Compare

The four modes, side by side

Published criteria, no ranking. The right mode is a property of your shipment, not of the carrier.

How this table is built.

Pricing basis — how the charge is actually calculated in each mode.
Handling events — how many times freight is touched, which drives damage exposure.
Typical shipment size at which each mode is normally competitive.
What the mode requires of your packaging and your dock.

	Parcel	LTL	Partial truckload	Full truckload
Priced on	Zone and weight table, dimensional weight applied hard	Hundredweight, banded by weight and distance, adjusted by class	Quoted per shipment, usually by linear feet	Rate per mile for the trailer
Typical size	Individual boxes up to ~150 lb each	1–6 pallets	6–16 pallets, or 12–24 linear feet	Full trailer, or freight you do not want shared
Handling events	Highly automated, many touches	Typically 4–8 through terminals	Fewer touches than LTL	Two: load and unload
Damage exposure	Low per piece, high per fragile item	Highest of the four modes	Moderate	Lowest
Packaging demand	Must survive automated sortation	Must survive stacking under other freight	Moderate	Only needs to survive the ride
Where it stops making sense	Once several boxes go to one address	Once class corrections and handling exceed the saving	Once you need the whole trailer anyway	When you cannot fill or afford a trailer

This table compares mode mechanics, not carriers, and it cannot tell you which is cheaper on your lane this week — that depends on capacity, direction and your own packaging.

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