Less than truckload shipping – LTL transport services

By definition, LTL stands for less than truckload and refers to the transport of large loads by road in a shared truck. The advantage of using LTL transport services is that you only pay for the space you occupy, sharing the cost and space in the vehicle with other shippers. The LTL transport service is usually faster than a regular pallet delivery because it usually does not involve check-ups in depots along the way.

While LTL refers only to transport by road, LCL (less than container load) can refer to road, rail and sea freight. Both methods are cost-effective, as you only pay for the space you need, and share the vehicle or container with other shipments. For more information on LCL, see our page dedicated to sea freight.

It depends mostly on the distance between the origin and destination. When booking a shared truck (LTL) transport, your goods will be delivered almost directly. Even though LTL transport is technically considered a groupage shipping service, it has much fewer stops than the pallet delivery service because, in this case, each shipment takes up a significant portion of the truck and, therefore, it requires fewer stops. To discover the exact delivery time estimation for your route, select the origin and destination on our booking engine and our system will automatically calculate the time prediction on the bottom of the following page after you insert the full addresses.

LTL, or ‘less than truckload’, refers to palletised shipments which do not require the entire space of the truck for transport by road. Instead, the area inside the vehicle is shared with other shippers, saving you the cost of reserving a truck that will ride with empty space. On the other hand, FTL, which means ‘full truckload’, is ideal for shipments which do require an entire vehicle. FTL is a faster way of transporting freight than LTL, as your goods are transported directly to their destination, without diversion.

Once the service is confirmed, we will inform you via e-mail the name of the LTL freight carrier selected to perform your shipping service. At Eurosender, we only work with the best regional and international freight companies in the business, and we match you with the most suitable LTL carrier to complete the job, based on your requirements.

LTL shipping services are suitable for a range of different shipments, including multiple boxed packages, furniture for removals, and other larger, bulky items, which are too small to occupy a full truck or van, but too large to send via standard shipment. For a complete list of what you can send, check our dedicated page.

A forklift is useful for loading and unloading pallets on the truck. When scheduling the service, please have in mind that it is the shipper’s responsibility to load and unload the LTL shipment; therefore, you are expected to have all the necessary equipment to do so. If you require any additional tool or assistance during pick-up or delivery, please inform us during the booking process so we can arrange it for you directly with the LTL carrier.

When booking your LTL shipment with us, the carrier driver will usually contact the customer to confirm the details before performing the collection or delivery. Please make sure you can be contacted by phone, and your shipment is ready for collection on the scheduled date before your LTL carrier arrives.

Every time you book an LTL shipping service with us, you already have basic insurance coverage included in the price. If you would like to protect your LTL shipment even further, we offer affordable options for additional transport insurance available during the booking process. Check more information about insurance for LTL shipments on our dedicated page.