Advantages of Using Small Freight Carriers

Carrier Size Doesn’t Always Mean Better Service in Freight, and Here’s Why

When it comes to freight, size matters. Be it the size and volume of your cargo or the size of the freight carrier you’re using, it all makes a difference. The price, speed, and quality of service may all vary greatly based on the size of the carrier, and bigger doesn’t always mean better.

Large carriers often come with a “big label” price tag. Sure, they have a large fleet and potentially thousands of drivers, but someone’s got to foot the bill for that massive overhead (spoiler alert: it might be you). In many cases, bigger carriers charge higher base rates because they’ve invested heavily in broader networks, technology systems, and branding. That can be a pro if you’re shipping coast-to-coast because they’re more likely to have a terminal in every major city. But for a shorter route, using a giant carrier can feel like renting an amusement park just to ride the Ferris wheel once.

Smaller Isn’t a Synonym for “Less”

Contrary to what some might expect, smaller freight carriers tend to be a bit more flexible. For local shipments, you may find that their pricing is better or that their service quality is higher than that of a large carrier.

Think of them like a coffee shop that knows your order by heart, compared to a global chain that reads your name off a cup (and they still somehow misspell it). Because small carriers don’t have to maintain an army of trucks or staff, their operating costs are expected to be lower, which can mean that their rates are more competitive for shorter hauls. 

They’re also more likely to provide information about your shipment in a timely manner, rather than having to sit on hold for hours to get a hold of the customer service of a larger company.

Service Quality and Driver Pay

With larger carriers, driver turnover can be high because pay sometimes lags behind the market for various reasons. That can lead to a single carrier having varying service quality from place to place or from time to time. A single business working with a single carrier can have a pro picking up or delivering their shipment one day, and a newbie making their lives difficult the other. Smaller carriers often have to offer more competitive salaries to their workers to keep them around for longer, which in turn keeps their quality of service higher. Of course, a smaller outfit could also struggle to keep up if a few drivers call in sick, so there’s a risk that your shipment gets delayed if the carrier is at capacity.

Geographic Coverage

Big carriers can cover an entire continent in one go, which is realistically the easiest and most efficient way to ship freight. Small carriers, being small, can’t compete on that scale, so they usually stick to a specific region. For local and short hauls, that smaller coverage can be an advantage. For example, you can expect the carrier to know the back roads, the local traffic patterns, and possibly the local businesses much better than a large one might.

The Bottom Line

From what we covered so far, it’s clear that both big and small carriers are viable options, but that each of them comes with their own sets of issues. If you ship with Freightera, you don’t only get international coverage. You get our Rate Defense™ guarantee, as well as that personalized 5-star touch, all the time! So hop on to Freightera and get your instant online freight quote, without having to worry about the details. No matter if they’re big or small, Freightera’s carriers are top-notch, and the in-house customer service is unmatched!