Less than truckload (LTL) is freight shipping for loads that fill only part of a trailer. Instead of paying for a whole truck, several shippers share the same trailer and split the cost based on the space and weight each load takes up. LTL sits between parcel carriers (small boxes) and full truckload (FTL), and it is the common choice for palletized B2B orders.
How it works
Goods are packed onto pallets and picked up by a carrier that consolidates freight from many shippers. Shipments move through regional terminals where they are sorted and transferred, so transit takes longer than a direct truckload. Pricing depends on weight, dimensions, distance, and a freight class that reflects density and handling. Accessorial fees (liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, limited access) can add meaningfully to the base rate.
Why it matters
For wholesale and B2B sellers, LTL is usually the cheapest way to move orders that are too big for parcel but do not fill a trailer, roughly one to six pallets. Getting the freight class, pallet count, and accessorials right is what separates an accurate quote from a surprise invoice, so freight is often a line item that has to be priced per order rather than set as a flat rate.
Example
A merchant receives a request for 12 cases of goods weighing 900 lbs on two pallets, shipping to a business with a loading dock. That is well past parcel limits but nowhere near a full truck, so the seller quotes it as LTL, adds the class-based freight charge, and includes it on the quote before the buyer commits.
Because freight rarely fits a fixed shipping rule, it is often handled inside the quote itself. On Shopify, tools that turn a request into an editable draft order let you add a freight line the buyer sees before they accept and pay, rather than reconciling it after checkout.