Family-built 3PL · Chicago, IL · Since 1986
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Shipper Services · Less-Than-Truckload

Less-Than-Truckload Without the Guesswork

LTL Freight Shipping, Rating & Audit for Mid-Market Shippers

A few pallets should not cost a whole truck. J&A arranges LTL shipments on vetted carrier networks, rates them instantly in our TMS, and audits every invoice so you only pay for what moved.

Palletized LTL freight ready for pickup
What It Is

Less-Than-Truckload with J&A Freight Systems

Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping combines freight from several shippers onto one trailer. Your shipment travels through a carrier's terminal network, sharing linehaul costs with other freight. For shipments from one to roughly ten pallets, LTL is usually the most economical choice, and with the right partner it does not have to mean losing visibility.

The challenge with LTL is complexity: freight class, density, accessorials, reweighs, and carrier tariffs that change quarter to quarter. J&A manages that complexity for you. Our Transportation Management System rates your shipment across multiple LTL carriers at once, selects the best balance of cost and transit time, and produces a correct bill of lading so the carrier bills what we quoted.

Behind the software is the same accountable team that handles our truckload freight. A named J&A representative owns your LTL program, resolves exceptions, and reviews your lane data with you so recurring shipments keep getting cheaper and more reliable.

What's Included

Everything the service covers

  • Multi-carrier rating across regional and national LTL networks in one quote
  • Freight class and density guidance so shipments are classified correctly the first time
  • Accessorial management for liftgate, residential, limited-access, and appointment deliveries
  • Freight audit on every invoice to catch reweighs, reclasses, and duplicate charges
  • Pallet-level tracking and PODs in the shipper portal

Instant LTL Rating

Enter the shipment once and compare carriers side by side. Saved lanes re-rate in seconds for repeat freight.

Correct Paperwork

System-generated BOLs with the right class, NMFC, and accessorials reduce the back-and-forth that drives up LTL costs.

Audit and Reporting

Every LTL invoice is matched against the quote before it hits your AP, and recurring variances show up in your spend reports.

How It Works

From quote to delivery in four steps

01

Enter the shipment

Pieces, pallets, weight, dimensions, and pickup and delivery requirements. We help you confirm freight class when it is not obvious.

02

Compare and book

Choose from rated options by cost, transit, or carrier preference. We tender the shipment and send the BOL to your dock.

03

Track to delivery

Terminal scans, estimated delivery, and exceptions are visible in the portal and monitored by our team.

04

Audit and pay

We reconcile the carrier invoice against the quote and resolve discrepancies before you pay.

Who It's For

Who uses J&A for LTL

Distributors shipping mixed orders to many customers, manufacturers sending samples and replenishment stock, e-commerce and retail operations with store deliveries, and any shipper whose freight falls between parcel and a full truckload. LTL also pairs naturally with our managed transportation program for shippers who want the whole mix handled.

Why J&A

Four decades. One standard.

  • Since 1986. Family-built in Chicago and still run by the people whose names are on the door.
  • 200 vetted carrier partners. Authority, safety, and insurance verified before they touch your freight.
  • 97% on-time delivery. Numbers that come straight out of our TMS, and we will show you the reports.
  • MBE-certified. An NMSDC-certified Minority Business Enterprise for supplier-diversity programs. Learn more →
Less-Than-Truckload FAQ

Less-Than-Truckload questions, answered

The questions shippers ask before they book.

Typically one to ten pallets or up to a few thousand pounds. Larger or time-critical shipments are usually better served by full truckload or a partial truckload, and we will tell you when that is the case.

By rating multiple carriers on every shipment, classifying freight correctly, packaging guidance that improves density, and auditing invoices so reweighs and reclasses do not slip through.

Yes. Carrier terminal scans and delivery estimates flow into the shipper portal, and PODs are stored in the document center once delivered.

Yes. Accessorials are captured at quote time so the rate you see includes them, and the delivering carrier has the instructions before they arrive.

If a shipment is damaged or short, our team files and follows up on the claim with the carrier on your behalf and keeps you informed until it is resolved.

Ready to move less-than-truckload smarter?

Get a quote in minutes. A dedicated logistics expert, not a call center, responds within one business day.