Use of the Cost Information System to cost full truckloads should begin with some basic questions.

1. Is the load regular or irregular route?  Regular route means it is being moved within the LTL network: Pickup by a local P&D driver, delivery by a local P&D driver, with terminal-to terminal linehaul in between.  Irregular route is where the linehaul driver gets the load directly from the shipper or takes the load directly to the consignee (or both).  In other words, the linehaul driver goes outside of the terminal-to terminal network.
2. What service is required at the origin and destination?  Is our driver loading or waiting, or is there a spot trailer arrangement?
3. How is linehaul capacity affected?  Is this a full trailer, can we top load, or is this a pup that we will linehaul with other trailers?
4. Are there headhaul/backhaul considerations?  If the CIS Profile contains headhaul factors and backhaul flags, an adjustment for balance will be applied when the load is costed.  But if not, user intervention is required.

The CIS provides adjustments and overrides to allow for proper truckload freight analysis, including the on-screen truckload/pupload buttons  that suppress all dock handlings and sets the cube adjustment accordingly.  But these depend on the correct information regarding the handling and movement of the load, as outlined above.  For more information, the Examples section of the LTL/CIS Operating Manual presents various truckload scenarios and the coding of each.

Updated February, 2005

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