--- title: "LTL vs FTL: part load or full truck | RNJ Transport" description: "Choose a part load for up to half a trailer: 17 euro pallets, 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. Above that, compare a full truck. With a decision table." url: https://rnjtransport.lt/en/guides/part-load-or-full-truck/ language: en --- # Part load or full truck: how to choose Written by - [Nerijus Daujotas](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/about/) Director, RNJ Transport - Vytas Dargis Consultant Updated 19 October 2026 7 min read A part load usually fits when your goods use half a standard curtainsider trailer or less: up to about 17 euro pallets, 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. Above half, compare the price of a full truck. Urgent, fragile or high-value goods often need a full truck. RNJ Transport focuses on full truckloads. - A full truckload (FTL) gives one shipper the whole trailer, and the truck drives direct from loading to delivery. - A part load shares a truck with other loads and stays on that truck. Groupage passes through terminals, where goods are unloaded and sorted. - A standard curtainsider trailer has about 13.6 loading metres, takes 33 euro pallets and carries about 24 tonnes of goods. - One euro pallet (1.2 × 0.8 m) uses 0.4 loading metres. One industrial pallet (1.2 × 1.0 m) uses 0.5 loading metres. - Above half a trailer, compare the price of a full truck before you book a part load. Transport team, Klaipėda A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. [Get a price](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/guides/part-load-or-full-truck/#callback) [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time [Free toolsLoading metre calculatorThe loading metres of a part load, with stacking, weight and a floor plan of a 13.6 m trailer.Open the tool](https://rnjtransport.lt/en/tools/loading-metre-calculator/) ## Full truck, part load and groupage A full truckload (FTL) gives one shipper the whole trailer. A part load shares one truck with other loads, and your goods stay on that truck until delivery. Groupage collects small shipments at a terminal, sorts them and loads them onto other trucks. The three options differ most in handling, timing and the risk of damage. __Full truck, part load and groupage: handling, timing and risk__ | Topic | Full truck (FTL) | Part load | Groupage | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | Who uses the trailer | One shipper | A few shippers | Many shippers | | Typical size | More than half a trailer, up to 33 euro pallets | A few pallets, up to about half a trailer | One to a few pallets | | Handling | Loaded once, unloaded once | Loaded once. Other goods are loaded and unloaded around it. | Unloaded and loaded again at one or more terminals | | Route | Direct from loading to delivery | Stops for other loads on the way | Through terminals | | Timing | You agree the dates. The truck drives direct. | Waits for a truck with free space. Usually slower than a full truck. | Follows the terminal schedule. Sorting adds time. | | Risk of damage | Fewest moves of your goods | More stops and moves near your goods | Most moves of your goods | | RNJ Transport | Yes: our own trucks and partner trucks | Only in some cases, when it fits a truck we already plan | No: we have no terminal network | ## The standard curtainsider trailer A standard curtainsider trailer has about 13.6 metres of loading length and is about 2.45 metres wide inside. It takes 33 euro pallets on the floor and carries about 24 tonnes of goods. EU rules limit a tractor with a semi-trailer to 16.5 metres and, in international traffic, to 40 tonnes. The 40 tonnes include the truck, the trailer and the goods, so the payload is about 24 tonnes. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks pull curtainsider trailers of this type. __Standard curtainsider trailer: sizes and limits__ | Measure | Value | Where the number comes from | | ---------------------------------- | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Loading length | About 13.6 m | Industry standard for a curtainsider trailer | | Inside width | About 2.45 m | Industry standard for a curtainsider trailer | | Euro pallets on the floor | 33 | 11 rows of 3 pallets | | Industrial pallets on the floor | 26 | 13 rows of 2 pallets | | Payload | About 24 tonnes | 40 tonnes minus the truck and the trailer | | Length of tractor and semi-trailer | Up to 16.5 m | EU Directive 96/53/EC | | Width of the vehicle | Up to 2.55 m | EU Directive 96/53/EC | | Height of the vehicle | Up to 4 m | EU Directive 96/53/EC | | Total weight with goods | Up to 40 tonnes | EU Directive 96/53/EC, for a 2-axle tractor with a 3-axle semi-trailer in international traffic | ## Loading metres and pallet conversion A loading metre is one metre of trailer length across the full trailer width. Forwarders use it to price part loads by floor space. The usual formula is length × width ÷ 2.4, in metres. The 2.4 is the width of three euro pallets side by side. Euro pallet: 1.2 × 0.8 = 0.96 square metres, and 0.96 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 loading metres. Three euro pallets stand across the trailer (3 × 0.8 = 2.4 m). Each row takes 1.2 m of length. 