What is cost per hundredweight?

Hundredweight (cwt) equals 100 lb. LTL carriers price per cwt, so cost per cwt is total LTL charge divided by (weight in lb / 100). It lets you compare LTL and FTL on the same per-unit basis.

How is the FTL break-even weight found?

FTL is a flat linehaul cost, so its cost per cwt falls as weight rises. The break-even is the weight where the FTL flat rate divided by (weight/100) equals the LTL rate per cwt: break-even lb = (FTL flat / LTL rate per cwt) × 100.

When should I choose FTL over LTL?

FTL usually wins above roughly 12,000 to 15,000 lb, when your freight class is high, when transit must be direct with no terminal handling, or when goods are fragile. This tool gives you the exact crossover for your specific rates.

Does this account for freight class?

Freight class is already baked into the LTL rate per cwt you enter, since carriers quote rate by class. Pick the correct class first, get the per-cwt rate, then enter it here. FTL is class-independent.

What about volume LTL and partial truckload?

Those modes sit between LTL and FTL and are often cheaper for 5,000 to 12,000 lb. This tool compares the two endpoints; if your shipment is near the break-even, also request a volume LTL or partial quote.

What is the LTL vs. FTL Decision Tool?

Compare less-than-truckload and full-truckload cost on a per-hundredweight basis for a lane, factoring LTL rate per cwt and FTL flat linehaul, to find the weight break-even where FTL becomes cheaper. For shippers and transportation managers. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

LTL vs. FTL Decision Tool

Name: LTL vs. FTL Decision Tool
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Choosing between less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) comes down to where the per-unit cost lines cross. LTL prices per hundredweight, so it scales with weight; FTL is a flat linehaul, so its per-unit cost drops the heavier you load. This tool finds the exact break-even for your lane.

How it works

LTL cost is weight-based; FTL is fixed. Putting both on a cost-per-cwt basis:

weight cwt        = weight in lb / 100
LTL total         = (LTL rate per cwt × weight cwt) + LTL accessorials
LTL cost per cwt  = LTL total / weight cwt
FTL cost per cwt  = FTL flat rate / weight cwt
break-even lb     = (FTL flat / LTL rate per cwt) × 100

Below the break-even weight, LTL’s lower per-cwt cost wins. Above it, the fixed FTL linehaul is spread over enough weight to undercut LTL.

Example

With an LTL rate of 35 per cwt and an FTL flat rate of 1,400, the break-even is (1,400 ÷ 35) × 100 = 4,000 lb. At 3,000 lb LTL is cheaper (1,050 vs 1,400); at 6,000 lb FTL wins (1,400 vs 2,100).

Notes

LTL accessorials (liftgate, residential, fuel) shift the crossover down because they add to LTL cost without affecting FTL. For weights near the break-even, always also price volume LTL or partial truckload, which can beat both endpoints.

When LTL clearly wins

LTL is the right choice when your shipment is genuinely small — say under 5,000 lb on most standard freight classes — and you do not need dedicated transit. LTL terminals consolidate shipments from multiple customers into one trailer, so you pay only for the space you use. The trade-offs are longer and less predictable transit times (multiple stops, terminal sorts) and higher handling frequency, which increases the chance of damage. For non-fragile, non-time-critical freight, LTL is almost always cheaper at low weights.

When FTL clearly wins

FTL makes sense when weight is high, goods are fragile or high-value (direct no-touch service), the lane is time-sensitive (guaranteed transit, no terminal handling), or the shipper wants to consolidate multiple SKUs or customers into one sealed trailer. Full truckloads also tend to be easier to insure because the carrier has full custody throughout without terminal transfers. From a cost standpoint, FTL wins once your volume approaches 20,000 to 24,000 lb, though the exact break-even depends heavily on the lane rates you negotiate.

Freight class and its effect on the crossover

LTL carriers use the NMFC freight class system (classes 50–500) to price by density, stowability, handling, and liability. High-class freight (class 150 and above) carries a much higher per-cwt LTL rate, which moves the break-even down — your shipment hits the crossover at fewer pounds because LTL is already expensive. Low-class, dense commodity freight (class 50–70) has a lower per-cwt rate, so the crossover sits at a higher weight. When you enter the LTL rate into this tool, that per-cwt figure already reflects the class, so the break-even output is automatically class-adjusted.

Volume LTL and partial truckload: the middle tier

Between LTL and FTL sits a range often called volume LTL or partial truckload. These services take larger-than-LTL shipments — roughly 5,000 to 18,000 lb — and move them in fewer sorts with reduced handling. They are not always quoted through standard LTL carriers; specialized brokers and partial-load carriers fill this niche. If your break-even analysis puts you right near the crossover, volume LTL or partial can often undercut both endpoints. Always request at least one such quote before committing a mid-size shipment to either traditional mode.

Accessorial charges and their impact

LTL accessorials — residential delivery, liftgate, inside delivery, guaranteed service, limited-access surcharges, and fuel — are flat or percentage charges that add to the LTL total without affecting the FTL flat rate. Each accessorial effectively lowers the break-even weight, because it makes LTL more expensive relative to FTL. A residential delivery surcharge of $75, for example, adds that cost to the LTL side and pushes the crossover down by roughly (75 ÷ LTL rate per cwt) × 100 lb. When entering the LTL rate into this tool, include all accessorials to get an accurate break-even.