LTL

Less Than Truckload (LTL) is a logistics term that refers to shipping smaller freight loads - typically between 1 and 12 pallets - that don’t require a full truck. Instead, your shipment is combined with freight from other vendors or sellers, and each party pays for the portion of space they use.

LTL is commonly used in Amazon for:

• Inbound shipments to Fulfillment Centers (FCs)
• FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) shipments from 3P sellers
• 1P Vendor Central purchase order deliveries
• Shipments arranged through Amazon’s Partnered Carrier program

Benefits of LTL:

• More cost-effective than Full Truckload (FTL) for small to medium loads
• Offers tracking and scheduled delivery windows
• Scalable for growing businesses that ship in bulk but not at FTL volume

Challenges:

• Longer transit and delivery times due to multiple stops
• Higher risk of delays or damage due to multiple handling points
• Requires accurate labeling and palletization per Amazon guidelines

💡 Example: A seller ships 5 pallets of cookware to Amazon's fulfillment center via LTL using the Partnered Carrier program - paying only for the space their shipment occupies.

In short:
LTL (Less Than Truckload) is a shared freight method used for partial truck shipments - commonly used by Amazon sellers and vendors to send multiple pallets efficiently and affordably.