13.6 ÷ 1.2 = 11.3, so 11 rows fit, and 11 × 3 = 33 pallets. Industrial pallet: 1.2 × 1.0 = 1.2 square metres, and 1.2 ÷ 2.4 = 0.5 loading metres. Two industrial pallets stand across the trailer (2 × 1.2 = 2.4 m). Each row takes 1.0 m of length. 13 rows fit, so 13 × 2 = 26 pallets. For goods without pallets, use the floor area they cover. A crate of 3 × 1.6 m uses 3 × 1.6 ÷ 2.4 = 2 loading metres. __Pallets in loading metres__ | Pallet | Size | Loading metres | Full trailer | Half trailer | | ----------------- | ----------- | -------------- | ------------ | ------------ | | Euro pallet | 1.2 × 0.8 m | 0.4 | 33 pallets | 17 pallets | | Industrial pallet | 1.2 × 1.0 m | 0.5 | 26 pallets | 13 pallets | ## Non-stackable goods and floor space Non-stackable goods use more loading metres, because nothing can stand on top of them. The space above them stays empty, but the floor is still taken. Stackable pallets share one floor place. Twelve euro pallets stacked two high use 2.4 loading metres. The same twelve pallets, not stackable, use 4.8 loading metres. Tell us before loading if your goods cannot be stacked. If the load does not match the booking, the driver can refuse it at pickup. ## What decides the choice Six things decide between a part load and a full truck. They are the size of the load, its weight, its value and fragility, your time window, the number of stops and how often you ship. Size and weight decide most loads. The other four can make a full truck the better choice, even for a small load. Weight and floor space work together. A full trailer carries about 24 tonnes on 13.6 loading metres, about 1.75 tonnes per loading metre. Goods heavier than that reach the weight limit before they fill the floor. Value matters because the carrier’s CMR liability depends on weight, not on value. The limit is 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, about 10 euros per kilogram. For 500 kg of goods, that is about 5,000 euros. Tell us the value of the goods when you book, so we can talk about cover before the truck leaves. __Six factors for a part load or a full truck__ | Factor | A part load fits | A full truck fits | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Size | Half a trailer or less: up to 17 euro pallets or 6.8 loading metres | More than half a trailer: ask for both prices | | Weight | Up to about 12 tonnes | More than about 12 tonnes: ask for both prices. Above 18 tonnes: a full truck. | | Value and fragility | Well-packed goods of normal value | Fragile or high-value goods that should move as little as possible | | Time window | Flexible loading and delivery dates | A fixed or urgent date | | Number of stops | One pickup and one delivery. Your goods can wait while the truck stops for other loads. | A direct trip, or several pickups or deliveries of your own | | How often you ship | Small amounts now and then | Regular orders that you can join into one full load | ## The half-trailer rule A part load stops being the clear choice above half a trailer: more than 17 euro pallets, 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. At that size, a full truck can cost less per pallet, and few trucks have that much free space. Above three quarters of a trailer, book a full truck. Three cases need a full truck at any size: a fixed or urgent delivery date, fragile or high-value goods, and goods that must not travel with other loads. RNJ Transport focuses on full truckloads. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks carry full loads, mostly between Lithuania and Sweden. On other routes, checked partner carriers drive the loads we arrange. If your load fills a large part of a trailer, send us the details. ## How to choose in five steps You can choose in five steps with a tape measure and your packing list. Each step gives you one number or one answer. With all five, you know which option fits. For a full truck, our team gives you a price for your route. 1. ### Count and measure Count the pallets. Note the pallet size, the height and the gross weight of each one. 2. ### Check stacking Decide which pallets can carry another pallet on top. Count floor places, not pallets. 3. ### Convert to loading metres Multiply length by width and divide by 2.4\. A euro pallet is 0.4 and an industrial pallet is 0.5. 4. ### Compare with half a trailer Half a trailer is 6.8 loading metres or 12 tonnes. Above either number, ask for both prices. 