Two carriers, one cube tier
Neither R+L nor TForce publishes the 350 cu ft tier used by XPO, Saia, ABF and Estes. Both test a shipment at 750 cu ft under 6 PCF, both impute 96 in on freight that cannot carry top weight, and both re-rate on a synthetic weight with a correction or reclassification fee. The table lines up what the rules tariffs say:
| Provision | R+L Carriers | TForce Freight |
|---|---|---|
| Rules tariff | RLCA 100 (cubic capacity and linear foot rule) | UPGF 102 (cubic capacity and density rules) |
| Cube trigger | 750 cu ft or more under 6 PCF | 750 cu ft or more under 6 PCF |
| 350 cu ft tier | Not published | Not published |
| Linear foot trigger | 12 LF or more | Not listed in the rule we reviewed |
| Height imputation | Full trailer height when freight cannot support top weight | 96 in on non-stackable skids |
| Penalty mechanism | Synthetic weight floor of 750–1,000 lbs per LF, plus W&I correction charge | Synthetic weight adjustment plus reclassification fee |
TForce Freight's tariff prefix, UPGF, dates from its time as UPS Ground Freight. Our engine screens TForce loads at 12 LF as well, as a conservative check; whether a TForce linear foot provision applies to your load is a question for the current UPGF 102 issue.
Run your load against R+L or TForce
- 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.
R+L and the weight floor per linear foot
R+L's linear foot rule is the provision that changes the arithmetic. Once a shipment occupies 12 LF or more, the rated weight can be set at a floor of 750 to 1,000 lbs for each linear foot, depending on the provision in force. That is a floor-space charge expressed in pounds:
Cube-based floor = tariff cu ft × 6 lbs
Rated weight = the greater of scale weight and the applicable floor
| Linear feet | Floor at 750 lbs / LF | Floor at 1,000 lbs / LF |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 9,000 lbs | 12,000 lbs |
| 16 | 12,000 lbs | 16,000 lbs |
| 20 | 15,000 lbs | 20,000 lbs |
| 24 | 18,000 lbs | 24,000 lbs |
For dense freight these floors rarely matter: 12 LF of palletised canned goods already weighs more than 9,000 lbs. For light freight they are severe. A 12 LF load of 2,000 lbs of foam can be rated at four and a half times its weight or more.
Worked example: six non-stackable 48×48 skids
Six 48×48 skids of rotomolded plastic housings, 70 in tall, 320 lbs each, marked do not stack. Lane length 850 miles.
| Measure | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Actual cube | 48 × 48 × 70 ÷ 1,728 × 6 | 560.0 cu ft |
| Total weight | 320 × 6 | 1,920 lbs |
| Actual density | 1,920 ÷ 560.0 | 3.43 PCF (Class 250) |
| Tariff cube at 96 in | 48 × 48 × 96 ÷ 1,728 × 6 | 768.0 cu ft |
| Tariff density | 1,920 ÷ 768.0 | 2.50 PCF |
| Linear feet | 3 rows × 48 in ÷ 12 | 12 LF |
| Cube trigger (both carriers) | 768 ≥ 750 and 2.50 < 6 | Fires by 18 cu ft |
| Cube-based floor | 768.0 × 6 | 4,608 lbs |
| R+L linear foot floor | 12 × 750 to 12 × 1,000 | 9,000–12,000 lbs |
Both carriers' cube tier fires because the 96 in imputation adds 208 cu ft of phantom cube to a 560 cu ft load. At TForce the synthetic weight of 4,608 lbs applies. At R+L the 12 LF rule also fires, and if the linear foot floor governs, the rated weight is 9,000 lbs or more, close to five times the scale weight.
Indicative engine figures, which model the 6 PCF floor only: about $802 rated cleanly, about $1,315 re-rated, about $750 as a spot volume LTL quote and about $878 on a direct partial truckload. On R+L the linear foot floor would push the re-rate well above the engine figure. These are planning numbers, not quotes.
Four, five or six skids on each carrier
| Skids (48×48×70, non-stackable, 320 lbs) | Tariff cube | Tariff PCF | Linear feet | R+L | TForce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 512.0 | 2.50 | 8 | Clear | Clear |
| 5 | 640.0 | 2.50 | 12 | 12 LF rule fires | Cube clear; check UPGF 102 for space rules |
| 6 | 768.0 | 2.50 | 12 | Cube and 12 LF fire | Cube fires |
The five-skid row is where the two carriers part. Five 48×48 skids sit in three rows, two across with one alone, so they take the same 12 LF as six. At R+L that is enough for the linear foot rule; at TForce the cube is 110 cu ft short of 750 and the load can rate on scale weight unless a separate space provision applies. Indicative engine figures for five skids: about $668 clean and about $1,107 if a rule fires. Four skids clear both carriers at about $534 clean.
