Your Customers Are Getting Wrong Answers About Shipping Rates, Transit Times, and Documentation Requirements

We offer three LTL service levels: (1) Standard — economy service with 4–7 business day transit depending on lane, available for all freight classes. (2) Expedited — priority handling with 2–4 business day transit, available for shipments under the weight threshold specified in the service guide. (3) Guaranteed — time-definite delivery by end of business on the committed date, available on select lanes with a guarantee surcharge. All service levels include standard pickup, delivery, and basic cargo liability. Accessorial services — including liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, and notify prior to delivery — are available at additional cost per the accessorial schedule. See the rate guide for lane-specific transit times, freight class definitions, and the current fuel surcharge table.

For commercial shipments from the US to the EU, the international shipping guide lists the following required documents: (1) Commercial invoice — must include a clear goods description, quantity, declared value, and country of origin. If HS codes are required for your shipment, your customs broker can provide the correct classification. (2) Packing list — itemized list of contents with weights and dimensions per package. (3) Bill of lading or air waybill — issued by the carrier at the time of booking. (4) Export declaration (EEI filing via AES) — required for shipments exceeding the value threshold specified in the guide. (5) Certificate of origin — may be required depending on the product and any applicable trade agreements. Additional documents may be required depending on the product type — regulated goods, food products, and hazardous materials have additional documentation requirements listed in the guide. See the international shipping guide for country-specific requirements, document templates, and prohibited/restricted item lists.

The Chicago warehouse receiving hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM Central Time. Appointments are required for all inbound freight — I can explain the steps, but scheduling is handled by the warehouse operations team. Packaging requirements for inbound freight: all palletized shipments must use standard 48x40-inch GMA pallets with 4-way entry. Maximum pallet height is 60 inches including the pallet. All cartons must be labeled with the PO number and SKU. Loose freight and floor-loaded containers must be noted at the time of appointment scheduling. Temperature-controlled receiving has separate dock assignments — see the warehouse guide for temperature-controlled procedures and requirements. Contact the warehouse operations team to schedule a receiving appointment.

To file a freight damage claim, the claims policy requires the following steps: (1) Note the damage on the delivery receipt or bill of lading at the time of delivery — do not sign as ‘received in good condition’ if there is visible damage. (2) Take photographs of the damaged freight and packaging before discarding any materials. (3) Submit a written claim to the claims department within the filing deadline specified in the claims policy, including a description of damage, photographs, and the original invoice showing the value of the goods. Do not include tracking numbers, PRO numbers, or BOL numbers in this chat — provide those directly to the claims team. (4) Retain the damaged freight and packaging for inspection — the carrier may request an inspection before processing the claim. Liability limits are defined in the applicable bill of lading and tariff terms — see the referenced section in the claims policy for details. See the claims policy for the complete filing procedures, required documentation checklist, and dispute resolution process.

Yes, temperature-controlled LTL service is available on select lanes as described in the service guide. Supported temperature ranges include: (1) Refrigerated — 33°F to 40°F for perishable goods requiring cold chain transport. (2) Frozen — -10°F to 0°F for frozen goods. (3) Climate-controlled — 55°F to 70°F for products sensitive to temperature extremes. Temperature-controlled shipments require advance booking and are subject to equipment availability. Additional requirements include temperature monitoring documentation and shipper-provided pre-cooling to the target temperature range before pickup. Coverage areas, transit times, and surcharges for temperature-controlled service are listed in the service guide. Contact the operations team to confirm equipment availability and book temperature-controlled shipments.

I’m not able to provide trade compliance guidance, including whether a specific product is subject to export controls, whether an export license is required, how to classify products under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) or International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), whether a destination or end-user is on a restricted party list, how to determine duty rates for specific products, or which Incoterm to use for a specific transaction. These determinations depend on the specific product, its technical specifications, the destination country, the end-user, and the intended end-use — only a qualified trade compliance specialist or customs broker can assess your specific situation. I can help you with published shipping information — for example, I can look up the general documentation requirements for international shipments to specific regions, our published list of prohibited and restricted item categories, the customs documentation checklist and required formats, Incoterms definitions from our published glossary, or the general process for arranging international shipments through our service. Would you like me to look up the documentation requirements for shipments to Southeast Asia?