Full Truckload (FTL) services have solidified their place as a vital shipping solution for expedited freight. With the trucking industry powering over 70% of the nation’s freight, FTL stands out as a key service that helps to ensure supply chains operate seamlessly.
WHAT IS FULL TRUCKLOAD (FTL)?
$448 B
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3.58%
72.6%
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When to use Full Truckload (FTL)
- Large Shipments: FTL is perfect for transporting sizable loads that either fill an entire truck or require the exclusive use of a trailer.
- Time-Critical Deliveries: When fast and dependable shipping is essential, FTL offers quicker transit times with minimal delays.
- Specialized Needs: Whether you require a specific trailer type (e.g., refrigerated, flatbed) or have unique loading and unloading conditions, FTL provides the flexibility to accommodate these requirements.
Full Truckload Advantages
Choosing full truckload (FTL) services benefits businesses and logistics professionals who need efficiency and reliability. This can come from dedicating an entire truck to a single shipment, streamlining the shipping process and enhancing various aspects of the logistics process.
Reduced Handling
Security
Cost
Flexibility
Speed
Industries That Use FTL Services
Full truckload services are a lifeline for many industries that rely on moving large quantities of goods efficiently. These services dedicate an entire truck to a single shipment, offering speed, security, and cost-effectiveness tailored to the needs of businesses. Key industries such as manufacturing, retail, construction, and the oil and gas industry depend on FTL to streamline their logistics and meet operational goals.

Manufacturing
Full truckload (FTL) services are key to the manufacturing industry, enabling the transportation of raw materials, components, and finished products. Manufacturers often require large volumes of supplies, such as steel, lumber, or plastic, to be delivered in bulk to production facilities.
FTL shipping ensures these materials arrive on time and intact, minimizing delays and maintaining a steady workflow. By dedicating an entire truck to a single shipment, manufacturers can reduce the risk of damage associated with frequent loading and unloading, which is common in less-than-truckload shipping. This level of reliability is particularly crucial for industries handling fragile or precision-engineered parts that require special care during transit.

Oil and Gas
Given the scale and complexity of oil and gas operations, moving large quantities of drilling rigs, pipelines, and machinery requires dedicated truck capacity. FTL services ensure that these oversized or bulky shipments are transported efficiently without the need for multiple handling points, reducing the risk of damage. The ability to transport large loads directly to remote drilling sites or refineries makes FTL services essential for maintaining uninterrupted operations.

Construction
Full truckload services are essential to the construction industry, where large quantities of heavy materials, such as lumber, steel, concrete, and equipment, must be transported to job sites efficiently. Construction projects often operate on strict timelines, making reliable and direct delivery crucial for keeping projects on schedule.
FTL shipping ensures that bulk shipments reach their destination without intermediate stops, reducing the risk of delays and material shortages. The ability to transport oversized or irregularly shaped loads—such as prefabricated structures, machinery, or large beams—in a dedicated truck ensures safer handling and minimizes the potential for damage during transit.

Automotive
Full truckload services are vital to the automotive industry, where efficient transportation of parts, components, and finished vehicles is essential for maintaining production flow and meeting market demand. Automotive manufacturers rely on FTL shipping to transport large volumes of raw materials, such as steel, aluminum, and plastics, to their production facilities.
FTL’s direct, point-to-point delivery minimizes handling, reducing the risk of damage to sensitive parts like engines, transmissions, and electronic components. This secure and expedited transportation is particularly important for just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, where timely deliveries are crucial for keeping assembly lines running without interruption.

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WHAT IS HOT SHOT TRUCKING? AKA HOTSHOT TRUCKING
Modern business is all about strict timelines. Whether your field is manufacturing, extraction, retail, or research and development, your operations are bound to rely on activities that operate in tandem. The most minor of supply shortages can throw these activities off, potentially costing you thousands of dollars just for a few hours' delay. Success thus hinges on your ability to right the ship as quickly as possible after a supply shortage arises.
Industries We Serve
Modern day hot shot trucking provides the speed and exclusivity you need to meet the most demanding and time-sensitive shipping requirements. We use every resource, avenue, and channel available to ship your freight by ground or air. Designed specifically to address supply and distribution problems that arise without warning, hotshot trucking tactics involve coordinating a network of carriers in a variety of locations. By calling on the vehicles closest to your supply or distribution points, hotshot brokers can fill any sudden gaps in your supply network almost as soon as they happen. This minimizes the disruption to your business and allows you to quickly return to ordinary operations, weathering the storm without skipping a beat.
Automotive
The automotive supply chain already has significant challenges. Don’t let malfunctioning equipment stop the production line. Step on the gas with HotShotTrucking.com’s suite of services that will get you back in the fast lane. With HotShotTrucking.com, companies are devising shipping strategies to swiftly deliver critical parts and equipment — whether it's ground expedite service with sprinter vans, box trucks and 53-foot tractor trailers or air freight and air cargo.
Aviation & Aerospace
Every moment a commercial airliner sits on the ground, it costs an airline money. Expedited freight services by HotShotTrucking.com can get you back in the air with prompt delivery of parts and equipment throughout North America. We are equipped with the expertise to navigate the complexities of shipping jet engines and other types of loads, and our network of hot shot drivers has extensive experience transporting aviation assets.
Construction
One shipping delay can snowball and cause delays throughout your entire project. You need an experienced 3PL provider who understands the construction industry and has the logistical reach to deliver your freight on time, anywhere. That 3PL partner is HotShotTrucking.com. Whether in the air or on the ground via truck and trailer, we can connect companies to expedited freight services for the prompt delivery of parts and equipment throughout North America.
Mining & Metals
From cranes to chemicals to excavators to conveyor belts, HotShotTrucking.com has the experience and industry know-how required for shipping sensitive, oversized, and hazardous equipment. Third-party hot shot trucking and logistics providers such as HotShotTrucking.com specialize in devising and implementing innovative shipping solutions, ensuring mines can swiftly return to operation. We’ll pick up your shipment, deliver it to the airport and receive it at the other end – providing hand-carried service as necessary or required.
Manufacturing
Every moment a manufacturing facility or factory sits idle costs a company money because of the high costs involved. With many manufacturers building to only just-in-time production rates, any disruption threatens parts and vehicle inventories. This is where the speed and expertise of freight services from HotShotTrucking.com can make a difference throughout the entire manufacturing supply chain. We do all the logistical legwork to find the optimal solution for your job, whether it's an exclusive air charter or expedited ground shipping.
Telecommunications
From servers to cell towers, information, voice, and data must flow to keep businesses, production, and the public online and connected. When equipment goes dark, depend on HotShotTrucking.com to get your systems flashing green again. This is where the speed and experience of trucking and freight services from HotShotTrucking.com can help. Our hot shot truck network excels at the prompt delivery of parts and equipment throughout North America.
Oil & Gas
The oil and gas industry faces challenging conditions in offshore and onshore oil rigs, often in remote locations with limited infrastructure. Don’t let oil pumps or pipelines sit idle waiting for equipment. By having the right plans, parts, people, and logistics partner like HotShotTrucking.com, you can effectively mitigate plant or pump downtime, unscheduled disruptions, and equipment failures.
Cost of Urgent Shipping
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Blog and Resource Center
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Expedited Shipping Vendor Comparison
We’ve done the research for you. This vendor comparison sheet breaks down how AirFreight.com stacks up against the competition.

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