{
  "slug": "ltl-ftl-breakeven",
  "title": "LTL vs. FTL Breakeven Calculator",
  "heading": "LTL vs. FTL Breakeven Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ltl-ftl-breakeven",
  "summary": "Find the pallet count where switching from LTL to a full truckload gets cheaper.",
  "description": "LTL (less-than-truckload) pricing is per-hundredweight and scales up roughly linearly with shipment size, while FTL (full truckload) pricing is a flat rate for the whole trailer regardless of how full it is. At low pallet counts LTL is cheaper because you're not paying for space you don't use; past a certain pallet count, LTL's per-pallet cost climbs high enough that a flat FTL rate becomes the better deal even if the trailer isn't full. This calculator takes your LTL rate structure (or an estimated per-pallet LTL cost) and your FTL flat rate for the lane, then finds the breakeven pallet count. Shippers who consistently ship above the breakeven point on LTL are leaving money on the table every single shipment, and this is one of the most common freight savings opportunities a shipper can capture just by monitoring pallet counts against a known threshold.",
  "formula": "Breakeven pallets = FTL flat rate ÷ LTL cost per pallet.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=ltl-ftl-breakeven",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "ltlPerPallet",
      "label": "LTL cost per pallet (this lane)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 145,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "ftlFlatRate",
      "label": "FTL flat rate (this lane)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1850,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "trailerCapacity",
      "label": "Trailer capacity",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 26,
      "unit": "pallets",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "currentPallets",
      "label": "Your typical shipment size",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 11,
      "unit": "pallets",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "breakevenPallets",
      "label": "Breakeven pallet count",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "currentLtlCost",
      "label": "Your LTL cost at current size",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "savingsIfFtl",
      "label": "Savings if switched to FTL now",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "ftlCostPerPallet",
      "label": "FTL cost per pallet (current size)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "LTL cost per pallet (this lane): 145 $",
      "FTL flat rate (this lane): 1850 $",
      "Trailer capacity: 26 pallets",
      "Your typical shipment size: 11 pallets"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Breakeven pallet count: 13",
      "Your LTL cost at current size: $1,595",
      "Savings if switched to FTL now: -$255",
      "FTL cost per pallet (current size): $168.18"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter ltl cost per pallet (this lane) ($).",
      "Enter ftl flat rate (this lane) ($).",
      "Enter trailer capacity (pallets).",
      "Enter your typical shipment size (pallets).",
      "Read your breakeven pallet count on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "ltlPerPallet": 85,
        "ftlFlatRate": 1100,
        "trailerCapacity": 16,
        "currentPallets": 7
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "ltlPerPallet": 145,
        "ftlFlatRate": 1850,
        "trailerCapacity": 26,
        "currentPallets": 11
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "ltlPerPallet": 230,
        "ftlFlatRate": 2950,
        "trailerCapacity": 42,
        "currentPallets": 18
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What's a typical breakeven point in pallets?",
      "a": "It varies heavily by lane and carrier pricing, but 8-14 pallets is a common range on regional lanes where LTL per-pallet cost runs $120-$180 and a dry van FTL rate runs $1,400-$2,200. Longer lanes tend to push the breakeven point higher because LTL accessorials and per-pallet cost compound over distance more than a flat FTL rate does."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does trailer capacity matter if I'm not filling it?",
      "a": "Not for the pure cost comparison — FTL is a flat rate whether you ship 10 pallets or 26 in the same trailer, so once your pallet count crosses the breakeven, FTL is cheaper even at partial trailer capacity. The only reason to wait for a fuller trailer is if you're trying to maximize the value extracted per truckload dollar, not minimize cost per shipment."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I combine multiple LTL shipments into one FTL move?",
      "a": "This is one of the most common freight consolidation wins — if you have several LTL shipments going to nearby destinations or through the same regional hub within a day or two of each other, consolidating them into a single truckload or multi-stop truckload often beats paying for each one separately, even accounting for the extra coordination effort."
    },
    {
      "q": "How often do LTL and FTL rates change?",
      "a": "LTL general rate increases typically happen 1-2 times a year plus fuel surcharge adjustments monthly, while FTL spot rates can swing weekly with market capacity. Re-run this breakeven calculation quarterly with current rates rather than relying on a number from a year ago, since the crossover point moves as both markets shift."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freight-class-density",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dock-door-throughput",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/container-stuffing-utilization"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — LTL vs. FTL Breakeven Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ltl-ftl-breakeven)"
}