Less than truckload
Also called LTL
Less than truckload is freight that does not fill a trailer, consolidated with other shipments and moved through a terminal network rather than direct from origin to destination.
Last reviewed · by the fleetchart dispatch desk
LTL pricing works on freight class, weight and dimensions rather than a simple per-mile rate, and shipments pass through terminals where they are re-handled.
It is a different business from truckload, requiring terminal infrastructure, and is not typically served by owner-operators.
For a carrier, the practical distinction is what a single trailer earns. An LTL network makes money on density — many small shipments sharing a lane — which requires terminals, dock labour and a linehaul schedule. Truckload makes money on utilisation of one trailer. Attempting LTL without the terminal network usually means partial loads at truckload economics, which is the worst of both.