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.

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

   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.

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   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.

8. 8

   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.

9. 9

   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.