Domestic Freight & More Terminology

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Truckers go the distance…but how far? Learn about all the terminology here.

Manufacturing sites, farms, and countless businesses use trucking services to bring raw or finished goods from the production site to the retail center. They may also take materials from overseas shipping locations to the warehouse or factory. All of this freight shipping means that trucks span a smaller or greater amount of distance regularly. With the distance of transportation in mind, the trucking industry has terminology to define how far a truck might travel regularly. Let’s look at the definition of “domestic freight” and other trucking industry terms.

Domestic Freight

Domestic freight or domestic shipping is the transportation of goods within the borders of one country. For example, a shipment by truck from Maryland to California would be considered domestic freight. At first glance, it might seem like shipping within one local area, but it actually refers to the borders of one country.

International Specialized Services

Before looking at international specialized services, we must look at what would count as specialized services. 

Specialized freight services encompass the transportation of goods that are fragile, explosive, perishable, or an unusual size. You might need full truckload shipping to house all fragile items together by themselves, refrigerated truck service to transport fresh produce, oversize load truck service, etc. 

International specialized freight services naturally take this freight shipping category beyond a country’s borders.

Local/Regional/OTR Trucking

Crossing and remaining within the borders of domestic and international trucking are the terms “local,” “regional,” and “OTR trucking.” 

Local trucking is the transportation of loads within a local region; in other words, the trucker can make it home every night. The trucker only makes trips that anyone could do in one day and returns to the home base every night.

Regional trucking may have days that are longer or shorter; it covers the diameter of an entire marked region. For example, Evan Transportation provides trucking services in the Mid-Atlantic region, which covers several states and is based in Maryland. Most of the time, a trucker can return home every night.

OTR stands for Over the Road. Over-the-road trucking takes trucks over the roads of the 48 states on the North American continent and overlaps with domestic and international trucking. In the Americas, it is not uncommon for OTR truckers to span Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.

For All Your Trucking Needs

Follow us here at Evan Transportation to get more updates on driving tips and the trucking industry. Evan Transportation provides trucking and transportation services for clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. All of our drivers and staff are offered competitive salaries, benefits, and are guaranteed to be home every day. Interested in finding out more? Visit us online or give us a call at 443-673-3365. For even more information, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

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