One of the first questions every shipper asks: should I move this freight FTL or LTL? The wrong choice can double your transit time or your cost. Here’s how to decide.
Quick Decision Rule
- FTL (Full Truckload) — your freight fills (or nearly fills) a 53′ trailer, OR weighs more than ~10,000 lbs, OR is fragile/high-value, OR is time-sensitive.
- LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) — your freight is between 150 and 10,000 lbs, palletized, fits in 1–6 pallet positions, and isn’t extremely fragile or perishable.
FTL: When You Have the Volume
FTL gives you the entire trailer. Your freight is the only freight on the truck. That means: fewer touches, no terminal handling, faster transit, and lower damage risk. The trade-off is cost — you’re paying for the whole trailer even if you only fill 60%.
FTL is the right call when:
- You have 12+ pallets or 10,000+ lbs
- Speed matters (LTL adds 1-3 days for terminal sorts)
- Freight is fragile, high-value, or hazmat
- You need a guaranteed pickup or delivery time
- Temperature-controlled (reefer) loads — virtually always FTL
LTL: When You’re Sharing the Trailer
With LTL, your freight rides with other shippers’ freight. Carriers consolidate at terminals, sort, and reship. You only pay for the space you use. Cost savings can be 50-70% versus FTL on small shipments — but transit is slower and damage risk is higher because freight gets handled multiple times.
LTL is the right call when:
- 1–6 pallets, 150–10,000 lbs
- Freight is well-packaged and palletized (don’t ship loose boxes LTL)
- Standard transit times work for your customer
- Cost matters more than speed
The In-Between Cases
- Partial Truckload — 5,000–25,000 lbs, no terminal handling, faster than LTL but cheaper than FTL. Good when you have 8-15 pallets.
- Volume LTL — large LTL shipments (12+ pallets) where you negotiate a flat rate; sometimes cheaper than partial.
How Skyline Helps
Send us your weight, dimensions, origin, destination, and pickup window. We’ll quote both FTL and LTL options when it makes sense, and tell you which we’d choose if it were our freight. Get a quote or call (279) 300-3808.