If California were its own economy, it would be the fifth largest in the entire world. A good share of that business is done in and around Los Angeles in a vast array of different sectors. This includes physical goods that need to be transported, so truckload shipping from Los Angeles to the other parts of the United States is absolutely imperative as part of the general retail or wholesale operations.
Finding out what goods are most often shipped from Los Angeles, the area’s relationship with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and knowing the factors that play into obtaining fairly-priced truckload shipping from Los Angeles are just some of the major aspects to become well-versed in to make the most out of conducting great business out of the City of Angels.
Before diving into the role manufacturing and importing play into the vast economy of Los Angeles, let’s first look at what constitutes the L.A. metropolitan area. Five counties — Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside — comprise the greater Los Angeles area, which is also known as the ‘Inland Empire’. This area is home to 18.7 million residents and is second only to New York City in terms of population.
Los Angeles and Orange Counties alone account for over $1 trillion in economic output. While L.A.’s most famous economic exports to the rest of America — and the world — is its entertainment industry in the form of movies, TV shows, music and even video games, its production of goods and the presence of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that lead to the area being the leading manufacturing and overall business hub of the U.S.
Since Los Angeles has its major port of entry, it’s one of the first places for raw materials to enter and then be manufactured into goods. Furthermore, Los Angeles is located in a strategically advantageous location that allows for relatively easy access into Canada, Mexico and the western portion of the U.S.
Therefore, it’s a fertile ground for production and many companies have recognized this by basing its corporate headquarters, manufacturing operations or both. For instance, the aerospace industry in the L.A. area in cities like Burbank, El Segundo and Hawthorne has thrived in the past. All apparel is machine or hand-made in southern California as well as all manners of electronics, from instruments to components to semiconductors.
The health and wellness market is huge in Los Angeles, and that’s beared out by companies like Herbalife and Neutrogena headquartering and manufacturing a portion of its products. Also, fabricated metal and transportation equipment are huge parts of the production done in the Inland Empire.
Although all these goods are crafted in the area, many of them never fully leave it. With a large number of people, it’s estimated that 42 percent of the overall goods made in the area stay within 50 miles. For those products, booking a truckload makes the most amount of sense. For the other 58 percent of items that extend beyond that 50-mile radius, trucks are still the most sensible option when taking into account they’re often the only door-to-door option from freight, are competitively priced and booking a load quickly is inherently simple.
While many things are made in the Los Angeles area, many more things are not. But if you think the second-biggest city in the U.S. doesn’t have that covered, you would be mistaken. The Port of Los Angeles is the entry point for all of the goods manufactured in China and other countries like Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. So knowing how to get this freight from the port to all destinations is of paramount importance.
Also, the Port of Los Angeles can’t be discussed without also including the Port of Long Beach. While the two are technically separate entities, the two are neighbors that make up the San Pedro Bay Port Complex and are among the busiest ports in the world. These ports are the entryway for goods worldwide to enter into America and then be redistributed to the wealthy country’s 330 million-plus people.
They also drive overall commerce, creating jobs for Californians — 1 out of every 9 jobs in the five county area is tied to the pair of ports in some regard and indirectly supporting multitudes of other industries with its crucial role in the supply chain. Both ports have easy access to California’s interstate system and can easily disperse goods via trucks to the rest of the state and country.
The number of companies that do truckload shipping in Los Angeles is high, since there is so much shipping done in and out of the area. You’ll be able to access many of the major companies, since USA Truckload Shipping, powered by R+L Global Logistics, partners with many of them.
Besides just truckload shipping, you’ll be able to enjoy other logistics services such as warehousing, order fulfillment and the full gamut of transportation options employed throughout the industry.
The most basic answer to this question is if you have products that need to be moved, you will almost assuredly require freight shipping from Los Angeles in some capacity. This is a good time to acknowledge that many shipments of freight rely on intermodal transportation. Intermodal simply means two or more modes of transport are used to complete the freight’s journey.
In Los Angeles’ case, this can be as simple as truck and rail each completing some portion of the trip in tandem to get it from one point to another. But it’s also handy to know that in many cases, a truck will be needed at a minimum to complete the beginning and end of a journey, if not always the middle part. Still, for short trips or even just intrastate in California with an L.A. origin point, an 18-wheeler is the preferred mode of transport.
But that’s not the only indicator of when you’ll need freight shipping. It’s a much cheaper option than air freight, and it is faster and more readily available than ocean shipping in most cases. From Los Angeles, the only places that can be reached via boat with freight are along America’s Pacific Coast, which comprises three states.
Rail, discussed earlier, is a worthy competitor to truckload shipping but is limited in comparison over shorter distances and also can’t be a standalone option most of the time because very few train tracks go directly to customers and retailers. So, in conclusion, the answer will be yes in the
The first rule in finding a fair truckload shipping quote in Los Angeles is this: the more information you can initially give about your potential truckload, the more accurate the quote will be from the onset.
A myriad number of factors go into the crafting of a truckload quote, so a detail that might seem inconsequential to you could seriously impact the overall cost. Since each load is unique, here is a general list of things that will be looked at in determining how many dollars you’ll be spending on transportation:
It’s a good practice to try to understand factors that are influencing the market when you’re looking to ship. This will give you a better grasp on what is going into the cost of transportation for your valuable merchandise.
When covering how to find a fair truckload shipping quote, that is more of a balance between the services offered or needed and what the final cost to the consumer is. However, there are a bunch of aspects that a freight shipper should really excel in order for them to truly be considered elite among all truckload companies.
The first thing that should be looked at is their track record. Sure, you might have some trouble accessing a company’s historical data or talking to hundreds of other businesses who might have used the company you’re looking at. But at the end of the day, a freight shipping outfit that is well-respected in the industry and comes with positive references will indicate that you’re able to trust them with your important items.
Financial stability is another good indicator of the caliber of the logistics company. Do they have the resources and monetary muscle to truly meet your needs both competently and in a timely manner? If there’s a sign anywhere that the company in question is surrounded by questions of that nature, it might be best to look elsewhere.
In a world where everyone expects goods to arrive at their doorsteps within a matter of days, your truckload partner needs to demonstrate that it can make timely deliveries at as close to a 100 percent rate as possible. Of course, many unforeseeable circumstances can cause delays, but an honest company will give you a realistic timeframe based on the current market and make sure they do everything they can to keep up their end of the deal.
Another benefit a truckload shipping partner can offer to its clients is a variety of different methods of transportation. While a truckload requires a truck, not all vehicles are created equal. Your products might require refrigeration, or a flatbed to accommodate oversized freight. Regardless of your specific need, the logistics outfit you’re employing should be able to offer a solution to anything you throw at them.
Now that you are prepared to engage in truckload shipping from Los Angeles, reach out to R+L Global Logistics to find out how partnering with them can take your freight shipping to the next level. With a track record of financial stability, on-time deliveries and an intimate knowledge on how to get freight out of Southern California and around the United States.
We know all the shipping routes into and out of Los Angeles while also having an intimate knowledge of how to work at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to get your goods to you and your customers safely and efficiently.
R+L Global Logistics’ on-time delivery rate of 99.5 percent signals to potential and current customers our commitment to quickly execute truckload shipping while also doing so in a way that minimizes damage to the freight. We pair this dedication to timeliness with industry-leading customer service, which means offering support at any time for any issue that may arise.
There are times when you might need something different than just a full truckload of freight shipped and R+L Global Logistics has you covered there as well. We offer additional services such as:
So when you’re ready to begin truckload shipping from Los Angeles, call up R+L Global Logistics at (866) 353-7178 to get a free quote and see how we can make a true difference for your business.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470