Suppose that you are a small manufacturer of laptop cases, with your primary manufacturing facility located in Ardmore, TN. You sell these cases to Dell computers, where these cases are assembled into their XPS 13 laptops at their Round Rock, TX manufacturing plant. Assume that each of your shipments weights 3,000 lbs., and you've chosen to use a for-hire, common carrier to ship these cases to Texas. Do your homework, then develop a shipping plan:

1. What trucking company would you use? Give specifics on where they are located, including terminals (in TN and in TX). If possible, compare prices and options. Do your homework; conduct research.
2. Would you use an LTL carrier, a TL carrier, or a combination of the two? What is your decision criteria?
3. Based on the distance of the shipment, what type of equipment would be selected for the line haul portion of the shipment?
4. If possible, provide details on total ship time.