Two of the most common words in freight are also two of the most misunderstood: FTL and LTL. Choosing correctly affects how much you pay, how fast your freight arrives, and how likely it is to arrive undamaged. Here’s the difference in plain terms.
What is FTL (full truckload)?
Full truckload means your shipment occupies an entire trailer, which travels directly from your origin to your destination with no other freight aboard. It’s loaded once and unloaded once. Because there’s no terminal sorting or co-loading, FTL is fast and gentle on freight. Learn more about our full truckload service.
What is LTL (less-than-truckload)?
Less-than-truckload shares a trailer among several shippers. Each pays for the space and weight they use, which makes LTL economical for small shipments. The trade-off: LTL freight is routed through terminals and handled multiple times as it’s sorted and re-loaded, adding transit time and handling risk.
FTL vs LTL at a glance
- Cost: LTL is cheaper for small loads; FTL is more economical once you fill enough of the trailer.
- Speed: FTL is direct and faster; LTL is slower due to terminal stops.
- Handling: FTL is loaded/unloaded once; LTL is handled repeatedly — higher damage risk.
- Best for: LTL = a few pallets; FTL = large, fragile, high-value, or time-sensitive freight.
A simple rule of thumb
If your shipment is roughly six pallets or fewer and isn’t especially fragile or urgent, LTL usually wins on cost. Once you’re past about ten pallets — or your freight is fragile, valuable, or on a deadline — full truckload is often faster, safer, and surprisingly competitive on total cost. Between those, it’s worth pricing both.
What about cross-border?
For Canada–US freight, FTL has an added advantage: a single trailer with one customs entry is simpler to clear than consolidated LTL freight with multiple shippers’ paperwork. If you’re shipping across the border regularly, read our cross-border shipping guide.