LTL freight guides
Plain-language guides for shippers who move freight on pallets. Each one answers the question in its first paragraph, uses synthetic examples and cites the regulation, tariff or official publication it relies on.
LTL basics and documents
What LTL freight is, how it is classified and the documents that travel with every shipment.
- What is LTL freight? — How LTL works and how it differs from truckload.
- What is freight class? — Classes 50 to 500 and the four characteristics behind them.
- NMFC codes and item numbers — Item numbers, density subs and where to look them up.
- What is a bill of lading? — What a BOL must show and how to fill it out.
- Freight bill and PRO number — What the invoice must show and when it is due.
Tool: Shipment Measurement Sheet.
Density and measuring
How to measure a shipment and what its density does and does not tell you.
- How to measure a pallet for LTL freight — Outermost points, overhang and what to photograph.
- Standard pallet dimensions — The 48 × 40 pallet, custom sizes and overhang.
- Freight density vs. freight class — What density tells you, and what it doesn't.
Tool: Freight Density Calculator.
Invoices and charges
How to compare an invoice with its quote and what to check in extra charges.
- How to compare an LTL invoice with your quote — A worked example with valid and uncertain differences.
- LTL accessorial charges — What to check before you pay an extra charge.
- Liftgate service for LTL freight — When it applies and how the fee is calculated.
- Inside delivery for LTL freight — What counts as inside delivery and what it costs.
- Residential and limited access delivery — Which addresses qualify and how the fee works.
- LTL reweigh and reclassification — What they are and what evidence to keep.
- LTL freight claims — Deadlines and what a claim must contain.