What is cost per hundredweight?

Hundredweight (cwt) equals 100 lb. LTL carriers price per cwt, so cost per cwt is total LTL charge divided by (weight in lb / 100). It lets you compare LTL and FTL on the same per-unit basis.

How is the FTL break-even weight found?

FTL is a flat linehaul cost, so its cost per cwt falls as weight rises. The break-even is the weight where the FTL flat rate divided by (weight/100) equals the LTL rate per cwt: break-even lb = (FTL flat / LTL rate per cwt) × 100.

When should I choose FTL over LTL?

FTL usually wins above roughly 12,000 to 15,000 lb, when your freight class is high, when transit must be direct with no terminal handling, or when goods are fragile. This tool gives you the exact crossover for your specific rates.

Does this account for freight class?

Freight class is already baked into the LTL rate per cwt you enter, since carriers quote rate by class. Pick the correct class first, get the per-cwt rate, then enter it here. FTL is class-independent.

What about volume LTL and partial truckload?

Those modes sit between LTL and FTL and are often cheaper for 5,000 to 12,000 lb. This tool compares the two endpoints; if your shipment is near the break-even, also request a volume LTL or partial quote.

LTL vs. FTL Decision Tool

Choosing between less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-truckload (FTL) comes down to where the per-unit cost lines cross. LTL prices per hundredweight, so it scales with weight; FTL is a flat linehaul, so its per-unit cost drops the heavier you load. This tool finds the exact break-even for your lane.

How it works

LTL cost is weight-based; FTL is fixed. Putting both on a cost-per-cwt basis:

weight cwt        = weight in lb / 100
LTL total         = (LTL rate per cwt × weight cwt) + LTL accessorials
LTL cost per cwt  = LTL total / weight cwt
FTL cost per cwt  = FTL flat rate / weight cwt
break-even lb     = (FTL flat / LTL rate per cwt) × 100

Below the break-even weight, LTL’s lower per-cwt cost wins. Above it, the fixed FTL linehaul is spread over enough weight to undercut LTL.

Example

With an LTL rate of 35 per cwt and an FTL flat rate of 1,400, the break-even is (1,400 ÷ 35) × 100 = 4,000 lb. At 3,000 lb LTL is cheaper (1,050 vs 1,400); at 6,000 lb FTL wins (1,400 vs 2,100).

Notes

LTL accessorials (liftgate, residential, fuel) shift the crossover down because they add to LTL cost without affecting FTL. For weights near the break-even, always also price volume LTL or partial truckload, which can beat both endpoints.