Glossary Discription

Part load, also known as partial load or part truck load, refers to a shipment that occupies only a portion of a truck’s cargo space and weight capacity, falling between parcel shipping and full truckload (FTL) quantities. Part load shipments typically involve multiple pallets or larger packages that are too substantial for parcel carriers but insufficient to justify dedicating an entire truck. Carriers consolidate multiple part load shipments from different customers into a single truck, optimizing vehicle utilization and reducing transportation costs compared to booking a full truck for smaller volumes. Part load services are common in less-than-truckload (LTL) networks and groupage operations where freight is consolidated at distribution hubs before being transported to regional destinations and subsequently deconsolidated for final delivery. 

Characteristics:

• Occupies portion of truck capacity (typically 1-10 pallets)
• Consolidated with other shippers’ freight for efficiency
• More economical than full truckload for smaller volumes
• Longer transit times than FTL due to consolidation/deconsolidation
• Priced based on space occupied and weight
• Handled through LTL carrier networks or groupage services