Limited Access Freight: Do You Need it?

Here at Human Solution, our logistics team handles deliveries across the country and around the globe. Since many of our orders have larger items such as ergonomic chairs and UPLIFT Desks involved, a large amount of our shipments are sent by freight.

Knowing which freight option to pick when you place your order keeps the process running smoothly and prevents many of the delays that could affect your order. The freight option that gets missed the most is “Limited Access Freight.”

After a little research on limited access, the reason why there’s some confusion as to what it means and whether or not you need it became pretty clear. Most of the definitions I found were along the lines of this: “Limited access fees are applied when the carrier has to deliver to a limited access location” - not the most helpful of descriptions. In fact, I found it strange how difficult it was to find a definition of limited access freight that didn’t use words “limited” or “access.”

Basically, the best way to decide if you’re having your delivery sent to a limited access area is to walk (or drive) a mile in the freight driver’s shoes, so to speak. If the area is somewhere difficult for an 18 wheeler to make a stop, or if the freight pallet needs to be loaded on a specially-equipped or smaller truck to approach your area, a limited access fee will likely be incurred. If the freighter has to make the delivery outside of normal business hours or has to spend extra time going through any gates or security checks, the limited access fee will be applied. Sometimes, limited access fees are accrued if the delivery is over a certain distance from the freight driver’s standard route.

As for other areas that normally require a limited access fee (and there are probably more than you think), you can count on pretty much any establishment not open to the general public during normal business hours. These establishments include, but are not limited to: schools, universities, hospitals, utility sites, military bases, prisons, storage facilities, marinas, piers, airports, zoos, country clubs, golf courses, campgrounds, reservations, farms, ranches, construction sites, mining sites, fairs and carnivals.

The list is pretty long and, like anything else, there are always exceptions. Sometimes, a university has a receiving center that is located off campus, or a church is located in a commercial area and is open during regular business hours. Examples such as these don't always have limited access charges. If you're unsure whether you need to pay the fee, the best thing to do is give us a call. Our representatives are standing by from 8 AM to 7 PM and they're happy to help!

If you have any questions about limited access fees, and whether or not they’ll apply to your order, call us at 1-800-531-3746 or chat with us at thehumansolution.com.

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