LTL lets you ship a few pallets without paying for a whole truck. Learn how consolidation networks in the Kingdom make it work.
Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipping is a road freight service for consignments that are too big for a courier parcel but too small to justify a full truck. Instead of paying for an entire vehicle, you pay only for the space your pallets occupy, and the carrier consolidates your freight with other shippers heading in the same direction.
How LTL works in Saudi Arabia
Your pallets are collected by a local vehicle and taken to a consolidation hub in Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam. There they are sorted by destination and loaded onto a line-haul trailer with other customers' freight. At the destination hub they are transferred to a delivery vehicle for the final leg. This hub-and-spoke model is what allows carriers to offer national coverage at pallet-level prices.
What LTL costs
LTL rates are based on the number of pallets, chargeable weight or cubic metres, the lane, and any extra services such as tail-lift delivery or residential drops. As a rule of thumb, LTL is the most economical option for one to six pallets. Above eight to ten pallets, an FTL quote is usually worth comparing.
Transit times
Because LTL freight passes through at least one hub, allow one to two days more than FTL on the same lane. Riyadh to Dammam LTL is typically next day; Riyadh to Jeddah two to three days; more remote regions three to five days.
LTL vs courier
Couriers handle individual boxes up to around 30 kg per piece. Once you are shipping palletised goods, heavy items or mixed consignments above 100 kg, LTL is cheaper and safer.
TQM International's LTL service covers all major Saudi cities with scheduled line-haul departures, palletised handling and tracking from collection to proof of delivery.
