FTL (Full Truckload)
FTL (Full Truckload) is ground freight where one trailer carries one shipper’s cargo — sealed, dedicated, non-stop-ish from origin to destination. For Amazon sellers it’s the standard for moving large volumes between a 3PL, port drayage point, or distribution centre and Amazon’s fulfilment network.
What is FTL?
FTL (Full Truckload) is ground freight where one trailer carries one shipper’s cargo — sealed, dedicated, non-stop-ish from origin to destination. For Amazon sellers it’s the standard for moving large volumes between a 3PL, port drayage point, or distribution centre and Amazon’s fulfilment network.
Where LTL (less than truckload) consolidates multiple shippers’ freight through terminals with extra touches, FTL trades a higher flat rate for speed, security, and simplicity: no intermediate handling, no terminal dwell, no mixing with anyone else’s cargo. The rate math decides — and at enough volume, FTL quietly wins.
FTL versus LTL: the decision in numbers
The crossover logic: LTL prices by weight/class and shares the ride; FTL prices by the trailer. As shipment approaches full-trailer volume (typically from around 12–15 pallets, definition depending on trailer and stackability), the per-unit math flips — FTL’s flat rate divided by everything on board beats LTL’s per-hundredweight stacking. The soft benefits often decide earlier than the hard math: FTL removes terminal touches (damage probability falls), skips consolidation delays (transit often 1–3 days faster), and arrives as one intact unit (easier appointment and receiving). For high-value or damage-sensitive goods, those alone can justify FTL below the pure cost crossover.
Running FTL cleanly into Amazon’s world
The Amazon-specific layer: deliveries to FCs run on appointments (CARP-style) and paperwork that must match the load — ASN, BOL, and appointment describing the same freight, or the truck sits. The operational checklist: load planning for legal weight and clean cube (air is freight you paid for), pallet configuration suited to both your loading dock and the destination’s receiving, appointment booked with buffer (delivery windows vs. driver hours), and the paperwork chain verified before the wheels turn — because a perfect truck with mismatched documents becomes a detention charge. The mature pattern: FTL for replenishment and inbound volume, with the quiet side benefit that a dedicated trailer is also the best anti-damage packaging your goods could ride in.
In practice
A seller’s monthly replenishment plan mixes modes: three smaller shipments a month go LTL (splitting through terminals each time), one large monthly goes FTL. A review shows the LTL legs average 2.3 days more transit and 4x the damage rate, and the combined LTL cost per pallet has crept within 8% of FTL’s. Consolidating into two FTLs a month: slightly cheaper freight, days faster to sellable, damages basically gone. The simplest supply chain improvements are often just counting the whole cost instead of the rate line.
How Harpy Media helps
Inbound freight mode planning — LTL/FTL crossover math, appointment discipline, and damage reduction — sits in our supply-chain work on scaling accounts.
FTL FAQ
What is FTL?
Full Truckload — a dedicated trailer for one shipment, moving without consolidation or terminal handling between origin and destination.
When is FTL cheaper than LTL?
Usually once a shipment approaches a full trailer (roughly 12–15 pallets, depending on configuration); below that, LTL’s shared pricing often wins.
Why does FTL matter for Amazon deliveries?
Fewer touches means less damage and faster transit — and one intact load is simpler to match against appointment, ASN, and receiving paperwork.
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