What it means
The FHWA glossary defines a truckload as the "quantity of freight required to fill a truck, or at a minimum, the amount required to qualify for a truckload rate."[1] In practice the defining feature is exclusivity: as RXO puts it, only one shipper's freight moves on the truck, and the shipper "has exclusively reserved the full capacity of the truck" even if it does not fill it.[2]
Because the trailer is loaded, sealed and driven straight to its destination, truckload freight is handled less than LTL. How the two compare, and where volume LTL sits between them, is in LTL vs. FTL.
Example
A manufacturer loads 26 pallets into a 53-ft dry van, seals it and the carrier drives it directly to the customer's DC, with no stops at terminals along the way.
Related
Related terms
- Less-Than-TruckloadLess-than-truckload (LTL) is freight shipping in which several shippers' shipments share one trailer, each...Glossary
- Dry VanA dry van is an enclosed, non-refrigerated box trailer for general freight; the 53-ft dry van is the most...Glossary
- Freight ConsolidationFreight consolidation is combining several smaller shipments into one larger load, such as several LTL...Glossary
- Shipper Load and CountShipper load and count (SLC or SL&C) is a bill of lading notation meaning the shipper loaded and counted the...Glossary
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Sources
- Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations, “Freight Glossary,” Government glossary. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- RXO, “LTL vs. FTL: Don't Ship Without Learning the 7 Key Differences,” Industry publication. Accessed September 30, 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.