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    LTL freight cost estimator: how the rate, the break and the surcharges add up

    Enter the weight and the rates from your carrier's tariff or quote. The estimator applies them in the usual order, checks whether the next weight break is cheaper, and shows a range that includes a reclass.

    lb

    From your carrier's tariff or quote, at your class

    $/cwt
    $/cwt
    lb
    $/cwt
    %
    $
    %
    $

    Liftgate, residential, inside delivery

    Weight-break ladder
    EXAMPLE rates, use yours
    1,800 lb2,000 lb break0gross charge

    Shaded: weights where billing at the next break costs less, so the carrier bills the break weight.

    Estimated LTL cost

    $465 to $543

    Billed as 2,000 lb (deficit weight), which is cheaper than the actual weight. Net freight $300.00, fuel surcharge $90.00, accessorials $75.00. About $25.83 per cwt all in.

    The higher figure is the same shipment if the carrier reclasses it one class up. An estimate, not a quote.

    Where the money goes
    Example

    Total $465

    Shipping freight? We don't quote or move LTL: we dispatch carriers. Run a 26 ft box or a van and want steady partial and LTL-sized freight? Our dispatchers find it, and you approve every load.

    See dispatch for carriers

    LTL pricing looks complicated because several rules apply in a fixed order, not because the arithmetic is hard. This LTL freight cost estimator walks your carrier's numbers through that order: rate per hundredweight, the weight-break check, the discount, the minimum charge, the fuel surcharge and accessorials. The ladder chart shows the one rule most shippers miss: the point where a heavier billed weight is cheaper.

    How it is calculated

    1. Gross charge. Weight ÷ 100 × your rate per hundredweight (cwt) for the class and weight break.
    2. Weight-break check. Next break weight ÷ 100 × the next break's rate. If that is lower, the estimator bills the break weight, called deficit weight.
    3. Discount. Gross charge × (1 - discount %). Many LTL prices are a large discount off a base tariff.
    4. Minimum. If the discounted charge is under the minimum, the minimum applies.
    5. Fuel surcharge. Net freight charge × fuel surcharge %, which carriers usually set from a weekly diesel price table.
    6. Accessorials. Added at the end, at the amounts you enter.

    The high end of the range repeats steps 1 to 5 with your rate one class higher. Every rate comes from you: the estimator holds no rate tables, and only the carrier's tariff sets the bill.

    A worked example

    1,800 lb, just under a breakExample

    1. AS WEIGHED18 cwt × $60.00 = $1,080.00
    2. AT THE BREAK20 cwt × $50.00 = $1,000.00, cheaper, so bill 2,000 lb
    3. NET$1,000.00 less 70% = $300.00, over the $150 minimum
    4. ADDFuel 30% = $90.00, accessorials $75.00
    5. TOTAL$465.00; about $543.00 if reclassed one class up

    These are the estimator's EXAMPLE rates, not market rates. Put in the numbers from your own quote or tariff.

    How to read the result

    If the result is near the minimum, consolidating shipments or shipping less often can cut the cost per pound. If you sit just under a weight break, the deficit-weight rule is already working for you. If the reclass figure is far above the estimate, your class is the biggest risk: check the density with care before you book. The per-cwt figure lets you compare quotes with different discounts and surcharges on equal terms, and the freight rate per cwt calculator converts between per-cwt, per-pound and flat rates.

    Comparing two LTL quotes

    Two quotes for the same shipment can look far apart and land close together, or the reverse. One may show a high base rate with a deep discount; another a lower rate with a smaller discount and a higher fuel surcharge. Run each through the estimator with its own numbers and compare the all-in total and the per-cwt figure, not the headline rate. Then check what each includes: the same accessorials, the same class, and the same pickup and delivery terms. A quote that leaves out a liftgate you need will cost more on the bill than it shows on the quote.

    Where LTL costs hide

    • Class. A class that's too low on the BOL leads to a reclass and often an inspection fee.
    • Dimensions. Pallets that overhang or can't be stacked take more space than their weight suggests.
    • Accessorials. Services found at delivery are billed then, usually at a higher rate.
    • Fuel. The surcharge moves with diesel prices, so the same lane costs more in a high-fuel week.

    For the wider picture of what drives shipping prices, read freight shipping cost (coming soon) and our freight cost analysis (coming soon) guide.

    The carrier's side

    LTL carriers and the box trucks and vans that haul partials price from their cost per mile, not from a class table. If you run equipment, the trucking cost per mile calculator tells you the floor under any rate.

    We dispatch carriers; we don't quote or ship freight. If you run a 26 ft box or a van on partial and LTL-sized freight, our box truck dispatch team finds it and checks the rate against your costs, and you approve every load. Send an application.

    Questions about this calculator

    How do you calculate LTL rates?
    Divide the billed weight by 100 to get hundredweight, multiply by the rate per hundredweight for your class and weight break, and take off any discount. If the result is under the minimum charge, the minimum applies. Add the fuel surcharge as a percentage of that net charge, then add accessorials like liftgate or residential delivery. Your carrier's tariff sets every number.
    Is this an LTL freight quote calculator?
    No. A quote comes from a carrier or broker who will move the freight, under their tariff and rules. This estimator does the arithmetic on rates you already have, so you can check a quote, compare two, or see how weight, discount and surcharges move the total. We dispatch carriers; we don't quote or ship LTL freight.
    What is a weight break in LTL pricing?
    LTL rates per hundredweight drop as shipments get heavier, in steps called weight breaks. Just below a break, billing at the break weight and its lower rate can cost less than billing the actual weight. Tariffs usually allow that, billing the difference as deficit weight. The ladder chart shows where that happens for your rates.
    Why is the LTL freight cost calculator showing a range?
    The low figure uses your rate at the class you expect. The high figure uses your rate one class higher, which is what happens if the carrier inspects the freight and reclasses it. Reclasses are common when dimensions or weight are off, so the range shows the cost of being wrong. Measure carefully to stay at the low end.
    What accessorials add to an LTL freight bill?
    Common ones are liftgate service, residential or limited-access delivery, inside delivery, delivery appointments, and notify-before-delivery. Each has its own charge in the carrier's tariff. Put every service you need on the bill of lading before pickup, because services added at delivery often cost more and can delay the shipment.