Less than truckload (LTL)
Ship a few pallets without paying for a whole trailer. We match the carrier, transit time and price to your shipment.
What LTL is
A few pallets, one shared trailer.
With LTL, your pallets share a trailer with other shippers’ freight. You pay for the space and weight you use, not the whole truck. The trade-off is terminal handling and a less exact delivery day.
Filling most of a trailer? See full truckload
LTL is usually the right fit if your shipment:
- Is about 1 to 6 pallets
- Takes under about 12 linear feet and 10,000 lb
- Can be palletized and moved by forklift
- Can flex on transit by a day or two
- Needs a lower cost more than the fastest delivery
Pickup to POD
How an LTL shipment moves
Your pallets change trucks at least twice. Every handoff is a reason to wrap, label and document the freight well.
Pickup
A local driver collects your pallets, often on a route with other pickups. Have the BOL and freight ready at the dock.
Origin terminal
Freight is unloaded, checked and sorted by destination. This is where reweighs and class inspections usually happen.
Linehaul
Pallets load onto a linehaul trailer with other freight going the same way. Longer lanes may pass through more terminals.
Destination terminal
Freight comes off the linehaul trailer and is sorted onto a local truck for the receiver’s area.
Delivery
A local driver delivers. The receiver counts pallets, notes any damage on the delivery receipt and signs the POD.
Amber Routes picks the LTL carrier for your lane, books the pickup and follows the PRO number until the POD is signed.
What sets your LTL price
What goes into an LTL rate.
NMFC class 50–500
Weight, density and freight class
LTL is rated by weight and freight class. Denser, sturdier freight usually lands in a lower class and costs less per pound.
Density = lb ÷ cubic feet
Lane
Distance and lane
Longer hauls cost more. So do lanes with little freight coming back, and rural or remote delivery points.
Origin ZIP → destination ZIP
Trailer space
Dimensions and linear feet
Bulky, light or non-stackable pallets take space other freight could fill. Large shipments can be rated on linear feet instead of class.
L × W × H, in inches
Extra services
Accessorials
Anything beyond dock-to-dock adds a line item. Listed at booking, it’s in your quote. Found at delivery, it’s billed after.
Common charges below
Common accessorials
What triggers an extra charge.
- Liftgate pickup or delivery
- The site has no dock or forklift, so the truck needs a liftgate to raise or lower pallets.
- Residential
- Pickup or delivery is at a home, or at a business run from a home.
- Limited access
- Sites like schools, churches, farms, job sites, storage units or military bases.
- Inside delivery
- The driver moves freight past the dock or front door instead of leaving it there.
- Appointment or notify
- The receiver needs a set delivery time, or a call before the driver shows up.
- Reweigh and reclass
- The carrier’s scale or inspection doesn’t match the BOL, so weight or class is corrected and rebilled.
Prepare your LTL shipment
Ready at the dock, billed as quoted.
- Give accurate weight and dimensionsActual weight and pallet size, pallet included. Guesses trigger reweighs.
- Stack and shrink-wrap on standard palletsSquare stacks, no overhang, wrapped tight to the pallet.
- Mark “do not stack” when it mattersLabel every side and tell us at booking. It can change the rate.
- Label every handling unitShipper, consignee, BOL number and count, like “1 of 3.”
- List the right class on the BOLClass, pieces and weight should match what is on the dock.
- Note accessorials up frontLiftgate, residential or appointment at quote time, not on the invoice.
Questions
LTL FAQ
Can’t find your answer? Talk to the team that will book your shipment.
What’s the difference between LTL and full truckload?
With LTL, your freight shares a trailer and moves through carrier terminals. You pay for your share. Full truckload gets the whole trailer and goes direct, with less handling.
What is freight class?
A rating from 50 to 500 under the NMFC. It reflects density, handling, stowability and liability. Lower classes usually cost less per pound. Density is weight divided by cubic feet.
Why did my bill change after delivery?
Usually the carrier reweighed or reclassed the freight and it didn’t match the BOL. Or a service wasn’t listed, like a liftgate or residential delivery. Accurate details at booking prevent most of this.
Do I need a liftgate?
If the pickup or delivery site has no dock and no forklift, yes. Request it at booking. Adding it on the day can mean an extra charge or a missed delivery.
Can I combine pallets going to different places?
Each delivery address is its own LTL shipment with its own BOL. They can go out on the same pickup. For several stops along one route, a multi-stop truckload may cost less.
LTL quotes
Have a few pallets to move?
Send the pallet count, weight, dimensions and freight class. We’ll match the carrier, transit time and price to the shipment.
Or email Hello@amberroutes.com