The best LTL carrier depends on what you are buying: the lowest price, the fastest delivery or the best service. To show how they compare, we ranked LTL carriers from 1,348 real quotes on 270 US lanes collected on our platform in recent months, and set the result next to two public yardsticks: carrier size (Transport Topics) and shipper-rated service quality (Mastio). Rank by price and the order is not the one you would guess from size or reputation.
LTL carriers ranked by how often they were cheapest
| Rank | Carrier | Lowest quote on | In the five lowest | Median above cheapest | Median transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AAA Cooper Transportation | 48 lanes (18%) | 48% | +6% | 3 days |
| 2 | Central Transport | 37 lanes (14%) | 38% | +6% | 3 days |
| 3 | ABF Freight | 32 lanes (12%) | 40% | +12% | 4 days |
| 4 | XPO | 27 lanes (10%) | 60% | +13% | 3 days |
| 5 | Warp | 20 lanes (7%) | 11% | +0% | 4 days |
| 6 | TForce Freight | 19 lanes (7%) | 55% | +15% | 4 days |
| 7 | Estes | 16 lanes (6%) | 43% | +20% | 3 days |
| 8 | Roadrunner Freight | 13 lanes (5%) | 22% | +7% | 4 days |
| 9 | Southeastern Freight Lines | 10 lanes (4%) | 14% | +10% | 2 days |
| 10= | Forward Air | 8 lanes (3%) | 33% | +12% | 4 days |
| 10= | R+L Carriers | 8 lanes (3%) | 26% | +18% | 2 days |
| 12 | STG Logistics | 7 lanes (3%) | 8% | +6% | 8 days |
| 13= | Pitt Ohio | 4 lanes (1%) | 10% | +16% | 3 days |
| 13= | Saia | 4 lanes (1%) | 10% | +24% | 3 days |
| 13= | Ward Transport & Logistics | 4 lanes (1%) | 7% | +16% | 3 days |
| 16 | FedEx Freight | 3 lanes (1%) | 39% | +19% | 4 days |
| 17 | Old Dominion Freight Line | 1 lane (<1%) | 8% | +37% | 3.5 days |
Out of 270 lanes. “In the five lowest” is the share of lanes where the carrier was among the five cheapest quotes, so it shows how often a carrier was competitive at all. “Median above cheapest” is how far above the lane’s lowest quote the carrier was when it made the five lowest, and transit is the median of the quoted transit times. Carriers that appeared on fewer than 20 lanes are left out (19 of them, for example Dayton Freight on 14 lanes and CrossCountry Freight Solutions on 9). 25 different carriers had the lowest quote on at least one lane.
Two patterns stand out. AAA Cooper Transportation and Central Transport were both cheapest often and never far from the cheapest when they were not (a median 6% above). XPO and TForce Freight were in the five lowest on 60% and 55% of lanes, more than any other carrier, so they are a safe quote to check on almost any lane even when they are not the cheapest.
Which LTL carrier is cheapest for your shipment?
The cheapest carrier changes with the size and distance of the shipment. Pick yours to see which carriers had the lowest quote most often on lanes like it. The number in brackets is the lanes won, out of the lanes in that group.
Shipment weight
Distance
Based on real quotes on our platform. Groups with fewer than 15 lanes are a small sample.
