Freight Consolidation: Reduce Shipping Costs Through Shared Loads

Freight consolidation combines multiple smaller shipments from various shippers into single, fuller loads to achieve substantial cost savings and improved efficiency. By sharing transportation costs across multiple parties, consolidation makes freight transportation economically viable for businesses lacking the volume to justify full truckload or container shipments on their own.

Consolidation Strategies and Benefits

Less-than-truckload (LTL) consolidation combines shipments from multiple customers into shared truck space, with freight moving through hub-and-spoke networks. International consolidation fills shipping containers with goods from multiple exporters, dramatically reducing per-unit ocean freight costs. Cross-dock operations enable rapid consolidation without extended storage, maintaining delivery speed while capturing cost benefits. Modern consolidation programs leverage technology to match compatible shipments, optimize routing, and provide visibility across the multi-party movements that make shared transportation effective.