A part-load is charged on the weight you ship, so you pay only for your share of the truck. A full truck is charged as a whole, whether it leaves full or half empty, so it makes sense once you can fill a good share of it.
Speed is the other trade. A sealed truck goes straight to the consignee. A part-load is consolidated, line-hauled and delivered from a branch, which adds days on long lanes. Our transit research publishes those days lane length by lane length.
Side by side
| Aspect | Part-load (PTL) | Full truckload (FTL) |
|---|---|---|
| You are charged for | The weight you ship | The whole truck, whatever you load |
| Speed (our data, FY2025-26) | About 110-150 km a day door to door, because freight is consolidated and cross-docked | About 300 km a day door to door on lanes over 500 km |
| Handling | Loaded and unloaded at branches along the way | Loaded once, sealed, unloaded once |
| Good for | A few kilos to a few tonnes, regular replenishment, many consignees | Heavy or high-value loads, one consignee, time-critical freight |
Book a full truck when
- Book a full truck when the load is over about half a truck, when the goods are fragile or high value, or when the date is fixed.
Book part-load when
- Book part-load when you ship less than half a truck, ship often, or deliver to many places. SSL runs both, and our desk will tell you which suits your load.
SSL, in figures
- Full truckloads were 24% of consignments but carried 85% of tonnes (SSL Research, FTL vs PTL note)
- The count crossover sits between 500 and 1,000 km; beyond 1,500 km full trucks fall to 5% of shipments
- A full truck covered about 300 km per calendar day on lanes over 500 km; a part-load parcel about 110-150
Sources: SSL's own booking register and hire records (how we count) and the SSL Research Library.