5. ### Check date, value and fragility If the date is fixed or the goods are fragile or of high value, choose a full truck. ## Decision table: part load or full truck The decision table shows the usual choice for each load size. Find your row by floor space and by weight. If floor space and weight point to different rows, use the row further down the table. Count floor places, so two stacked pallets count as one. The last row applies to every size. __Load size and the usual choice__ | Euro pallets on the floor | Loading metres | Weight | Usual choice | Why | | ------------------------- | -------------- | ------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1–2 | Up to 0.8 | Up to 3 tonnes | Pallet delivery company or groupage | Often a better fit for one or two pallets. We do not run groupage. | | 3–17 | 1.2–6.8 | 3–12 tonnes | Part load | You pay for your floor space. A truck with free space takes your pallets direct. | | 18–24 | 7.2–9.6 | 12–18 tonnes | Ask for both prices | More than half a trailer. A full truck can cost less per pallet. | | 25–33 | 10–13.2 | More than 18 tonnes | Full truck | Few trucks have this much free space. A full truck drives direct on your dates. | | Any number | Any | Any | Full truck | Fixed or urgent date, fragile or high-value goods. One loading, one unloading, no other stops. | ## Frequently asked questions 1. What is the difference between LTL and FTL? LTL (less than truckload) means your goods use part of a trailer and share the truck with other loads. FTL (full truckload) means one shipper uses the whole trailer, and the truck drives direct. In Europe, LTL is often called a part load. With LTL you pay for floor space, with FTL for the whole truck. 2. How many euro pallets fit in a truck? Usually 33\. A standard curtainsider trailer is about 13.6 metres long and about 2.45 metres wide inside. Three euro pallets stand side by side, and 11 rows fit, so 11 × 3 = 33\. With industrial pallets of 1.2 × 1.0 metres, 26 fit. Pallets stacked two high double these numbers, if height and weight allow. 3. How do I calculate loading metres for pallets? Multiply the pallet length by its width in metres, then divide by 2.4\. A euro pallet is 1.2 × 0.8 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 loading metres. An industrial pallet is 1.2 × 1.0 ÷ 2.4 = 0.5\. Then multiply by the number of floor places. Ten euro pallets that cannot be stacked use 4 loading metres. 4. How many pallets make a full truckload? Usually, a full truck is worth pricing from 18 euro pallets. That is more than half of a standard curtainsider trailer, or more than 6.8 loading metres. From about 25 euro pallets, or 10 loading metres, a full truck is the usual choice. Heavy goods reach this point earlier, because 12 tonnes is already half the payload. 5. Is a part load slower than a full truck? Usually yes. A part load waits for a truck with free space on your route, and the truck stops for other loads on the way. A full truck drives direct on the dates you agree with us. We confirm the dates for your route together with the price. 6. Does RNJ Transport handle groupage? No. We have no terminals or warehouses, so we do not sort groupage. We focus on full truckloads. For one or two pallets, a pallet or parcel delivery company is often the better fit. ## Sources (5) 1. [Council Directive 96/53/EC of 25 July 1996, consolidated text of 14 August 2019](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01996L0053-20190814) 2. [EPAL Euro Pallet (EPAL 1)](https://www.epal-pallets.org/eu-en/load-carriers/epal-euro-pallet) 3. [EPAL 2 Pallet](https://www.epal-pallets.org/eu-en/load-carriers/epal-2-pallet) 4. [Protocol to the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR), Geneva, 5 July 1978\. English text in Narodne novine, Međunarodni ugovori 6/2016](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/medunarodni/full/2016%5F12%5F6%5F55.html) 5. [IMF, SDR Valuation](https://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/data/rms%5Fsdrv.aspx) We checked these sources on 19 October 2026. ## Ask for a price for your load Send the route, the date and the load size in the price form. We call you back. You can also call us during working hours. We focus on full truckloads. [ +370 698 38573 ](tel:+37069838573) A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call. Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/37069838573) - [info@rnjtransport.lt](mailto:info@rnjtransport.lt) ### Get a price Send your route and your phone number. We call you back about the price. --- RNJ Transport (UAB "RNJ Transport", company code 305801389), Šilutės pl. 105A, LT-95112 Klaipėda, Lithuania. Phone: +370 698 38573. Email: info@rnjtransport.lt. Company summary for AI assistants: https://rnjtransport.lt/llms.txt. All pages: https://rnjtransport.lt/sitemap.xml.