🚛 Alliance Chemical — LTL Freight Booking Rule

Purpose

To ensure LTL freight is booked at the lowest possible total cost, with limited exceptions for faster options that are still cost-efficient.

Core Rule

1. Always book the lowest-cost LTL carrier.
2. Only choose a faster carrier if it is within about 10% of the lowest cost and saves up to 2 days in transit.
3. Otherwise, book the cheapest option — even if pickup is later.

How to Apply

Step 1: Collect Quotes

Collect quotes and transit times from approved carriers:

• XPO
• ABF
• SEFL
• SAIA
• R+L

Step 2: Sort by Cost

Sort by total cost (lowest → highest).

Step 3: Compare

Compare the lowest-cost carrier with others:

• If another is ≤ 10% more expensive and up to 2 days faster → ✅ book the faster one
• Otherwise → ✅ book the lowest-cost carrier, even if pickup happens the next day

Example

Carrier Comparison:

R+L Carriers

• Cost: $500
• Transit: 5 days
• Decision: ✅ Book
• Reason: Cheapest overall

SAIA

• Cost: $540
• Transit: 3 days
• Decision: ✅ Book
• Reason: 8% higher, 2 days faster

XPO

• Cost: $625
• Transit: 2 days
• Decision: ❌ Skip
• Reason: 25% higher

SEFL

• Cost: $490
• Transit: 6 days
• Decision: ❌ Skip
• Reason: Too slow

Analysis:

• SAIA would be the best choice because it's only 8% more than R+L but saves 2 days
• XPO is too expensive (25% more)
• SEFL is slightly cheaper but 1 day slower than R+L, so R+L would be preferred over SEFL

Quick Summary

💡 Book the cheapest carrier — unless another is ≤ 10% more and up to 2 days faster.

Pickup timing doesn't matter — cost wins first.

Approved Carriers

Always get quotes from these carriers:

1. XPO Logistics - xpo.com
2. ABF Freight - abf.com
3. Southeastern Freight Lines (SEFL) - sefl.com
4. SAIA - saia.com
5. R+L Carriers - rlcarriers.com

Questions?

Contact the logistics team if you have questions about:

• Carrier selection
• Quote comparison
• Special circumstances
• Urgent shipments

Last updated: October 27, 2025