The lesson is that an odd skid count wastes floor. Five skids pay for six positions on the trailer floor; if the sixth skid of the same order ships later, it may cost more than the floor it would have filled.
Freight that hits the R+L linear foot floor hardest
The per-linear-foot floor is a weight floor, so it bites in proportion to how light the freight is for the floor it takes. A quick way to see the exposure is to compare actual pounds per linear foot with the 750 lbs floor:
| Load (single high, 2 across) | Linear feet | Weight | Actual lbs per LF | Floor at 750 lbs / LF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 skids foam packaging, 120 lbs each | 12 | 720 lbs | 60 | 9,000 lbs |
| 6 skids 48×48 housings, 320 lbs each (example) | 12 | 1,920 lbs | 160 | 9,000 lbs |
| 8 skids cabinets, 240 lbs each | 16 | 1,920 lbs | 120 | 12,000 lbs |
| 6 skids boxed hardware, 1,600 lbs each | 12 | 9,600 lbs | 800 | 9,000 lbs |
Only the last load, dense hardware, already weighs more than the floor; the rule costs it nothing. Every light load in the table would be rated at many times its scale weight if the linear foot floor governs. For foam, packaging, plastics and assembled furniture past 12 LF, R+L is rarely the right LTL carrier, and a volume quote or partial truckload is the safer tender. The fiberglass and plastics page covers that commodity group in detail.
Choosing between R+L, TForce and a non-LTL mode
- Under 12 LF and under 750 tariff cu ft: both carriers rate on scale weight. Pick on price and transit.
- 12 LF or more, under 750 tariff cu ft, light freight: R+L's linear foot floor makes it the riskier choice; TForce may rate cleanly, subject to the current UPGF 102.
- 750 tariff cu ft or more under 6 PCF: both re-rate. A direct partial truckload or spot volume LTL quote will usually win.
For long, light freight between 12 and 15 LF, Old Dominion is worth a look, since its linear foot line sits at 15 LF. The full matrix is below.
| Carrier | Rules tariff item | Cube / LF trigger | Height imputation | Re-rating mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion | ODFL 100 Item 610-1 | ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF; ≥ 15 LF | Non-stackable or 48–60 in+ units cubed to 96 in | 6 lbs × cu ft at class 125/150 or minimum floor; FAK discount voided |
| XPO | CNWY 199 Item 233 | Tier 1 ≥ 350 cu ft under 3 PCF · Tier 2 ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF | "Do not stack", cone-top or > 60 in cubed to 96 in | Cube × 6 PCF at applicable class with restricted discount, or flat cubic minimum |
| Saia | SAIA 170 Item 111 | ≥ 350 cu ft under 3 PCF or ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF | Forced 96 in on non-stackable / irregular tops | Synthetic density weight floor + W&I inspection fee |
| FedEx Freight | FXF 100 series | ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF, or 10–15+ LF | Over 60 in or non-stackable calculated at 96 in | Minimum density weight or linear-foot minimum charge |
| ABF Freight | ABF 111 Item 616 / 611 | ≥ 350 cu ft under 3 PCF or ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF | Full trailer height (96–102 in) when top-loading restricted | 6 lbs/cu ft synthetic weight or cubic minimum schedule |
| Estes | EXLA 105 | ≥ 350 / ≥ 750 cu ft low-density; 12–15 LF | Non-stackable assessed full 96 in | Re-billed as capacity load / volume rate, contract discount stripped |
| R+L Carriers | RLCA 100 | ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF or ≥ 12 LF | Full height imputed when freight cannot bear top weight | 750–1,000 lbs per LF synthetic floor + W&I correction |
| TForce Freight | UPGF 102 | ≥ 750 cu ft under 6 PCF | 96 in imputation on non-stackable skids | Synthetic weight adjustment + reclassification fee |
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.
Checking RLCA 100 and UPGF 102 before you dispute
R+L reissues RLCA 100 and TForce reissues UPGF 102 like every carrier reissues its rules tariff, and the current issue governs. The 750 to 1,000 lbs per linear foot range on this page reflects the provisions we reviewed, not a promise of the figure in force on your ship date. Before disputing, pull the issue in force and read the cubic capacity, density and linear foot provisions.
- Request the inspection record and dimensioner photos.
- Identify the rule used. On R+L, check whether the re-rate used the cube floor or the linear foot floor; the numbers differ by thousands of pounds.
- Check the row count. Linear feet should follow from unit length and how many units fit across. A miscounted row is a common winner.
- Rebuild tariff cube and density from the scanned dimensions.
The W&I dispute guide has the filing steps.
