Compare ground parcel vs LTL freight between any two US states. Real dim-weight math, zone-based pricing, instant per-box and per-shipment estimates. All math runs in your browser.
LTL saves you about $201 on this shipment. Distance: 1108 miles. Total weight: 100 lb.
Heuristic estimates only — typical UPS/FedEx Ground and class-65 LTL ranges as of May 2026. Real carrier rates depend on your account discount, fuel surcharge, accessorials, and freight class. For live carrier-quoted rates on every shipment, use Alexandria's sourcing chat.
Alexandria's sourcing chat pulls live UPS, FedEx and regional LTL rates against your actual account discount, then runs this same comparison automatically on every inbound shipment. Free, no signup.
A typical 10-box shipment at 10 lb per box (10x7x8 inches) runs about $190 via UPS/FedEx Ground or $310 via LTL freight, depending on your account discount and the current fuel surcharge. Ground parcel usually wins under 30 boxes; LTL wins above that. The calculator above gives you a fast directional estimate — for live carrier-quoted rates, use Alexandria's chat.
The breakeven sits around 150 lb total weight or 15–20 boxes. Below that, ground parcel (UPS, FedEx) is almost always cheaper because LTL has a $95–$150 minimum charge. Above that, LTL wins on per-pound rate and is usually faster between major lanes. Dimensional weight matters too — light, bulky boxes get expensive on parcel because of the dim-weight divisor.
Carriers charge for the bigger of actual weight or dimensional weight, calculated as (L × W × H) ÷ 139 for ground parcel. A 10x10x10 box weighs 7.2 dim lb regardless of what's inside, so a 5-lb light item ships at the 7.2-lb rate. This is why dense boxes ship cheaper per cubic inch — and why under-packing is a hidden cost.
LTL is priced per hundredweight ($/cwt). Take total shipment weight, divide by 100, multiply by the carrier's rate per cwt (typically $20–$45 depending on distance and freight class). There's almost always a minimum charge of $95–$150. Class-65 freight (most FBA inbound) is the cheapest class. The calculator above uses class-65 averages from May 2026.
They're directional — accurate within ~15% for most lanes — and good enough to decide if a SKU clears margin. For sourcing decisions on tight-margin inventory, get live quotes from your actual carrier (or use Alexandria's chat which pulls real carrier rates against your account). Don't wire money on a heuristic estimate.
