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LTL shipping cubic capacity

When shipping LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) freight through ShipNerd it’s important to enter very accurate weights and dimension, as additional charges may occur if the information you’ve entered is not accurate due to cubic capacity.

What is Cubic Capacity?

Cubic capacity refers to the carrying capacity that a given shipment takes in the trailer of a truck. Space allowance that is given to the carriers has to be optimized to become cost effective since the LTL shipping consists of many shipments that share the space in a truck. This is measured in cubic feet.

Why Cubic Capacity is Important

LTL carriers charge according to the dimensional weight of the shipment. Large lightweight shipments occupy a large amount of space, but not contribute much to the actual weight. As a result, couriers charge for space used by shipment, not merely the actual weight.

The efficient use of space on a trailer means that a carrier can haul more product in each trip, thus reducing the overall number of required trips. Essentially, two shipments of the same physical size occupy the same amount of space on trailer regardless of their physical weight when shipping LTL, so couriers will charge extra fees on lighter shipments to ensure they’re optimizing their space.

When Will Cubic Capacity Come into Play?

The cubic capacity rule applies to LTL freight shipments over 750 cubic feet. For example, if you ship 10 pallets that all measure 60″x48″x51″ in size and weigh a total of 1,000 lbs, then the pallets will occupy much space in the trailer while only adding very little weight. This would sum up to 850 cubic feet; meaning they can also be charged extra cost. Please note that these fees (extra costs) will always display on ShipNerd prior to booking your shipment…. as long as the information you’ve entered is correct!

Example of Cubic Capacity Importance

Consider a trailer load that has 20 full pallets of pillows versus one having 20 full pallets of bricks; they both take the same amount of the trailer. The customer that has all the pillows on the pallets is likely paying a small fraction of what the customer with all the bricks is paying, to make it economically feasible to the carrier on a per pound basis. Through the cubic capacity rule, they are able to assess those charges to the customer with the pillows to ensure that the trailer space is being utilized properly and paid for properly.

Key Points to Remember

1. Proper Measurements: Ensure the measurements of your shipment are correct. This allows for quotation with the right cost and avoidance of extra billing.
2. Understand LTL Dimensional Weight & Freight Class: Realize that LTL carriers may bill by dimensional weight, particularly for the big, lightweight shipments.
3. Packaging Efficiency: Package design should save as much space as possible for the shipment, which can reduce your costs. An example taking from the above pallets of pillows would be to vacuum pack the pillows to reduce the space they take up and ship more on fewer pallets.

Knowing how cubic capacity plays into the LTL shipping rates will serve you well as you work to manage your shipping spend and avoid those surprises. If any questions or inquiries arise about your shipment, our team at ShipNerd is just one click away!