Full Truckload Pricing, Demystified: A Hands-On Cost Guide

Getting an FTL quote shouldn’t feel like rolling dice. You’re buying a whole trailer and a driver’s clock, so a small miss in the math can erase your margin.

This guide shows what moves the number and how to price a lane.

What “Full Truckload” Really Means

FTL is one shipment per trailer—often 10+ pallets or more than 10,000 pounds—moving dock to dock with minimal touches. It’s faster and lower risk than LTL, but the invoice still reflects miles, time, and the route’s reality: tolls, grades, weather, and urban congestion.

Price Drivers You Can’t Ignore

Distance matters, yet lane geometry and deadhead matter too. Diesel swings flow through fuel surcharges that track public benchmarks. Weight, cube, and special handling change capacity math; equipment choice (dry van, reefer, flatbed) narrows the truck pool. Dwell beyond free time triggers detention. Seasonality drives spot rates; produce harvests and holidays tighten capacity.

From Inputs to a Clear Quote

Begin with the lane’s base cents-per-mile, then layer: projected miles (include repositioning), carrier fuel surcharge, accessorials (liftgate, driver assist, appointments, lumper, after-hours), plus a market factor tied to date and region. Document every assumption so the math is auditable. A flexible pickup window can drop the number more than expected. For quick “what-ifs,” a freight cost calculator lets you model alternate days, equipment, and dwell allowances.

Practical Ways to Keep Costs Down

Small tweaks compound over time. Book earlier when capacity is thin. Offer wider pickup hours. Tighten packaging so freight stacks cleanly and cubes the trailer. Combine orders on the same corridor. Track detention and fix slow docks with staggered schedules. Share rolling three-month forecasts so core carriers stage trailers and commit capacity at steadier rates.

Conclusion

FTL cost is never “just miles.” It is miles, time, fuel, handling, and the market you are buying in. Write assumptions, verify them, and price the lane consistently. Do that and quotes get faster, invoices smoother, margins steadier.