How to quote, step by step

LTL is a shipment mode, not a carrier and not a service level. Everything this calculator computes exists because your pallets share a trailer with somebody else’s freight.

1. 1

   Picture the shared trailer

   LTL means less-than-truckload: your pallets ride next to other shippers’ freight in one trailer. The carrier is selling you space and weight on that shared floor. FedEx explains it at fedexfreight.com → what is LTL.

2. 2

   That is why freight class exists

   Class comes from the NMFC density scale — weight divided by cubic feet. Dense freight takes little room for its weight and lands in a lower, cheaper class.

3. 3

   That is why linear feet matter

   Linear feet is how much trailer floor your pallets occupy front to back. A long, light load is charged on the space it blocks, not on what it weighs.

4. 4

   Under ~150 lbs per individual box: that is parcel, not LTL

   The 150 lbs limit applies to EACH box, not the pallet: parcel carriers take individual packages up to ~150 lbs — ground or express. No pallet, no freight class, no Bill of Lading. The moment your load is palletized, it is freight (LTL), even if every box is light.

5. 5

   Heavy but not palletized: UPS Ground with Freight Pricing

   There is a band between parcel and LTL. UPS Ground with Freight Pricing is a UPS Ground service for MULTI-PACKAGE shipments totalling 151 lbs or more (the commonly cited band is 151–500 lbs) that do NOT need a pallet: they move as individual packages. It can save up to about 20% versus LTL. It is contract-only, and it covers the contiguous 48 states. The governing tariff is UPGF 560, maintained by TForce Freight — and their tool lets you compare it against LTL side by side.

6. 6

   One to six pallets: standard LTL

   This is the ordinary LTL band. Quote it on a carrier’s LTL rate tool with class, dimensions, weight and accessorials.

7. 7

   Over ~2,500–4,000 lbs or 7+ linear feet: ask for Volume

   At that size FedEx Freight Volume Services is usually cheaper than the standard LTL tariff. In full pallets (48x40): 2 pallets fit per trailer row and each row takes 4 linear feet — so 1–2 pallets = 4 ft, 3–4 pallets = 8 ft. Rule of thumb: up to 3 pallets, standard LTL; from about 4 pallets you cross 7 linear feet and should quote Volume. Quote both and compare before you book.

8. 8

   The whole trailer: full truckload

   Full truckload means you rent the entire trailer for your freight alone. One shipper, one trailer, direct run — no class needed.

9. 9

   Tell carriers apart from comparison tools

   FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, XPO, Estes, SAIA and R+L Carriers are LTL carriers — they own the trucks and move the freight. Freightquote is a BROKER (C.H. Robinson): it shows rates side by side, but you book through the broker, it bills you, and its rates carry its margin — no carrier accounts needed. FedEx LTL Select is a neutral comparison platform: it compares rates from carriers where YOU already hold accounts and negotiated tariffs, and each carrier bills you directly.

10. 10

    Know where this app’s numbers go

    Freight class, pallet dimensions, total weight, linear feet and the liftgate / operating-hours flags feed two documents: the carrier quote form, and the Bill of Lading.

Sizes here are the practical thresholds carriers use, not a rule you can hold them to — the carrier decides how your shipment is rated.