Freight Shipments - What You Need to Know
At Knot & Rope Supply we take pride in being able to handle any type of shipping and the logistics to get shipments to the right place at the right time.
A lot of that shipping is done by FedEx utilizing services like Ground, Home Delivery or by using an expedited service like 2 Day or Overnight. Sometimes though, we need to ship using truck freight. If that's the case, it will probably ship using LTL.
Our standard carrier is FedEx Freight LTL. The "LTL" stands for "Less Than Truckload." Basically it means that since your shipment probably isn't going to take up an entire 53' long semi truck trailer you can save money shipping your items among multiple shipments on one truck. FedEx Freight is one of the top companies in LTL shipments and has an exceptional record of getting your shipment to you quickly and without damage. Since FedEx is also the preferred carrier for our Ground and Express shipments, we receive a significant freight discount which, in turn, saves you money.
LTL vs. Ground - Which one?
Some orders require truck freight shipment in order to get to their destination. Generally this happens if the shipment is over 150 lbs. Circumstances include:
OK, my order is shipping by LTL, now what?
Shipping by truck freight is something we do every single day here, so there's nothing to worry about. Here is how it works...
When your order is placed - either online or with one of our customer service representatives - we can determine if we need to ship by truck freight. If we determine the shipment qualifies for freight we let you know while you are placing the order on the phone, or we will call you after you place a web order.
When we speak with you concerning shipment details we will confirm the shipping address. Whenever possible we prefer to ship to a commercial address with a loading dock (or to an address that has a forklift to unload the truck) as opposed to a home address. The reason, as you might guess, is that it's a lot easier to get a semi truck to a commercial location rather than a home in a residential area. In addition, if we have to ship it on a semi truck it likely is pretty heavy and will require a method (like a liftgate) to unload the pallet from the truck. For this reason, there is a surcharge of $115 to deliver to a residential address.
If you are a homeowner and your shipment requires truck freight, there are some ways to get around the residential surcharge. One way is to contact a friend or neighbor in your area that has a company with a loading dock that can accept a freight shipment. If that isn't an option, an additional way is to have your order shipped to your local FedEx Freight terminal. You would then need to drive there to pick it up, but they don't charge extra for this and when your shipment arrives they will contact you so that you can pick it up from them. They typically will have a forklift available to load the freight into your truck or trailer. Many of the FedEx Freight terminals are within an easy drive of 80% of our residential customers, making this a popular option.
If, however, you still want the shipment delivered to your house it can be accomplished for the above mentioned surcharge of $115.
Once the shipping details are finalized, our team goes to work getting your shipment ready. We will ship the items on a pallet (sometimes referred to as a "skid") and will secure your rope firmly with shipping bands and/or shrink wrap. Sometimes we can coil the rope directly to the skid, sometimes the shipment is multiple spools of rope or boxes. Either way it will be secure and ready to go.
Shipping information - including address, item weight and any special services or shipping instructions - is then sent to FedEx. Completing this data entry results in a bill of lading with a tracking number unique to your shipment. This number is also sometimes referred to as a PRO number. The PRO number then gets sent to you via email. We'll load the skid or skids on the FedEx truck and the driver immediately attaches a barcode to your shipment for their internal tracking.
Extra services you can get with LTL
FedEx Freight LTL shipping offers some extra services for customers with special requirements and/or those that want some special attention for their deliveries.
These services include:
LIFTGATE DELIVERY $117-$387 Liftgates are great because they allow the truck driver to lower the shipment to ground level. Commercial shipments rarely need this option as they have forklifts and loading docks. Residential customers, however, sometimes opt for this since it makes it a lot easier to get a heavy skid down to the ground.
LIMITED ACCESS DELIVERY $124 This is an additional mandatory charge for delivery to construction sites, mines, churches, schools and farms.
NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO DELIVERY $52 This option can be purchased if you want a phone call before your shipment arrives. This DOES NOT guarantee the time the shipment will arrive, it just means they will call you BEFORE it arrives. Remember, when you order from us we email you a tracking number that you can use to obtain a delivery date via the FedEx website. Generally they try to get everything on the truck delivered by noon so they can go around and make pickups. So essentially, if you know what day it will be delivered, you can probably know it will be to you before noon, thereby, putting your $44.77 to better use.
RESIDENTIAL DELIVERY $124 Each address in the USA is classified as either "Commercial" or "Residential." Having a home business DOES NOT count as a commercial address. Sorry, we don't decide this, United States Postal Office does.
AM DELIVERY $95 If you require your delivery by 10:30 AM on the scheduled delivery day, purchasing this option will put you first in line.
These charges are uniform throughout the trucking industry. Everyone charges similarly for these additional services.
Also, we have absolutely no problem if you want to coordinate your own freight shipments. We would be happy to receive your BOL and prepare your shipment.
Want to pick it up here at our shop? Feel free, our courteous and professional staff can get you loaded up without any extra fee.
As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help. We can be reached at 419-873-8300 or by e-mail at customerservice@knotandrope.com