Regional LTL Cubic Capacity Rules: Southeastern (SEFL), Averitt Express, Dayton Freight & Pitt Ohio

Why regional carriers matter for high-cube freight

On lanes under roughly 600 to 700 miles, regional LTL carriers are often the fastest and best-priced option. Their networks are dense inside their footprint, they run more next-day and second-day lanes, and a shipment usually touches fewer terminals than it would on a national network. For tall, light freight that is worth something on its own: every terminal skipped is one less forklift move under a fragile load.

The four carriers this page covers are broadly known for these footprints:

Footprints change as carriers grow and partner, so confirm direct coverage for your origin and destination ZIP codes on the carrier's own service map before you plan around one.

The common pattern in regional rules tariffs

Regional carriers publish their own rules tariffs, and each one words its cubic and capacity provisions differently. We do not quote item numbers for these carriers on this page because we have not verified them against the current issues; the item that governs your shipment is the one in the carrier's issue in force on the ship date. What the rules tariffs we have seen have in common:

• A low-density cube threshold. The most common is 750 cu ft under 6 PCF. Some carriers add a 350 cu ft under 3 PCF tier, like XPO and Saia.
• A linear foot or space rule. A shipment occupying 10 to 15 LF or more can be rated on floor space, on a per-foot minimum or as a volume or capacity shipment.
• 96 in imputation. Freight that is labelled do not stack, has an irregular top, or is too tall for a second unit above it is measured at the trailer ceiling.
• A synthetic weight or minimum charge. Usually 6 lbs per cubic foot of tariff cube, or a published cubic minimum charge, with an inspection or correction fee.

The engine on this page screens against the strictest common set: both cube tiers and a 12 LF line. If your load passes that screen it is very likely to pass any regional carrier's rule; if it fails, read the specific carrier's tariff before tendering.

How to find the rule in a regional rules tariff

1. Get the rules tariff, not the rate tariff. Carriers publish a rules and accessorial tariff separately from base rates. It is usually linked from the carrier's website under tariffs, rules or shipping resources.
2. Note the issue number and effective date. Carriers reissue rules tariffs, and the current issue governs. Record which issue you read.
3. Search the item index. Look for the words cubic, capacity, density, linear foot, space, minimum charge and non-stackable. The cubic provision and the linear foot provision are often separate items.
4. Write down four numbers. Cube threshold, density threshold, linear foot line, and the height used for non-stackable freight.
5. Read the charge basis. Synthetic weight per cubic foot, per-linear-foot minimum, volume rate or flat cubic minimum charge, and whether your contract discount applies.

Ten minutes with the tariff is cheaper than one re-bill. Keep the four numbers for each regional carrier you use in your routing guide and update them when the carrier reissues.

Worked example: seven skids that clear 750 by 3.3 cu ft

Seven 48×40 skids of HVAC air handlers in cartons, 58 in tall, 260 lbs each, marked do not stack. Lane length 600 miles, a typical regional haul.

How this load fares depends entirely on which pattern the regional carrier publishes:

A carrier with only the 750 tier and no linear foot rule would rate this on scale weight. Any carrier with a 350 tier or a linear foot line up to 16 LF would re-rate it. Indicative engine figures for 600 miles: about $436 rated cleanly, about $1,062 re-rated, about $608 as a spot volume LTL quote and about $704 on a direct partial truckload. These are planning numbers, not quotes.

Trimming the order to fit the rule

Against a carrier that publishes only the 750 tier and a 15 LF line, six skids clear outright and seven trip on floor space. Against a carrier with the 350 tier, even four non-stackable skids are exposed. That is why the four numbers from each tariff matter: the same order can be clean at one regional carrier and re-billed at the next. If the units can be capped and made stackable at 58 in, tariff cube drops to the real 451.1 cu ft at 4.03 PCF and both cube tiers clear, though the skids still sit single high.

A routing guide entry for each regional carrier

Once you have read a regional carrier's rules tariff, record what you found in a fixed format so the whole shipping team routes the same way. A template, filled with the fields you need and blank where the carrier's tariff supplies the value:

The last row is the useful one. A shipping clerk does not need the tariff; they need to know that seven non-stackable skids of your air handlers go out as a volume quote, not as class-rated LTL.

Interline and partner shipments

Regional carriers often hand freight to a partner carrier for points outside their own footprint. When that happens, ask before tendering which carrier's rules tariff governs the shipment and which carrier's dimensioner reading will be used. Do not assume the origin carrier's rule follows the freight. If you cannot get a clear answer, screen the load against the strictest common set in the engine, or move it on a direct partial truckload where one truck carries it from dock to dock and no rules tariff applies.

For corridor-level planning, the Southeast corridor and Midwest corridor pages cover typical transit and mode choices where these carriers are strongest. The national carriers' rules are compared on the carrier cube rules hub.

Summary of carrier rules tariff provisions as indexed by Cubic Transport. Carriers reissue rules tariffs; the current issue on the carrier's site governs any bill.

Frequently asked questions