LTL Freight vs Full Truckload: What’s Right for Your Business?
TL;DR: Looking to ship a few compact pallets with tight control over appointments and paperwork? Choose LTL. Filling most of a trailer or want the fewest possible touches and faster, door-to-door transit? Choose FTL. In short, LTL fits ~1–4 compact pallets, whereas full truckload is best for a full trailer. Compare both and pick the option with the lowest landed cost for your freight.
The choice between LTL freight and full truckload is an important one. It has an effect on your budget, delivery windows, and claim risk. The hard part is knowing what’s really best for your shipment.
Questions shippers ask every week:
At what pallet count or size does LTL stop making sense?
When does truckload save time or reduce damage risk?
How do receiver appointments and accessorials change the math?
This guide gives you answers, simple rules of thumb, and a side-by-side path to the lowest landed cost for your lane.
LTL Freight vs Full Truckload
Think of LTL as “buy only what you use” and FTL as “buy the whole truck.” With less than truckload, you share trailer space with other shippers, pay for your portion, and still get the essentials: pickup windows, retail/DC appointments, tracking, and ePOD. With full truckload, you reserve most or all the trailer and run point-to-point—one pickup, one delivery, minimal handling.
A quick way to frame it: 2-4 compact pallets headed to a DC will almost always favor LTL on cost while keeping appointments intact. 20+ pallets on a firm date, or long pieces that eat up trailer length, usually favor FTL for speed. If you’re in between, price both.
LTL vs Full Truckload Pricing
LTL costs are driven by weight, dimensions and density (which drive class), distance, and accessorials like appointments, liftgate, residential/limited access, or inside delivery. Accurate measurements matter because density can change the class and your rate.
FTL follows the lane market: mileage or time, fuel surcharge, and any add-ons like layover or detention. You’re not paying by class; you’re buying space and time on the truck.
As pallet count and cube grow, LTL’s per-shipment advantage shrinks. Once you start occupying meaningful trailer space or you trip capacity rules, FTL (or in some cases volume LTL) can beat class-rated LTL. The crossover point varies by lane and season, so the safest move is to quote both modes.
LTL vs FTL Requirements
Size & weight thresholds. LTL’s sweet spot is compact, palletized freight, commonly 1–4 pallets and lighter total weight. FTL is the right buy when you’re approaching a half-trailer or more by space or weight, or when pieces run long.
Transit & handling. Well-routed LTL uses low-touch linehauls, but a terminal break can happen to accommodate different shippers’ needs. FTL runs direct, door to door, with the fewest touches. It’s usually faster and gentler for fragile, high-value, or time-critical freight.
Receiver requirements. Appointment-heavy deliveries (big-box DCs, marketplaces) fit naturally in LTL. Routing-guide references, notify calls, and time slots are standard. FTL can hit appointments too, just remember liftgate or inside delivery aren’t built-in and need to be arranged separately.
When to Choose LTL or FTL
Both modes give you visibility and documentation, but they do it differently. Less than truckload layers service controls like appointments, residential/limited access, liftgate, and inside delivery, directly into the shipment, which keeps retail and e-commerce receivers happy and reduces refusals.
You’ll trade some directness for that flexibility, because your freight is riding with others.
Full truckload buys you simplicity and speed: your freight loads once, rides once, and unloads once. If your calendar is tight, the freight is delicate, or the shipment already fills most of a trailer, that directness often saves both time and claims.
If you’re shipping a handful of pallets and cost control matters most, the built-in LTL features keep compliance tight without paying for empty space.
How to Choose Between Less than Truckload and Full Truckload
Follow these steps to help you decide:
- Profile the load. Pallet count, exact dimensions (to the farthest point), total weight, stackability.
- Check receiver rules. Appointment windows, references (PO/ASN), dock limits, equipment needs.
- Look at timing. If the date is firm or the freight is fragile, fewer touches matter.
- Price both ways. Get an LTL quote, FTL quote, and volume LTL quote if you’re in between.
- Pick the lowest landed cost that still meets the window and handling profile.
Tip: If you’re consistently “on the edge,” build a quick internal threshold (by lane) where you default to quoting both. It keeps decisions objective and fast.
Alternatives When You’re “In Between”
When freight is bigger than LTL’s sweet spot but not quite a full truck, volume LTL and shared truckload (STL) bridge the gap.
Volume LTL prices your shipment on space/linear feet instead of class, often riding a lower-touch linehaul with better damage performance than standard LTL.
STL pairs your freight with compatible loads moving the same direction, giving you truckload-style routing without buying every inch of the trailer.
Signals you’re in this zone: low-density freight that triggers capacity rules, long pieces, or pallet counts creeping past four to eight.
Industry Examples
Retail and e-commerce replenishment with strict routing-guide rules usually lands on LTL for the built-in appointments and documentation, until volumes ramp and STL makes more sense by cost and speed.
Electronics toggle between modes based on handling risk: compact, well-protected pallets ride LTL; fragile or heavy units on firm timelines lean STL/FTL.
Manufacturers and automotive suppliers often split the difference. Routine component flows on LTL during steady weeks, then STL/FTL for project pushes, long parts, or plant-down recoveries.
How to Decide in 5 Steps
- Confirm exact dimensions, weight, and stackability.
- Note receiver constraints and appointment needs.
- Set your delivery target window.
- Get side-by-side quotes: LTL, Volume LTL, FTL (and STL if timing is tight).
- Choose the option with the lowest landed cost that still protects your date and damage risk.
Crossover Rules of Thumb (Fast Checks)
- Pallets: ~1–4 compact pallets → LTL; half-a-trailer or more → price FTL/Volume LTL.
- Form factor: Long or low-density pieces → Volume LTL or STL.
- Risk & speed: Fragile or date-certain → fewer touches with STL/FTL.
Partner with a Transportation Pro
Choosing between LTL and FTL comes down to size, timing, and total landed cost. If you’re near the crossover, don’t guess—price both. Contact Sunset Pacific Transportation today and we’ll return side-by-side options and recommend the best fit.
FAQs
Is LTL cheaper than full truckload?
For a few compact pallets, usually yes. As shipments grow in cube or length, FTL (or Volume LTL) often wins on total cost and handling.
How many pallets is LTL vs TL?
LTL’s sweet spot is around 1–4 compact pallets. Approaching half a trailer or more by space or weight, start pricing FTL/Volume LTL.
When should I switch from LTL to FTL?
When you trigger capacity rules, see reweigh/reclass risks, or your LTL total approaches a truckload rate. Quote both and choose the lower landed cost that meets your window.
How are rates built?
LTL: weight, dimensions/density, distance, and accessorials. FTL: lane market rate, mileage/time, fuel, and any add-ons like detention. LTL bakes appointments and retail-style requirements into the move; FTL can meet set times with the right planning (liftgate or inside delivery must be arranged).
