Size matters when you’re talking about freight. Space is limited, and how much it will cost you to ship your freight depends on having the most accurate measurements of your load. If you think you can just eyeball your load and record what you think the load’s measurements are on the bill of lading, think again. Inaccurate measurements — even ones off by a few inches — could cost you a lot. Any discrepancies between what the bill of lading says and the load’s actual measurements can lead to handling problems that could result in damaged goods. It also could increase your costs thanks to delays and unexpected surcharges.

In the past two months, the U.S. has been experiencing a severe trucking shortage since the new electronic logging device (ELD) was implemented. Since the enforcement of the ELD mandate on April 1, the trucking capacity crunch has seemed to worsen.