800.258.8308 or 813.664.1171 packit@packvp.com

New to carrier operations? If so, you’re probably wondering what all the abbreviations are about. What is LTL vs. TL?

LTL stands for “less than truckload” and refers to the shipping of a relatively small freight. If the item or items you are shipping will not take up the entire available space on a truck, you are shipping LTL.

With an LTL shipment, you often pay for the amount of space you will use on the truck, not the entire truck. You may also share the remaining space with another company in need of shipping small freight.

This option is ideal for small to medium sized businesses that don’t own their own trucks and can’t afford truckload shipping. However, because you’re sharing a truck with other companies and there are multiple pickups and stops, your shipment may take a bit longer.

TL (also called FTL) refers to a full truckload. Freight is loaded into a semi-trailer that is between 25-50 feet long. TL shipments require a lot of freight to make this shipping option economical. 

Did you know that Versatile Packagers offers both LTL and TL delivery services among many others? Visit our Distribution & Logistics page or call 800.258.8308 to learn more.