# FTL vs LTL

> FTL (full truckload) means a shipment fills or is charged for an entire vehicle, while LTL (less-than-truckload) means a shipment shares vehicle space with other consignments.

FTL is the simplest form of road transport: one shipper books the whole truck, the goods are loaded once and driven directly to the receiver with no transhipment on the way. In Europe that usually means a 13.6 m semi-trailer with 13.6 loading meters, room for 33 Euro pallets on the floor. Weight is limited by the vehicle: a five- or six-axle articulated combination may weigh 40 metric tons in international traffic (44 metric tons when carrying containers or swap bodies in intermodal transport), and the payload is what remains after the weight of tractor and trailer. National limits can be higher.

LTL — called groupage or part load in Europe — combines shipments from several customers in one vehicle. Each pays only for the space or weight used, but the goods usually pass through a hub, share the vehicle with extra stops and handling, and take longer. A partial truckload (PTL) sits in between: a larger part load that travels without a hub transfer.

Which is cheaper depends on volume, distance and urgency. For a few pallets LTL almost always wins; as a shipment grows towards a large share of the trailer, the per-pallet price of LTL overtakes a dedicated truck. Measure the shipment in [loading meters](https://transportial.com/en/tools/ldm-calculator) and compare both quotes. A TMS makes the decision repeatable by tracking capacity per trip and pricing each consignment per pallet place, loading meter or full load.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between FTL and LTL?

FTL means you book the whole truck, whether you fill it or not, and the goods go directly from A to B. LTL means your shipment shares the truck with others and you pay only for your share, usually with a hub transfer and a longer transit time.

### How many pallets fit in a full truckload?

A standard European 13.6 m semi-trailer holds 33 Euro pallets (1.2 × 0.8 m) or 26 block pallets (1.2 × 1.0 m) on the floor, unstacked. Weight can become the limit before space does: dense goods may reach the maximum payload with fewer pallets.

### When should I choose FTL instead of LTL?

Choose FTL when the shipment fills most of a trailer, is heavy, is fragile and should not be handled at hubs, or is urgent and needs a direct run. Choose LTL for smaller shipments where cost matters more than speed.

### What is a partial truckload (PTL)?

A partial truckload is a shipment too big for efficient groupage but smaller than a full trailer. It shares the truck with one or a few other loads without being cross-docked on the way, so it is usually faster and gentler than LTL and cheaper than a dedicated FTL.


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