In plain English
A standard dry van trailer is about 53 feet long and holds up to roughly 26 pallets, with a weight limit around 42,000 to 45,000 lb on the freight. The shipper pays for the truck, not for the pounds.
Because the truck goes straight through, FTL is faster, handled less and more predictable than LTL, but costs more for small loads.
Why it matters when you ship
Switch to FTL when the freight fills most of a trailer, when it is fragile or high value and should not be re-handled, or when the delivery date is tight. The boundary with LTL is not fixed: carriers draw it at about 6 to 12 pallets.
Example
A manufacturer ships 22 pallets of finished goods from Ohio to Texas. They fill most of a trailer, so a full truckload is cheaper per pallet than six LTL shipments.
Related terms
Learn more
FTL (Full Truckload): common questions
When is FTL cheaper than LTL?
Generally when the freight is about 6 to 12 pallets or more, or heavy enough that LTL volume pricing no longer helps. Compare quotes for both.
Cite this page
Cite as: Transportli, “FTL: Full Truckload Meaning in Shipping”, https://transportli.com/glossary/ftl/, updated November 11, 2026.
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