For many growing distributors and manufacturers, LTL freight is a smart and effective transportation solution. ShipNova manages LTL shipments every day with strong results.
However, in certain shipping environments, especially those involving high-touch deliveries and complex accessorial requirements, LTL may not always be the most operationally efficient mode.
This case study outlines how ShipNova partnered with a national distributor to evaluate persistent damage issues, optimize packaging, and strategically transition a portion of their freight into a multi-stop full truckload model. The result was measurable improvement in cost efficiency, claims reduction, and customer satisfaction, without eliminating LTL from their network.
The customer initially engaged ShipNova not as a transportation provider, but as a logistics consultant. They were experiencing double-digit damage rates within their LTL shipping environment, creating strain on customer relationships and internal operations.
Freight claims were increasing. Customer service teams were fielding escalations. Operational rework and claims processing were consuming valuable time and resources. While LTL remained an important part of their network, something in the execution model needed refinement.
ShipNova’s first objective was to conduct a comprehensive freight and packaging assessment to determine the root cause.
After reviewing shipment data, packaging methods, and handling patterns, we determined that the first issue was not the carrier network. The pallets and packaging configuration had not evolved alongside the company’s growth. Freight was not being protected appropriately for an LTL environment that involves terminal transfers and dock handling.
ShipNova worked directly with the customer’s operations team to redesign pallet builds, strengthen packaging standards, and improve load stability. These changes immediately reduced damage frequency and improved overall shipment performance within the LTL network.
While packaging improvements delivered meaningful progress, service inconsistencies remained, particularly on deliveries requiring higher levels of coordination.
As we continued analyzing their shipping profile, a clear pattern emerged. A significant portion of deliveries required extensive coordination and accessorial services. Many shipments involved liftgate requirements, inside delivery, pallet breakdown, debris removal, strict appointment scheduling, and deliveries to unmanned locations.
LTL can accommodate these services. However, the frequency and complexity of these requirements created operational friction. Even with improved packaging, service variability continued to affect the end-customer experience.
The opportunity was not to replace LTL altogether. It was to align freight mode with delivery profile.
ShipNova recommended piloting a multi-stop truckload solution for select regional lanes where delivery complexity was highest. Rather than shifting the entire network, we started small by removing a limited number of shipments from the LTL environment and placing them on a dedicated straight truck equipped with a liftgate.
This controlled pilot allowed us to evaluate route efficiency, delivery performance, cost per shipment comparison, and customer satisfaction impact.
Our team coordinated directly with the customer’s clients to confirm appointment windows and delivery requirements. We engineered optimized routing around those constraints and provided real-time shipment visibility throughout transit.
Because the freight remained on a single truck from origin through final delivery, handling was reduced and accountability was streamlined. Complex services such as inside delivery, pallet breakdown, debris removal, and unmanned site procedures were proactively managed instead of reactively resolved.
The performance improvement was immediate.
Damage-related claims dropped to less than 0.0005 percent, virtually eliminating disputes and reducing internal claims management costs. At the same time, cost per shipment decreased by more than 20 percent due to route optimization and mode alignment.
Over the course of nine months, the customer realized more than $1,000,000 in savings, with continued financial improvement beyond that period.
Customer satisfaction reached its highest levels to date. Delivery reliability improved. Escalations declined. The transportation model shifted from being a recurring operational concern to a strategic advantage.
At one point, a long-time client contacted ShipNova directly to ask who made the decision to transition away from heavy LTL reliance for those lanes, simply to personally thank them. They described it as the best operational change made in over ten years of working together.
Today, ShipNova manages more than 1,500 deliveries per month for this customer across three distribution centers. Over 70 percent of their total shipping volume has been strategically transitioned into optimized truckload solutions where appropriate. The remaining volume continues to move successfully through a strengthened LTL network with improved packaging standards.
What began as a consulting engagement evolved into a high-touch, execution-driven logistics partnership built on visibility, proactive communication, and disciplined freight management.
LTL remains a powerful and effective solution for many shipping environments. Full truckload and multi-stop truckload solutions offer additional control when delivery complexity increases.
ShipNova specializes in evaluating freight networks holistically, identifying where LTL performs best and where truckload strategies can reduce damage, improve service consistency, and lower total transportation costs.
Effective freight management is not about replacing one mode with another. It is about aligning the right solution to the right operational need.
ShipNova delivers that alignment with precision, ownership, and accountability.
For a leading electrical manufacturer, shipping sensitive data center switchboards nationwide was a critical part of their operation. On paper, their transportation strategy appeared cost-effective.
If your truckload freight involves complexity, tight timelines, or high expectations, ShipNova can help design and manage a solution built for reliability and scale.
Tell us what your operation requires, and we will take it from there.
