharmaceuticals, that require temperature control during transit. These trucks are equipped with refrigeration units that keep the cargo at a constant temperature, ensuring that the goods arrive at their destination in good condition.

Benefits of Refrigerated Trucking

• Maintains product quality: Refrigerated trucks maintain a consistent temperature that prevents spoilage, contamination, and other issues that can affect product quality. This is especially important for perishable goods such as fresh produce, meat, and dairy products.
• Expands market reach: Refrigerated trucks enable businesses to expand their market reach by transporting products over longer distances. This is because refrigerated trucks can maintain the required temperature for an extended period, ensuring the product's quality remains intact.
• Enables seasonal products: Refrigerated trucks allow businesses to transport seasonal products such as fresh produce throughout the year, regardless of the season.
• Versatility: Refrigerated trucks can transport a wide range of temperature-sensitive products, including food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
• Provides flexibility: Refrigerated trucks provide flexibility in terms of pickup and delivery times. This is because the temperature-controlled environment allows for longer transit times and reduces the need for time-sensitive deliveries.
• Increases customer satisfaction: Refrigerated trucks ensure that products arrive at their destination in optimal condition, which increases customer satisfaction and can lead to repeat business.

Refrigerated trucking is a reliable and efficient transportation method for temperature-sensitive products. It ensures that products arrive at their destination in optimal condition, expands market reach, and provides flexibility in delivery schedules.

Flatbed Trucking

Flatbed trucking is used to transport oversized and heavy cargo, such as machinery and construction materials, that cannot be transported in an enclosed trailer. It utilizes open trailers, without sides or a roof. Hauling with a flatbed trailer that allows easy loading and unloading of heavy and bulky goods.

Benefits of Flatbed Trucking

1. Versatility: Flatbed trucks can transport a wide range of cargo, including oversized, heavy, and irregularly shaped items that cannot be transported using enclosed trailers.
2. Accessibility: Flatbed trailers can be loaded and unloaded from all sides, making them accessible to forklifts and other equipment. This makes loading and unloading much easier and faster than with enclosed trailers.
3. Cost-effective: Flatbed trucking is often less expensive than other forms of transportation, such as air or rail. This is because flatbed trailers are widely available and can be used for a variety of cargo types.
4. Flexibility: Flatbed trucking provides flexibility in terms of loading and unloading. This is because flatbed trailers can be loaded from the side, top, or rear, depending on the cargo type and loading equipment available.
5. Time-efficient: Flatbed trucking is a fast and efficient way to move freight, especially when compared to other forms of transportation. This is because flatbed trailers can go directly from the shipper to the receiver, without the need for transloading or intermediate handling.

Flatbed trucking is a versatile, cost-effective, and efficient transportation method that can help businesses move their products quickly and easily.

Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Trucking

Less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking is used to transport smaller shipments that do not require a full truckload. With LTL trucking, multiple shipments, often from different companies, are consolidated onto one truck, reducing business transportation costs.

Benefits of Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Trucking

1. Cost savings: LTL shipping is cost-effective because it allows businesses to share the cost of transportation with other companies. This means that businesses only pay for the space they need, rather than the entire truck.
2. Flexibility: LTL shipping provides flexibility in terms of pickup and delivery times, as well as the option to choose between different levels of service. This makes it easier for businesses to meet their customers' needs and adapt to changing market conditions.
3. Reduced risk of damage: LTL shipping can help reduce the risk of damage to goods in transit because the shipments are consolidated and handled less frequently than with other types of transportation.
4. Improved sustainability: LTL shipping can help improve sustainability by reducing the number of trucks on the road and maximizing the use of available space.
5. Increased security: LTL shipping provides increased security because shipments are often handled by a single carrier from pickup to delivery, reducing the risk of loss or theft.
6. Improved Transit Times: LTL trucking companies often have a more extensive network of terminals and depots, allowing for more direct routing and improved transit times.

Overall, LTL shipping is a cost-effective, flexible, and secure transportation method that can help businesses save money, reduce the risk of damage, and improve sustainability.

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Full Truckload (FTL) Trucking

Full truckload (FTL) trucking is used to transport large shipments that require an entire truck. This type of trucking is ideal for businesses that need to transport large amounts of goods quickly and efficiently.

Benefits of Full Truckload (FTL) Trucking

• Efficient Shipping: FTL trucking allows businesses to transport large shipments quickly and efficiently without waiting for the shipment to be consolidated with other shipments.
• Increased Capacity: With FTL trucking, businesses have access to larger trucks, allowing them to transport larger shipments in a single trip.
• Improved Transit Times: FTL trucking gives businesses more control over their shipments' transit time, as they do not have to wait for the shipment to be consolidated with other shipments.

In short, every kind of trucking offers its unique benefits, allowing companies to choose the option that best fits their needs and providing unique benefits for customers. Whether it's dry van trucking for general freight, refrigerated trucking for perishable goods, flatbed trucking for heavy and oversized cargo, LTL trucking for smaller shipments, or FTL trucking for large loads, the trucking industry provides businesses with a wide range of options to help them get their goods to their destination efficiently and cost-effectively.

At Real Trucking, we specialize in Dry Van Trucking, offering our drivers the ease of drop-and-hook loads, with runs that provide work/home balance, and one of the top pay rates in the industry.