LTL vs FTL Shipping: Which Is Right for Your Business?

If you ship freight commercially in Canada, your first major decision on every shipment is: LTL or FTL? The answer changes your cost, your transit time, your damage risk, and sometimes the entire shape of your supply chain.

This is the plain-English version of the trade-off, written for small and mid-size Canadian businesses who don't have a full-time logistics manager.

The basic definitions

FTL — Full Truckload

You book the entire truck. Your freight, no one else's. The truck goes from your shipper directly to your consignee with no stops between. Typical FTL loads are 8,000+ lbs or 12+ pallets.

LTL — Less Than Truckload

You book space on a truck shared with other shippers. Each shipper pays for the portion they take up. Typical LTL shipments are 150 lbs to 10,000 lbs and 1–6 pallets.

There's also partial truckload (4,000–18,000 lbs, 6–18 pallets), a hybrid that sits between LTL and FTL. It gets priced more like FTL but doesn't book the whole truck.

How LTL pricing actually works

LTL is priced on five factors:

1. Weight. Heavier shipments cost more per shipment but less per pound.
2. Freight class. A numerical classification (50 to 500) based on density, stowability, handling, and liability. Higher class = more expensive.
3. Distance. Origin postal code to destination postal code.
4. Fuel surcharge. Varies by carrier, usually 15–35% on top of base.
5. Accessorials. Liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, appointment, etc.

Freight class is the most confusing part. A pallet of bricks (high density) might be class 55. A pallet of pillows (low density) is class 200. Same weight, very different cost. Get the class wrong and your invoice gets reclassified after the fact — usually upward.

How FTL pricing works

FTL is straightforward: a flat rate for the whole truck from point A to point B. The rate is calculated as:

$/mile × loaded miles + deadhead recovery + fuel surcharge

Equipment type matters (dry van, reefer, flatbed all have different baseline rates), and seasonality affects pricing significantly. For typical 2026 Ontario rates, see our Ontario freight cost guide.

Cost comparison: at what weight does FTL beat LTL?

The crossover point depends on lane, but here's a rule of thumb for Canadian intra-provincial freight (~500 km):

For long-haul (over 2,000 km), the crossover shifts earlier — FTL becomes economical at lower weights because LTL hubs add days and damage exposure.

Transit time: speed comparison

FTL is direct A to B. The truck drives from your shipper to your consignee with no stops. Transit time = driving time + reasonable rest.

LTL is hub-and-spoke. Your freight gets picked up, taken to a terminal, sorted, loaded on a line haul, taken to a destination terminal, sorted again, and finally delivered. Each step adds time.

Damage risk: the under-discussed factor

FTL shipments are touched twice: once at pickup, once at delivery. Damage risk is mostly road vibration and securement.

LTL shipments get touched 4–8 times — pickup, terminal 1 unloading, sortation, terminal 1 loading, transit, terminal 2 unloading, sortation, terminal 2 loading, delivery. Each touch is an opportunity for forklift damage, drop damage, or restacking compression.

Industry data: LTL freight claims occur at roughly 4–5x the rate of FTL claims. If your freight is fragile, high-value, or irregularly shaped, FTL pays for itself in reduced claim hassle even when LTL would be cheaper.

When to choose FTL even if LTL is cheaper

• Fragile or sensitive freight. Glass, ceramics, electronics, lab equipment, anything in original packaging that won't survive multiple handlings.
• Time-critical delivery. Production lines, construction schedules, retail set dates.
• High-value freight. The reduced damage and theft risk justify the cost premium.
• Hazmat / regulated goods. Some hazmat classes cannot be commingled with other freight; LTL refuses them.
• Oversize or overweight pieces. A single piece larger than 96" or heavier than 5,000 lbs doesn't fit standard LTL handling.
• Cross-border with tight customs windows. LTL consolidation across the border slows clearance.

When LTL is the right call

• Small, sturdy, palletized freight. Standard dry goods on standard pallets.
• Flexible delivery windows. If you can wait 3–5 business days, LTL saves money on most lanes.
• Predictable, repeat lanes. LTL carriers offer volume discounts on consistent shipping patterns.
• Less than 4,000 lbs. Below this weight, FTL rarely pays.
• One-time or low-frequency shippers. Setting up FTL relationships takes effort; LTL is more transactional.

The hidden third option: shared truckload

Some Canadian carriers offer shared truckload — booking part of a truck that's heading somewhere you also need to go. Functionally LTL pricing, but with FTL-style handling (loaded once at origin, unloaded once at destination, no hub sortation).

Shared truckload works best on dense corridors like Toronto-Montreal where carriers regularly run partial loads. It avoids LTL's damage risk while keeping costs lower than full FTL. Hard to find, but worth asking about.

How to actually decide

1. Weigh your shipment. Get an actual weight, not a guess.
2. Measure pallet count. Standard pallets or oversize?
3. Determine freight class. Use a class lookup tool or ask your carrier.
4. Get quotes both ways. Request LTL and FTL quotes for the same shipment. Compare total cost including accessorials.
5. Factor in transit time and damage risk. The cheaper option in dollars isn't always cheaper after claims.

What TRUCC handles

We focus on FTL freight in Ontario and Quebec, plus cross-border to the northeastern US. For LTL shipments below 4,000 lbs, we'll usually refer you to a specialized LTL carrier (or run them as partial truckload if the lane fits one of our existing runs).

Sending freight and not sure which mode fits? Send us the details and we'll tell you honestly. If we're not the right carrier, we'll point you to who is.