Calculators
LTL vs FTL Break-even Calculator
Compare less-than-truckload and full truckload costs for a shipment and find the weight at which a full truck becomes cheaper.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Choosing a freight mode
- Consolidating shipments
- Budgeting freight
- Negotiating carrier rates
About this tool
What the LTL vs FTL Break-even Calculator does
Less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping charges by weight and freight class, so it suits smaller shipments. A full truckload (FTL) costs a flat amount regardless of how full it is. As shipment weight grows, there is a point where booking a whole truck is cheaper than LTL.
Formula
- LTL = max(minimum, weight ÷ 100 × rate) × (1 + fees)
- Break-even weight = FTL quote ÷ (1 + fees) ÷ rate × 100
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Shipment weight | 9,000 lb |
| LTL rate per 100 lb (after discount) | $28.00 |
| LTL minimum charge | $180 |
| LTL accessorials and fuel | 25% |
| Full truckload quote | $2,600 |
| Pallets | 10 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cheaper option | Full truckload |
| Break-even weight | 7,429 |
| LTL cost | $3,150 |
| Full truckload cost | $2,600 |
| Difference | $550 |
How to read the result
Volume LTL quotes and partial truckloads fill the gap between LTL and full trucks for mid-sized shipments.
LTL involves more handling and transfers, which raises damage risk; FTL goes direct.
Related calculators
- Last-mile Delivery Cost Calculator: Calculate last-mile delivery cost per parcel from driver, vehicle and fuel costs, deliveries per route and failed delivery rate.
- Warehouse Storage Calculator: Calculate pallet positions needed, warehouse space and monthly storage cost from inventory, pallet sizing and rates.
- Safety Stock Calculator: Calculate safety stock from demand variability, lead time and target service level, with lead time variability included.
- Reorder Point Calculator: Calculate the reorder point from daily demand, lead time and safety stock, and the days until you need to reorder.
Browse every calculator in Logistics and Inventory Calculators, or talk to us about websites and portals for logistics companies.
More tools and services
- 1031 Exchange Calculator
- 401(k) Contribution Optimizer
- 529 College Savings Calculator
- A/B Test Significance Calculator
- Accessible Ramp Calculator
- Accounts Payable Aging Calculator
If you would rather someone did this properly for you, we offer Web Design Services and Website Development, SEO Services: Search Engine Optimization, AI Automation Agency.
Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
When the shipment is large enough that the FTL price is lower than LTL, or when speed and handling matter.
Weight, freight class, distance, density and accessorial services.
A larger LTL shipment, often six or more pallets, quoted separately from standard LTL tariffs.
Free strategy session
Let’s build something worth finding.
Tell us where you want the business to be in twelve months. We will come back with a costed plan, a realistic timeline, and the numbers we expect to move — no obligation, no jargon.
- 30-minute call, no pitch deck
- Fixed-price proposal in 48 hours
- You own everything we build
Talk to a developer
Not a sales team
- Response time
- Within 1 business hour
- Where we work
- UK, USA & the Gulf
- Contracts
- No lock-in, monthly rolling
- Working since
- 2023