FTL vs LTL: Which Shipping Mode Does Your Business Need?

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Choosing between FTL (Full Truckload) and LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) shipping is one of the most impactful decisions in freight logistics. The wrong choice can cost you thousands in unnecessary freight spend or delay your shipments by days. This guide breaks down both modes with real-world scenarios to help you make the right call for every shipment.

FTL Freight: When You Need the Whole Truck

Full truckload shipping means your freight is the only cargo on the truck from pickup to delivery. The truck is dedicated to your shipment, traveling directly from origin to destination without stops to pick up or deliver other freight. FTL is the right choice in several specific scenarios.

First, when your shipment is large enough to fill or nearly fill a truck. A standard dry van holds approximately 44,000 to 45,000 pounds and 2,500 cubic feet. If your freight exceeds about 12,000 pounds or takes up more than half a trailer, FTL is almost always more cost-effective than LTL on a per-pound basis.

Second, when transit speed matters. Because FTL shipments go direct, they typically arrive 1-3 days faster than LTL for the same lane. There is no terminal handling, no cross-docking, and no consolidation delays. For time-sensitive freight, this speed advantage can be worth the premium.

Third, when you are shipping fragile, high-value, or sensitive cargo. Because FTL shipments are not handled at terminals or combined with other freight, the risk of damage is significantly lower than LTL. Your freight is loaded once and unloaded once.

LTL Freight: Cost-Effective for Smaller Shipments

Less-than-truckload shipping consolidates multiple shippers' freight onto a single truck, with each shipper paying only for the space they use. LTL is the smarter choice when your freight does not justify the cost of a full truck. Typically, shipments between 150 and 10,000 pounds are ideal for LTL.

The primary advantage of LTL is cost savings. By sharing truck space with other shippers, your per-shipment cost drops dramatically compared to booking a full truck. For a 3,000-pound shipment, LTL might cost $800-1,500 versus $2,500-4,000 for FTL on the same lane.

LTL carriers also offer services that FTL carriers typically do not, including liftgate delivery, inside delivery, residential delivery, and appointment scheduling. These accessorial services make LTL particularly useful for deliveries to locations without loading docks or in urban areas with restricted access.

Side-by-Side Comparison: FTL vs LTL

The In-Between: Partial Truckloads (PTL)

There is a middle ground between FTL and LTL that many shippers overlook. Partial truckload (PTL) shipping is ideal for shipments between 5,000 and 30,000 pounds that are too heavy for cost-effective LTL but do not fill a full truck. PTL shipments typically ride on a truck with one or two other partial loads, offering LTL-level pricing with FTL-level handling and transit times.

VSS Logistics Group offers partial truckload solutions that give you the best of both worlds. Our 465+ owned trucks enable us to consolidate partials efficiently without the terminal handling that increases damage risk in traditional LTL.

When to Switch from LTL to FTL

A common mistake is sticking with LTL out of habit even as shipment volumes grow. Here are the signals that it is time to switch to FTL freight:

• Your LTL shipments consistently weigh over 10,000 pounds
• You are paying significant accessorial charges (liftgate, inside delivery, reweigh fees)
• Damage claims on LTL shipments are increasing
• Transit time reliability is impacting your customer satisfaction
• You are shipping to the same destination multiple times per week at LTL volumes

In many of these cases, a dedicated LTL consolidation program or a switch to FTL can actually reduce your total freight spend while improving service levels.