FedEx® LTL freight
shipping options
Find the right balance of speed and economy.
Create a free business account to get shipping discounts and earn rewards.
Create a free business account to get shipping
discounts and earn rewards.
Hit the road with affordable LTL shipping:
Hit the road with affordable LTL shipping:
Hit the road with affordable LTL shipping:
What is LTL freight?
LTL (less-than-truckload) freight is a shipment that typically weighs more than 150 lbs.1 It travels by truck, but only needs a portion of the trailer space. And it's easily moved with a forklift or pallet jack. You can ship FedEx LTL freight within the U.S. and to Canada and Mexico.
FedEx Freight® Priority has the fastest published transit times of any nationwide LTL service.
We’re the first nationwide LTL carrier to not require a handwritten Bill of Lading.
FedEx was one of the first LTL carriers to become ISO 9001 certified.
Choose and customize FedEx LTL freight services
Find the LTL freight option that fits your shipping needs. Then, you can request a
specific date or delivery time, depending on the service.
Find the LTL freight option that fits your shipping needs. Then, you can request a specific date
or delivery time, depending on the service.
Find the LTL freight option that fits your shipping needs. Then, you can request a specific date or delivery time, depending on the service.
FedEx Freight® Priority
Get delivery typically in 1–3 days (depending on origin and destination). Ship throughout the contiguous U.S., with extensive service to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico.
FedEx Freight® Priority Plus
You can request a delivery time—or delivery one day earlier than the published FedEx Freight Priority transit time. Call 1.800.845.4636 or email priorityplus@fedex.com.
FedEx Freight® Economy
Trade time and speed for savings, with delivery typically in 3–6 days. Ship to multiple North American destinations, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
10:30 a.m. delivery on the standard delivery date, depending on your location
Check your destination ZIP code eligibility. See the FXF 100 Series Rules Tariff for applicable surcharges.
To request 10:30 a.m. delivery, check “A.M. Delivery” under Guaranteed Service Options (if you’re using a FedEx Bill of Lading). Write “A.M. Delivery” in the special instructions section of your Bill of Lading.
5 p.m. delivery on the standard delivery date
Close of Business Delivery is available throughout the contiguous 48 states. Your shipment will arrive on its scheduled due date by the end of the business day. See the FXF 100 Series Rules Tariff for special handling fees.
To request Close of Business Delivery, check “Close of Business Delivery” under Guaranteed Service Options (if you’re using a FedEx Bill of Lading). Write “Close of Business” in the special instructions section of your Bill of Lading.
Retail delivery solutions
Get benefits that go beyond standard LTL services. FedEx Freight Retail Flex is a contract-only service. It helps you strengthen customer relationships, minimize financial penalties, and streamline distribution.
- It helps ensure on-time delivery to avoid late fees.
- Every handling unit is accounted for to reduce incomplete shipments and chargebacks.
- You have access to supply chain experts who can provide tailored shipping strategies.
Choose from three options.
- Retail Must Arrive: The shipment must arrive within the retailer’s required delivery window.
- Retail In Full: All handling units must be present before delivery.
- Retail Customized Solution: If Retail Must Arrive or Retail in Full doesn’t meet your needs, we can personalize services for you.
Contact us at 1.800.845.4636 (7 a.m.–5 p.m. CT, Monday–Friday) or email fedexretailflex@fedex.com.
Need more info about FedEx LTL freight services? Reach out to your account rep or call Freight Customer Service at 1.866.393.4585.
Ship LTL freight to Canada and Mexico
When you ship LTL freight to Canada or Mexico with FedEx, you get a streamlined brokerage and transportation experience. Our Freight International Services (FIS) team will monitor your shipments, review your paperwork, and follow up with customs. You can reach them 24/7 at 1.800.351.5187.
- You can ship LTL freight to Canada and Mexico with FedEx Freight® Priority. You can ship LTL freight to Canada with FedEx Freight® Economy.
- Call 1.866.393.4685 if you need standard cross-border services (e.g., schedule a pickup, manage your account).
Take freight delivery to the next
(service) level
Take freight delivery to the next (service) level
Deliver big shipments right to your customer’s business or residence—or even through the door. Choose the FedEx Freight Direct service level that works best for your business.
Find freight support that works for you
- Explore specialized services designed for your supply chain
- Check out freight FAQs for answers
- Get familiar with freight lingo
Find freight support that works for you
- Explore specialized services designed for your supply chain
- Check out freight FAQs for answers
- Get familiar with freight lingo
Get step-by-step LTL freight shipping instructions
Start with a shipping label or Bill of Lading
You can create a label online for domestic shipments. You’ll need a paper Bill of Lading for international, hazmat, and some other shipment types. You can:
- Complete the editable fields and print it
- Print it and fill out by hand
Also, make sure you fill out any required shipping forms based on your shipment’s destination.
