Guides for shipping LTL without surprises
Everything on this site is written to be read before you request a quote, not after you have been sold something. Here is the whole of it, in a sensible order.
Start here if LTL is new to you
- What LTL delivery service actually is — the network, the five phases of a shipment, and why transit times are estimates.
- Carrier, broker or 3PL — who you are actually dealing with, and how to check.
- What an LTL price is built from — the five components, and the six reasons an invoice changes.
Before you request a quote
- The eleven details that keep a quote from changing — and how to measure a pallet so it stays true.
- Freight class and dimensions — density in plain arithmetic, and the four causes of a reclass.
- Building a pallet that survives rehandling — overhang, stacking, wrapping, labelling.
Access and accessorials
- Liftgate service — when it is required, what it does not cover, and the three ways a missing one plays out.
- Residential pickup and delivery — why the definition is broader than it sounds, and the honest ways around the charge.
- Commercial LTL — dock hours, appointments and detention.
When the date matters
- Expedited and guaranteed LTL — three service levels, and the one question that tells you which you need.
If a specific question is not answered anywhere here, the FAQ covers the ones that come up most often, and anything else can go in the notes field of a shipment request.
Read first, then describe the shipment
The pages above are written to be useful whether or not you ever submit anything. If you do, they will make the request a better one.
LTL Freight Match is an independent freight intake platform. It is not a carrier, not a broker, and it does not move freight, issue rates or guarantee capacity.