Shipping doesn’t get enough credit. It’s one of those things that quietly decides whether your ecommerce brand thrives or bleeds money. Most teams don’t think about it until there’s a problem, like rising costs, missed deliveries, or customer complaints.
But here’s the reality: shipping makes up as much as 25% of your total expenses, and nearly 3 out of 4 customers say slow delivery is a dealbreaker (Shopify, 2023).
If you’re just getting started, parcel shipping probably works fine. But once you’re sending out more orders (or bigger ones) you’re going to need a better plan. That’s where LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) and FTL (Full Truckload) come in.
They’re not just for enterprise brands. They’re for any growing business that’s tired of high parcel costs, damaged packages, and delivery delays.
This guide breaks down each method, when to use them, and how to avoid wasting money on the wrong one.
Parcel shipping is where most ecommerce brands start. It’s your classic single-box delivery (think UPS, USPS, or FedEx) and it’s perfect when you’re shipping smaller, lightweight orders that don’t need a pallet or any special treatment. No forklifts. No freight classes. Just pick, pack, and ship.
If you’re sending out subscription boxes, TikTok Shop orders, or standard DTC packages under 150 pounds, parcel gets the job done. It’s simple, flexible, and easy to plug into most ecommerce platforms. Most major carriers follow similar dimensional thresholds:
These limits make parcels ideal for businesses that ship one-off consumer orders, especially brands offering subscription box fulfillment or selling directly through TikTok Shop, Etsy, Amazon, and other marketplace platforms.
But while parcel shipping is easy to set up and scale early on, it comes with some serious limitations, especially as your order volume increases.
LTL, or Less-Than-Truckload shipping, is the step up from parcel, and it’s a solid middle ground. You’re not paying for a whole trailer, just the space your shipment takes up. Your freight rides alongside other brands’ pallets, which helps keep costs down.
It’s a go-to option for ecommerce brands that are shipping more than a few boxes at once but aren’t quite ready for full truckloads. Think palletized orders headed to retail partners, product drops that are too bulky for parcel, or anything fragile that needs a bit more care in transit.
According to the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), typical LTL shipments:
By working with a 3PL logistics partner that understands the nuances of freight classification, ecommerce brands can avoid reclassification penalties and reduce transit times, all while maintaining delivery consistency.
Whether you're shipping a bulk order of subscription boxes to a B2B client or delivering limited edition drops from your TikTok Shop fulfillment operation, LTL offers scalable flexibility without the overhead of full truckload.
While LTL shipping is generally more efficient than parcel at scale, it isn’t without complications:
That’s why working with a fulfillment partner like ShipBots, one that has relationships across LTL carriers and can proactively match you with the right one, is critical.
FTL (Full Truckload) shipping gives your freight exclusive use of an entire truck. There are no transfers, no mid-route stops, and no shared cargo. Your shipment is picked up once and delivered directly to its destination, a major advantage for ecommerce brands managing tight delivery windows, fragile inventory, or large restocks.
According to DAT Freight & Analytics, full truckload (FTL) shipments typically:
Because there’s no handoff between terminals or mixing of cargo, FTL shipping drastically reduces the risk of product damage, theft, or delay, making it ideal for brands with high-stakes fulfillment needs.
If your brand is running a subscription service that relies on reliable, timed drops, or you're fulfilling wholesale orders across multiple retail chains, FTL shipping provides the consistency and speed you can’t always get with LTL.
Still, when compared to the potential cost of product damage, missed delivery windows, or retail chargebacks, many brands find that FTL offers a strong return on investment.
Choosing the right shipping method isn’t just about getting boxes from point A to B; it’s about finding the sweet spot between cost, speed, and product safety. Here’s how parcel, LTL, and FTL stack up against each other for ecommerce brands:
Key Insight: According to ShipMatrix, parcel damage rates hover around 11% during peak seasons, while FTL shipments report fewer than 1% damaged goods due to minimal handling and direct routes. LTL falls somewhere in the middle, depending on carrier practices and pallet stability.
For ecommerce brands scaling rapidly, especially those in the DTC, subscription box, or TikTok Shop space, understanding these tradeoffs helps protect both your profit margin and your customer experience.
Still shipping multiple boxes separately via parcel? You might be burning cash.
Here are four clear signals it’s time to switch to LTL shipping with a trusted fulfillment partner:
Making the switch to LTL can significantly lower your cost per unit, reduce damage from excessive handling, and create a better experience for your end customers.
Whether you're shipping single boxes, full pallets, or multiple truckloads, ShipBots helps you scale smarter. Our ecommerce fulfillment ecosystem supports your entire logistics chain, from cart to customer, no matter your sales channel or volume.
Here’s what we offer:
Whether you’re shipping one box a day or 10 pallets an hour, we give you the infrastructure, speed, and transparency needed to grow without stress.
Whether you're sending out a single DTC box or a full truckload of pallets, ShipBots gives your ecommerce brand the tools to scale efficiently, without overcomplicating logistics.
Here’s what you can expect:
Ready to stop guessing and start scaling? Request a custom quote today.
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