LTL Freight Quote Calculator
Enter your pallet dimensions and weight. We work out your freight class automatically, then quote it across our carriers and show you every rate, cheapest first, with transit times. No account, no sign-up, and no guessing at a class you will get billed for later.
Your freight class, calculated
Class 100
9.38 lb/ft³
53.33 ft³
500 lb total
Class is derived from density, which is how carriers rate most freight. Some commodities carry a fixed class in the NMFC tariff regardless of density, so treat this as the starting point.
Freight
Handling
How LTL pricing actually works
An LTL rate is built from four things: how far the freight is going, what class it is, how much trailer floor it occupies, and which accessorials the pickup and delivery need. Distance you already know. The other three are where quotes go wrong, and all three come from numbers you can measure on your own dock.
The math behind your class
total weight ÷ total cubic feet = density → class
A 48″ × 40″ × 48″ pallet is 53.3 cubic feet. At 500 lb that is 9.4 lb per cubic foot, which is class 100. Add 300 lb to the same pallet without changing its size and you are at 15 lb per cubic foot, which is class 70 and a noticeably cheaper rate. Density, not weight alone, is what you are paying for.
Four things that quietly raise an LTL bill
A guessed freight class. The carrier measures the freight after pickup and re-bills the difference, usually with an adjustment fee. This is the single most common surprise on an LTL invoice.
Unclaimed accessorials. If the delivery needs a liftgate and the bill of lading does not say so, the driver arrives without one. You pay for the failed delivery and the redelivery.
Marking freight stackable when it is not. It reduces the quote and then does not survive the trailer. Damage claims cost more than the saving.
Ignoring linear feet. A light but bulky shipment that eats a big share of the trailer gets charged on space, not weight, and the extra rarely shows up in a rough estimate.
If your freight is under about 150 lb, compare it against parcel first with our dimensional weight calculator. To work out how many cartons should go on each pallet before you quote it, use the pallet calculator, and for full per-order fulfillment costs, the fulfillment cost calculator.
Ready to move this freight?
Book a call and we will confirm the rate, book the carrier and handle the bill of lading for you.
LTL freight FAQ
What is freight class and how is it calculated?
Freight class is a number between 50 and 500 that carriers use to price LTL shipments. For most commodities it comes from density: divide your total weight in pounds by your total volume in cubic feet. Denser freight earns a lower class and a lower rate. A pallet at 15 lb per cubic foot is class 70; the same pallet at 9 lb per cubic foot is class 100. This calculator works it out from your dimensions and weight so you do not have to guess.
What happens if I use the wrong freight class?
The carrier re-weighs and re-measures the shipment after pickup. If the real density does not match the class on the bill of lading, they re-class it and bill the difference, often with an adjustment fee on top. That correction usually arrives weeks later on an invoice, which is why guessing the class is more expensive than it looks. Deriving it from real dimensions, as this tool does, avoids the surprise.
How is LTL pricing different from parcel pricing?
Parcel is priced on weight and zone and is largely automatic. LTL is priced on freight class, distance, how much trailer floor space the load takes and which accessorials you need. A liftgate at delivery or a residential address can add meaningful cost to an LTL shipment where they would barely register on a parcel. LTL also has a pickup date, because rates move with capacity.
What are accessorials?
Accessorials are extra services beyond dock-to-dock delivery. The common ones are a liftgate at pickup or delivery when there is no loading dock, inside delivery, residential delivery, limited access locations like schools and construction sites, and delivery appointments. Each adds cost, and each carrier prices them differently, which is why they belong in the quote rather than as a surprise later.
When should I ship LTL instead of parcel?
The usual crossover is around 150 lb or when a shipment is palletized. Below that, parcel is normally cheaper and faster. Above roughly 15,000 lb, or more than about 12 pallets, a full truckload usually beats LTL. Between those two points LTL is the right answer, and this calculator covers that range.
What is linear feet and why does it matter?
Linear feet is how much trailer floor length your freight occupies. Pallets sit two abreast in a 96 inch wide trailer, so two standard pallets take about four linear feet. Carriers apply extra charges when a shipment takes a large share of the trailer regardless of its weight. This calculator works out linear feet for you from your pallet count and whether the freight is stackable.
Does stackable freight cost less?
Often, yes. Stackable freight takes half the trailer floor space, which can move a shipment below a linear foot threshold and reduce the rate. It only counts if the freight can genuinely take weight on top without damage, so do not mark a shipment stackable to chase a cheaper quote. The carrier will see the actual load at pickup.
Shipping freight regularly?
The rates above are our carrier pricing on a single shipment. If you move freight every week, there is usually more room on volume, and we can handle the pickup, the paperwork and the claims. Send us a lane and we will price it properly.