FTL vs LTL Shipping: How to Choose the Right Option

What Is FTL Shipping?

FTL (Full Truck Load) means that the entire cargo space of a vehicle is reserved for a single shipment from one customer. The shipment travels directly from the sender to the recipient without any transloading or consolidation with other shipments.

When to Choose FTL?

• Your shipment occupies roughly half a trailer or more (as a rule of thumb from 15 euro pallet spaces; the threshold depends on weight, dimensions and route)
• The shipment requires fast delivery without unnecessary stops
• You are transporting sensitive or high-value goods that you don't want combined with others
• You need flexible loading and unloading on your own schedule

What Is LTL Shipping?

LTL (Less Than Truck Load), also known as groupage shipping, combines shipments from multiple customers in a single vehicle. You only pay for the space you actually use, which significantly reduces costs.

When to Choose LTL?

• Your shipment takes up less than half a trailer (roughly 1-14 euro pallets)
• The delivery deadline is not urgent (2-5 business days is acceptable)
• You want to optimize your shipping costs
• You are transporting standard goods that are not sensitive to consolidation

FTL vs LTL Comparison

Loading Metres and Typical Limits

The price of transport follows the space your shipment takes on the load floor, measured in loading metres (ldm). A standard trailer has a loading length of about 13.6 m, that is 13.6 ldm; this corresponds to 33 euro pallets and a payload of roughly 24 t. One euro pallet (1.2 × 0.8 m) takes about 0.4 ldm in the usual arrangement.

A heavy or bulky shipment can fill a whole trailer with fewer pallets, so the price usually follows both loading metres and weight. The rule "15 pallets or more means FTL" is only a rule of thumb: ldm, weight, route and date decide, so it pays to request a price for both options.

How to Optimize Your Costs?

1. Consolidate shipments: If you regularly send smaller shipments, try combining them into a single larger FTL shipment
2. Plan ahead: LTL shipments on regular routes are significantly cheaper than ad-hoc orders
3. Use backhauls: FTL shipments can be optimized by combining them with a return load

Conclusion

The choice between FTL and LTL depends on shipment volume, required speed, and budget. For large shipments or sensitive goods, go with FTL; for smaller regular shipments, LTL is the more cost-effective option. At EVEREST Solutions, we will help you choose the optimal solution for your needs. More about the services: FTL transport and LTL transport.

Contact us for a no-obligation quote on both options.