What is LTL Freight Shipping & What Does it Mean for Your FSOLS Order?

If you're not in the shipping industry, you may have never heard of Less Than Load or LTL Freight Shipping. I hadn't before I started working at Four Seasons OLS.

FSOLS orders ship in long boxes, up to 14 feet, which are not carried by the usual suspects in the parcel industry--you know who I'm speaking of ;) So, FSOLS orders ship via LTL Freight trucks and with this method comes different circumstances than a typical parcel delivery.

Once a Patio Cover, LifeRoom or Pergola order is manufactured and boxed up, our shipping manager leverages his partnership with various LTL Freight carriers to find the best trucking company for the freight dependent mostly on the customer's ship to location.

At that time, a Bill of Lading or BOL is created with the order's weight, length, and ship to and from addresses. Also, and of great importance to you, is the tracking number or as it is called in the shipping industry, the PRO number, which is unique to each order and geolocates the order on it's journey to you, the customer.

The PRO number is communicated to you at the time of shipping, so you'll know the carrier name and can go to that carrier's website to track the order's progress using the unique PRO number.

Once the order nears its destination, it will go to a delivery terminal, where the dispatchers will contact you to coordinate a delivery day and time. After the appointment is made, the carrier delivers the order curbside. And with the help of the driver, you will will unload the boxes, be provided with a Proof of Delivery (POD) and sign it. (We suggest having a buddy around to help unload as well as move the boxes from the curb to a secure, dry location.)

The POD is then entered into the carrier's system as proof that the contents of the order were delivered in full and in good condition. If visible damage occurs to the boxes, this is noted on the POD. If forklift damage occurs to the parts of the order, FSOLS can be reached at support@fourseasonsols.com and with proof of damage, replacement parts can be arranged. We package our products with great care, so damage is rare, but if it does happen, we are here Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, ET to help.