Compare every mode on the same freight
- Safe — tariff cube, density and linear feet stay under the carrier's cube and linear-foot rules.
- Tier 1 — 350 cu ft or more under 3 PCF (XPO, Saia, ABF, Estes): synthetic weight of 6 lbs per tariff cubic foot.
- Re-bill — 750 cu ft or more under 6 PCF, or linear feet at the carrier's rule: book volume LTL or direct partial truckload.
Reading the comparison
The engine above prices the freight six ways on the haul miles you choose. The two LTL lines show the shipment as the bill of lading describes it (base tariff) and as the carrier is likely to invoice it after dimensioning (with cube or linear-foot re-rating). The lowest realistic line is marked: when the load is green, the re-billed line is ignored; when it is amber or red, the base line is ignored, because that is not what you will pay.
The preset — fourteen non-stackable skids, 72 inches tall, 380 lbs each, 1,200 miles — is a typical mid-size manufacturer's order:
| Mode | Indicative linehaul | Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Standard LTL, base tariff (class 175) | $1,946 | 2–4 terminal cross-docks |
| Standard LTL after cube re-bill | $3,108 | 2–4 terminal cross-docks |
| Spot volume LTL (28 LF) | $1,686 | Terminals, volume handling |
| Direct partial truckload | $1,911 | None: dock to dock |
| Dedicated 26' box truck | $2,820 | None |
| 53' full truckload | $2,940 | None |
The base LTL figure looks competitive, but the load measures 1,120 cubic feet, is cubed to 1,493 cubic feet at 96 inches and occupies 28 linear feet. Every major carrier's rule applies. The realistic choice is between spot volume LTL at about $1,690 and a direct partial at about $1,910 — a $220 difference that buys zero terminal handling for fourteen tall, non-stackable units.
Break-even points by size
Running the model across load sizes on an 800-mile lane with non-stackable 48×40 skids at 66 inches and about 4 PCF shows the pattern traffic managers see in their own freight bills:
| Skids | Actual cu ft | Tariff cu ft | LF | Rule status | Usually cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 147 | 213 | 4 | Safe | Standard LTL |
| 4 | 293 | 427 | 8 | Tier 1 (XPO/Saia/ABF) | LTL or volume LTL |
| 6 | 440 | 640 | 12 | Linear-foot rule | Spot volume LTL |
| 8 | 587 | 853 | 16 | 750 cu ft rule | Volume LTL / direct PTL |
| 12 | 880 | 1,280 | 24 | 750 cu ft + LF | Direct PTL |
| 18 | 1,320 | 1,920 | 36 | All rules | Direct PTL or 53' truckload |
The crossover sits where tariff cube passes 750 cubic feet or the floor passes 12 linear feet. For most non-stackable freight that is the sixth to eighth skid.
The costs a rate sheet leaves out
- Re-bills arrive after delivery. W&I corrections and cube charges are invoiced days or weeks later, after the freight cost has been booked to the job. A partial truckload is quoted on the footprint and does not re-rate.
- Every terminal is a forklift touch. A typical LTL shipment crosses an origin terminal, one or two breakbulks and a destination terminal. Tall, light, non-stackable freight is exactly what gets top-loaded, shifted and punctured; a direct partial stays on one trailer.
- Transit is less predictable. LTL transit tables assume freight makes each linehaul; volume freight is the first to be held for space. A direct partial runs on the truck's own schedule.
- Accessorials stack. Liftgate, inside delivery, appointment and limited-access fees apply to both modes, but LTL also adds reweigh and inspection fees on cube corrections.
When LTL is still right
Dense, stackable, rigid freight under about 350 cubic feet and 8 linear feet — machine parts, boxed hardware, bagged materials — is usually cheapest as class-rated LTL with a negotiated discount. The engine's green badge means exactly that: book it as LTL and keep the BOL dimensions accurate.
Volume LTL is the right answer for loads of roughly 6–12 pallets and 12–24 linear feet that can tolerate terminal handling and a flexible delivery day. Direct partial truckload is the right answer when the freight is fragile, tall, non-stackable, time-definite, or simply too big for the volume desk.
How Cubic Transport quotes the comparison
- Dimensional pre-audit. We run your dimensions against the cube and linear-foot rules of the carriers that serve the lane.
- Two-sided quote. We ask carrier volume desks and partial truckload carriers for the same freight on the same pickup date.
- One recommendation. You get the delivered-cost comparison and the mode we would book, with the BOL description that keeps it from re-rating.
Start with the spot rate tender, or read how direct partial truckload and spot volume LTL work in detail.
