“SeeingGreene Logistics has the logistical expertise, massive network, experience, and resources to move any hot shot shipment under last-minute deadlines. As your trusted freight service provider, we work with you to develop an optimized shipping strategy that ensures your freight gets where it needs to go—safely and on time. As an urgent freight solutions company, SeeingGreene Logistics uses every resource, avenue, and channel available to ship your freight by ground or air on exclusive charters or as part of a regularly scheduled air service. From local to national delivery, we have access to long-haul, short-haul, charter flights, semis, flatbeds, Sprinter van services, box trucks and more.”
The history of hot shot trucking goes back to the 1970’s, when drivers sitting in basic pickup trucks with trailers waited outside oil rig equipment manufacturers for completed parts. As soon as the parts were ready, the trailers were loaded and the trucks headed down the interstate to deliver to the drilling operations as fast as possible. Today, hot shot trucking has become more sophisticated with the trucks and trailers used, but the expedited, exclusive-use service for time-sensitive loads remains basically the same. The key words to know and understand in hot shot trucking terminology are “expedited” and “exclusive use.” This means the freight does not ship with any other shipments on the trailer at all (more on that below).
HOT SHOT TRUCKING ADVANTAGES - Hot shot trucking usually involves hauling smaller, time-sensitive loads within a specific timeframe, to a single customer and location. It can be one piece of freight or many. While hot shot deliveries tend to be more local than traditional freight servicers, some may require a trip across state lines or even across the country. Hot shot drivers could haul construction equipment one day, aviation parts the next, and oil rig equipment the day after that. It’s basically any load that fits on a small trailer – although small is a relative term considering some truck and trailer combinations can tow up to 58,000 pounds.
Box trucks are easily recognized by their cube-shaped body style. As previously mentioned, they are also called straight trucks or cube vans, but should not be confused with cargo Sprinter vans. One key thing to remember about small box trucks is that they are unibody vehicles, which means that all the vehicle parts are attached to a single frame. A box truck typically has a separate freight compartment that is divided from the front cab where the driver sits, although some do have an access door between the two compartments.
There are several types of popular small-large box trucks on the road today, including models built by Isuzu, Hino, Mitsubishi, Freightliner, and Chevrolet 12'-26' box trucks. This class of vehicles is extremely adaptable and has many advantages compared to Sprinter vans, larger straight trucks, and semi-trailers. These can also be fitted with refrigerators and freezers to haul temperature-sensitive freight, much like Sprinter vans, or left completely empty for maximum volume. As a top-flight third-party logistics provider (3PL), the experienced expeditors at SeeingGreene Logistics know precisely when an expedited small box truck is the best option for your next time-sensitive shipment – or not. There are many reasons why your next shipment might end up on a small straight truck, so let’s look at what makes these vehicles unique and how SeeingGreene Logistics can help you with your urgent shipping needs.
There are several types of popular small-large box trucks on the road today, including models built by Isuzu, Hino, Mitsubishi, Freightliner, and Chevrolet 12'-26' box trucks. This class of vehicles is extremely adaptable and has many advantages compared to Sprinter vans, larger straight trucks, and semi-trailers. These can also be fitted with refrigerators and freezers to haul temperature-sensitive freight, much like Sprinter vans, or left completely empty for maximum volume. As a top-flight third-party logistics provider (3PL), the experienced expeditors at SeeingGreene Logistics know precisely when an expedited small box truck is the best option for your next time-sensitive shipment – or not. There are many reasons why your next shipment might end up on a small straight truck, so let’s look at what makes these vehicles unique and how SeeingGreene Logistics can help you with your urgent shipping needs.
Sprinter vans typically range from 8 to 15 feet long, are 52 inches wide, have a 70 inch internal height – and are below loading dock level (more on that later). As a premier third-party logistics provider (3PL), the experienced expeditors at SeeingGreene Logistics know exactly when an expedited Sprinter van is the best option for your next time-sensitive shipment. Here are several reasons why your next shipment might end up on a cargo Sprinter van.
Cargo Sprinter vans are faster than semi-trailers and box trucks, especially on shorter distance trips, or between 850 to 1200 miles, but they can also be used for cross-country shipping. Cargo Sprinter vans are easier to maneuver than bigger vehicles in high traffic areas and dense urban settings. They are also easy to use for handling those last-mile logistics to suburban residences or crowded commercial districts. With shorter transit times and exclusive use for your shipment, you do not have to wait for other cargo to be delivered to other clients, or worry about your shipment sitting at a freight terminal like with a standard less-than-truckload or truckload option. This speed and easy maneuverability in tight spaces means your freight gets there faster. With today’s supply chains strained to the breaking point, speed means getting your time-sensitive parts and equipment faster and your people and production lines back to work.
Cargo Sprinter vans are very popular for hauling time-sensitive shipments and for good reason. With so much space available on a relatively small frame – when compared to box trucks and semi-trailers, a cargo Sprinter van can carry a significant amount of freight. A Sprinter van load can be anywhere from one to four standard freight pallets due to their interior width, and with weights up to 3500 pounds. Their internal volume is also especially efficient for unpalletized or loose freight, so this permits loading to the vehicle’s ceiling if necessary. If it fits, it ships. The interior height of a cargo Sprinter van (68 to 79 inches depending on model) enables easy loading or unloading both by hand or forklift, but as previously noted, their cargo decks are not shipping dock height. However, these vans can also be unloaded from both the rear or side, which also increases their flexibility. The experienced expeditors at HotShotTrucking.com take all of these variables into consideration when deciding if a cargo Sprinter van is the best shipping option for your freight at both the point of origin and final destination.
Using a cargo Sprinter van for time-sensitive shipments is a more cost-effective way of shipping by ground, and is usually less expensive than by box trucks, semi-trailers, or air freight – with almost 66 percent lower costs. That’s real savings to your bottom line. Sprinter vans cost less to operate per mile – especially on fuel - than standard dock-high straight trucks, and are competitive against air freight over shorter distances at only a fraction of the cost on loads weighing between 500 to 3500 pounds.
Integrated Network - SeeingGreene Logistics provides the same outstanding performance, coordinated logistics, tracking and customer service for its small-large box truck options as it does for all of its ground and air cargo services. We have an integrated network of air and ground shipping options to give you the widest range of choices without having to call around for multiple quotes.
Of course, as a larger vehicle, small-large box trucks can simply carry more than a Sprinter van. The typical small-large straight truck has a load capacity of up to 5,000 to 9,000 pounds (although this can vary between models). Standard small-large box truck lengths include 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet cargo areas that range from six to eight feet high. This provides an incredible amount of shipping space in a relatively compact area that is still greater than what a Sprinter van can provide.
For example, a 16-foot box truck is 192 inches long. At 48 inches in length per pallet, you can easily fit two parallel rows of four inside the cargo box, for a total of 8 pallets, single-stacked. If you double-stack, you can fit 16 pallets in a 16′ small box truck – which is safe if you do not exceed the vehicle’s carrying capacity and properly secure the load.
As previously mentioned, small box trucks do not reach standard loading dock heights, which can impact when and where a larger box truck should be used. However, the side doors on some models can also make accessing and unloading freight easier. SeeingGreene Logistics ensures all of these details are taken into consideration when deciding if a small-large box truck is right for your shipment.
