About TNW Trucking

What the guides cover

• FTL vs. LTL: Full truckload and less-than-truckload are the two main ways to ship freight that is too big for a parcel service. This guide explains how each one works and how to decide between them.
• Dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck and more: The trailer a shipment travels in shapes how it is loaded, protected and priced. This guide covers the main trailer types and the federal size and weight rules behind them.
• Freight classes explained: Freight class drives the price of most less-than-truckload shipments, and the rules behind it changed in July 2025. Here is how the system works now and what shippers should do about it.
• How truck freight rates are calculated: Most truck freight bills are built from the same few parts. Knowing how each one is calculated makes quotes easier to compare and invoices easier to check.
• How to package and palletize freight for a truck shipment: Freight that is stacked square, wrapped tight, labeled clearly and measured accurately is less likely to be damaged, delayed or rebilled. Here is how to get a shipment ready for the truck.
• The bill of lading and other freight shipping documents: The bill of lading is a receipt, a contract and sometimes a document of title. Getting it right at pickup, and checking the paperwork at delivery, protects shippers when something goes wrong.
• How to check a trucking company or freight broker before you ship: A few minutes with FMCSA's free public records can confirm that a trucking company or broker is registered, insured and who it says it is. Here is what to look up, and what should make you stop.
• Truck driver hours of service in plain English, and why the limits shape your delivery dates: Federal hours-of-service rules cap how long a truck driver can drive and work. Here is how the main limits work, and how time spent at your dock affects when your freight arrives.
• Damaged or lost freight: When a truck shipment arrives damaged, short or not at all, federal law sets the basic rules for who is liable and how a claim is handled. Here is the process, from the delivery receipt to the carrier's answer.

How the guides are researched

Every guide is checked against official and primary sources: federal regulations, guidance from agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration, notices in the Federal Register and the organizations that publish freight standards. Each guide lists the sources it relies on, so you can check the details yourself.

Rules, thresholds and fees change. Each guide shows the date it was last reviewed, and the sources are the place to confirm anything before you act on it.

Information, not advice

The guides are general information. They are not legal, tax or compliance advice, and they cannot account for the details of your shipment, contract or claim.

Contact

To suggest a topic or report something that needs correcting, use the contact page.