| Shipment weight | Lanes | Cheapest most often |
|---|---|---|
| Under 150 lb | 59 | ABF Freight (9), XPO (8), Central Transport (8) |
| 150 to 499 lb | 98 | Central Transport (19), AAA Cooper Transportation (16), XPO (10) |
| 500 to 999 lb | 62 | AAA Cooper Transportation (15), ABF Freight (12), XPO (7) |
| 1,000 lb or more | 51 | AAA Cooper Transportation (10), ABF Freight (6), TForce Freight (5) |
| Distance | Lanes | Cheapest most often |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | 48 | ABF Freight (8), Warp (8), AAA Cooper Transportation (6) |
| 500 to 999 miles | 75 | AAA Cooper Transportation (22), Central Transport (16), ABF Freight (8) |
| 1,000 to 1,999 miles | 94 | AAA Cooper Transportation (15), XPO (13), Central Transport (12) |
| 2,000 miles or more | 53 | Roadrunner Freight (9), XPO (7), TForce Freight (6) |
The longest lanes go to a different group of carriers: Roadrunner Freight had the lowest quote on 9 of the 53 lanes of 2,000 miles or more, more than any other carrier there. Compare quotes for your own lane with the freight cost calculator or get an instant quote.
The largest LTL carriers, and how they did on price
By revenue, FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, Estes and XPO are the four largest LTL carriers in North America, followed by R+L Carriers, according to the Transport Topics 2025 ranking of top LTL carriers. Size does not predict price on our lanes: of the five largest, XPO had the lowest quote most often (27 lanes, 10%), while smaller carriers such as AAA Cooper Transportation (48) and Central Transport (37) won more often.
| Size rank | Carrier | 2025 revenue | Lowest quote on (our lanes) | In the five lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FedEx Freight | $8.9 billion | 3 lanes (1%) | 39% |
| 2 | Old Dominion Freight Line | $5.8 billion | 1 lane (<1%) | 8% |
| 3 | Estes Express Lines | $5.0 billion | 16 lanes (6%) | 43% |
| 4 | XPO | $4.9 billion | 27 lanes (10%) | 60% |
| 5 | R+L Carriers | $3.8 billion (est.) | 8 lanes (3%) | 26% |
| 6 | TFI International (includes TForce Freight) | $3.7 billion | 19 lanes (7%) | 55% |
| 7 | Saia | $3.2 billion | 4 lanes (1%) | 10% |
| 8 | ABF Freight | $2.8 billion | 32 lanes (12%) | 40% |
| 9 | Central Transport | $1.6 billion (est.) | 37 lanes (14%) | 38% |
| 10 | Southeastern Freight Lines | $1.6 billion (est.) | 10 lanes (4%) | 14% |
Revenue is from the Transport Topics 2025 list, which marks R+L Carriers, Central Transport and Southeastern Freight Lines as estimates and gives FedEx Freight’s figure for the 12 months to February 28, 2025. The two right-hand columns are our own quote data.
Which LTL carriers do shippers rate highest for service?
Price is only one half of “best”, and our quotes do not measure on-time delivery, damage or claims. For that, a widely followed yardstick is the annual survey by research firm Mastio & Co. Its 2025 study, based on 1,630 interviews with LTL shippers, named Old Dominion Freight Line the top national LTL carrier for the 16th year in a row and Daylight Transport the top overall LTL carrier for the second year, also the top inter-regional carrier (FreightWaves, October 2025; Old Dominion press release).
Put next to our quotes, the pattern is a familiar one: the carrier shippers rate highest for service was in the five lowest on only 8% of our lanes, cheapest on 1, and a median 37% above the cheapest quote when it did appear. Daylight Transport appeared on only 3 of our lanes. If service matters more than price for a shipment, such as fragile or time-critical freight, that premium can be worth paying. If it is a routine pallet, the cheaper carriers on the lane are usually the better buy.
How to choose an LTL carrier
- Get several quotes for the same shipment. On our lanes the fifth-lowest quote was a median of 28% above the lowest, and which carrier is cheapest changes from lane to lane.
- Get the class and weight right. A wrong freight class or weight is the most common reason a quote changes later. See the freight class guide and the freight class calculator. Our freight class study shows how much a wrong class can add to the typical quote.
- Check transit time, not just price. Compare days as well as dollars; the cheapest quote is not always the fastest.
- Add the extras you need. Liftgate, residential or inside delivery change the total; see accessorial charges and liftgate delivery.
