What Is Transloading?
Transloading refers to when inbound freight is unloaded, unpacked, sorted through, and organized into different pallets for outbound shipping.
Transloading is not to be confused with cross-docking, which is just the unloading of inbound freight, storing it in a warehouse or terminal for a brief period of time, then loading it back onto trucks for outbound shipping.
What Products Are Accepted for Transloading Services?
As long as the trucks are qualified and fully equipped with proper safety measures, many types of products can be transloaded, including but not limited to:
- Dry bulk transloading: coal, pellets, sand, paper, farm feed, grains, flour, sugar
- Other consumable goods: canned foods, frozen food, fresh produce
- Oversized transloading: auto-parts, solar panels, machinery, military vehicles
What Are Potential Transloading Costs?
Similar to receiving an accurate freight quote, companies should provide detailed information and specific requirements regarding their freight when searching for transloading services.
Transloading costs are for: labor costs, deconstruction of pallets at a warehouse, repalletizing, loading the cargo back on trucks for final delivery, fuel costs, supply and demand, and potential taxes or tariffs
What Are Some Benefits of Transloading Services?
- Cost-Effective
One of the biggest advantages that come with using transloading is that it is cost-effective. Transloading services allow shippers to be flexible in choosing a transportation method, like rail or truck. A lot of shippers and carriers don’t have rail tracks near their facilities, but with transloading, they can still have the benefits of rail affordability by utilizing transloading to transport cargo from warehouses to rail cars.
- Increases Shipping Destinations
With the increased freedom and flexibility to choose different modes of transportation during a shipment also comes the chance to diversify and expand a business’s customer base. Transloading offers multiple transportation routes to ship cargo safely and securely via a combination of rail and trucks, which means customers can be in remote or international locations.
- Time-Efficient
Proper planning and management done by transloading companies simplifies the entire process. With the help of a transloading professional, shipping routes and transloading methods get planned out in advance, which allows shipments to move through the entire operation smoothly and efficiently.