Classify your freight
Your freight class determines your shipping costs. It’s based on factors including density, liability, and handling requirements. You need a freight class code to get a rate quote or create an online Bill of Lading.
- Use our LTL Freight Classification Tool to estimate your freight class.
- Learn more about LTL freight classifications and how to calculate them.
Unfamiliar with freight classification or need help? Contact us to quickly receive a quote based on dimensions, weight, and distance instead.
Get an LTL freight quote
Once you’ve classified your freight, you can get a quote.
- Save time by comparing rate quotes from multiple carriers—all in one place. It’s fast and free to use LTL Select.
- Get an LTL quote for shipping throughout the U.S. and to Mexico and Canada.
- If your freight shipments weigh between 4,000 lbs. and 44,000 lbs., get economical large-volume rates.
How to save on LTL shipping
How to save on LTL shipping
- Open a free FedEx account to save on freight shipping—and other FedEx® services.
- Use our flat-rate FedEx Freight® box for shipments that weigh less than 1,200 lbs. You get simple, predictable pricing, and you don’t need to classify your freight.2
- Join FedEx Rewards to earn rewards and exclusive offers when you ship.
Pack and prep your LTL freight
The safest and most efficient way to ship LTL freight is on pallets. But you need to choose pallets that can handle compression, shock, and vibration. And what about other packaging materials? Or labels that show your shipment is fragile, high value, or top load only? You’ll find lots of best practices in our freight packaging guide.
Schedule an LTL pickup
- You can request a one-time pickup when you create your shipping label or Bill of Lading.
- You can schedule a pickup up to 10 business days in advance.
- 3 p.m. is the general cutoff time for scheduling a pickup.
- Pickups are planned for a 90-minute window. The latest pickup time is at least 90 minutes before your dock closes. Times vary based on which freight service you choose and your destination. Call 1.866.393.4585 to confirm cutoff times.
- Let us know if you need to request a liftgate for pickup or delivery. A liftgate is the device on a truck that raises and lowers freight to and from the ground to the trailer. If there’s no shipping dock, make sure you request a liftgate to avoid delays and extra fees.
Track your LTL shipment
Each individual pallet has its own shipping label and unique 12-digit tracking number. You can track your shipment online or with the FedEx® Mobile app.
FAQs
You can request a consultation. A FedEx sales consultant will call you in 1 to 2 business days.
It depends on your shipment’s origin, destination, and the service option you choose. With FedEx Freight Priority, your shipment will typically arrive within 1–3 days. With FedEx Freight Economy, it will typically arrive within 3–6 days.
As a general guideline, FedEx Freight considers the following criteria for shipments to be considered less-than-truckload (LTL):
- Shipment utilizes less than 15 feet and either of the following conditions apply:
- Is less than 5 feet wide, or
- An article identical in size and shipping form to the largest article in the shipment will also fit
- Shipment weight is less than 15,000 pounds
- Single pallet weight is less than 2,000 pounds
Most LTL freight is shipped on pallets. It’s more efficient and helps reduce damage to your items. To learn how to correctly pack your freight and keep it safe in transit, see our freight packaging guidelines.
A Bill of Lading is a document used to ship LTL freight. While you can create a domestic freight shipping label online instead of using a paper Bill of Lading, international, hazmat and Shipper’s Load and Count shipments still require a traditional paper Bill of Lading. Learn more about Bills of Lading, including how to complete one.
LTL freight typically weighs at least 150 lbs., but doesn’t take up a full truckload. It’s usually shipped on pallets and is easily moved with a forklift or pallet jack. It requires a Bill of Lading and sometimes other forms, depending on your shipment’s destination.
Less-than-truckload freight doesn’t take up all the space of a truck trailer. Full-truckload freight does, or it meets the weight limits of the truck trailer.
LTL freight shipping rates are calculated based on dimensions and weight (including packaging), freight classification, and shipping service. They’re affected by origin and destination, surcharges, and discounts. Learn more about calculating freight shipping costs.
1As a general guideline, FedEx Freight considers the following criteria for shipments to be considered less-than-truckload (LTL):
- Shipment utilizes less than 15 feet and either of the following conditions apply:
- Is less than 5 feet wide, or
- An article identical in size and shipping form to the largest article in the shipment will also fit
- Shipment weight is less than 15,000 pounds
- Single pallet weight is less than 2,000 pounds
2Flat rates based on zone pricing. Find rates and zone information. Rates are subject to the General Rate Increase (GRI), and all accessorial charges in the FedEx Freight 100 Rules Tariff will apply. Exception: Item 404 (absolute minimum charge) will not apply as the FedEx Freight box is not discountable. Pricing is subject to the standard FedEx Freight 100 fuel surcharge. Use of the FedEx Freight box will supersede any negotiated pricing. Maximum liability is $7.50 per lb. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico are not covered by FedEx Freight box rates. Hazardous materials are prohibited. Maximum weight allowed for each freight box is 1,200 lbs.