- Use volume LTL for larger loads. From about six pallets, ask for volume quotes too (LTL vs. FTL).
- Know who you are booking with. If you book through a broker rather than directly with a carrier, check its FMCSA authority first; our 50-state freight broker report shows where brokers are registered and how to look one up.
How we ranked the carriers
Every figure in the first half of this page comes from quotes returned on our platform for real shipments: 1,348 quotes on 270 lanes in the lower 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii are left out because island pricing is different), collected in recent months. For each lane we kept the five lowest carrier quotes for the same shipment. A carrier “wins” a lane when it has the lowest of them, and a carrier’s service variants (for example FedEx Freight Economy and Priority) count as one carrier. Shipments range from a few pounds to several thousand pounds, so weights and distances are broken out above.
What this ranking does not measure. It ranks quoted price, coverage and transit time on these lanes, not on-time delivery, damage or claims. The lanes are real quote requests, not a random sample of all US freight, a carrier can only win lanes it serves, and quotes change every day. Treat the ranking as a guide to where to look first, and get a quote for your own shipment. Carrier names are trademarks of their owners and Transportli is not affiliated with these carriers.
LTL carriers: frequently asked questions
Who is the best LTL carrier?
There is no single best LTL carrier. On price, AAA Cooper Transportation had the lowest quote most often in our data (48 of 270 lanes), then Central Transport, ABF Freight and XPO. On service quality, Old Dominion Freight Line was named the top national LTL carrier by Mastio & Co. for the 16th year in a row. The best carrier for you depends on the shipment, so compare quotes on your own lane.
Which LTL carrier is the cheapest?
On our 270 lanes, AAA Cooper Transportation was cheapest most often (48 lanes, 18%), then Central Transport (37), ABF Freight (32) and XPO (27). Which carrier is cheapest changes with the weight, distance and lane, so check several quotes: the fifth-lowest quote was a median of 28% above the lowest.
Who are the largest LTL carriers?
By revenue, the Transport Topics 2025 list ranks FedEx Freight first, then Old Dominion Freight Line, Estes Express Lines, XPO and R+L Carriers, followed by TFI International (which owns TForce Freight), Saia, ABF Freight, Central Transport and Southeastern Freight Lines.
Who are the top 5 LTL carriers?
By revenue, the top five are FedEx Freight, Old Dominion Freight Line, Estes Express Lines, XPO and R+L Carriers (Transport Topics, 2025). By how often they had the lowest quote on our lanes, the top five are AAA Cooper Transportation, Central Transport, ABF Freight, XPO and Warp.
Which LTL carriers are the most expensive?
Measured against the cheapest quote on each lane, the carriers that ran highest when they appeared among the five lowest were Old Dominion Freight Line (a median 37% above), Saia (24%), Estes (20%) and FedEx Freight (19%). That is a statement about price on these lanes, not about quality: Old Dominion is rated top for service by shippers.
Which LTL carrier is best for small shipments?
On shipments under 150 lb, ABF Freight (9 lanes) had the lowest quote most often in our data (of 59 lanes), and on 150 to 499 lb it was Central Transport (19 lanes) (of 98 lanes). Very small shipments pay a minimum charge, so compare carriers before you book.
Is the cheapest LTL carrier the best?
Not always. The cheapest quote says nothing about on-time delivery, damage rates or claims handling. In our data the carrier shippers rate highest for service was rarely the cheapest, so decide whether this shipment is about price or about service, then compare transit time and the extras you need as well.
How do I compare quotes from several LTL carriers?
Enter your shipment once (weight, dimensions, freight class, pickup and delivery) and compare the quotes side by side, including transit time and extras such as liftgate. Use our LTL quote tool or the freight cost calculator for an estimate.
Related content
Cite this page
Cite as: Transportli, “Best LTL Carriers 2026: Ranked by Real Quotes”, https://transportli.com/ltl-freight/best-ltl-carriers/, updated November 15, 2026.
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