FTL
What is FTL (full truckload)?
FTL, full truckload, puts one shipper's freight in a dedicated trailer: no terminals, no handling between origin and destination, and a transit time the carrier commits to as a direct move. You pay for the truck whether you fill it or not, which is why it wins when the freight genuinely fills it (or when the clock matters more than the space).
What the rate depends on
- Lane and distance, with fuel typically a separate, stated component.
- Equipment: dry van, reefer, flatbed, or something specialized, priced by what is scarce that week.
- Timing: capacity tightens around holidays, harvests and rate season; a flexible pickup window is worth money.
- Accessorial terms agreed at booking: detention free time, TONU notice, lumper responsibility.
FTL versus LTL as a decision
The usual crossover: when the LTL quote approaches a meaningful share of the truck rate, FTL buys certainty (direct move, less touching, a committed transit time) for the difference. Dense and full freight is FTL; light and loose freight is LTL; the middle is where a real comparison of quotes, transit risk and accessorials pays.