Truckload means a shipment that fills or reserves an entire trailer for one shipper. The truck picks up the freight and drives it directly to the destination, with no other shippers' freight on board and no terminal stops. It is also called full truckload, or FTL. Truckloads usually move in 53 ft dry vans, on flatbeds or in refrigerated trailers. Because the freight is handled only at pickup and delivery, truckload is less likely to cause damage and keeps timing predictable. It suits large shipments and freight with firm delivery dates.

Freight delivery is the movement of commercial goods from a shipper to a receiver, usually by truck, rail, air or ocean. In trucking, it covers everything from a single pallet delivered by van to a full trailer of goods. The term often refers to the final step, when the freight arrives and the receiver signs for it. A complete freight delivery ends with signed proof of delivery, which confirms the goods arrived and notes any damage or shortage. Freight delivery differs from parcel delivery, which handles individual packages through sorting networks.

A bill of lading, often called a BOL, is the shipping document that travels with the freight. It lists the shipper, the consignee, the pickup and delivery addresses, the number of pieces, the weight and a description of the goods. The driver signs it at pickup to confirm the freight was received in the stated condition, and the consignee signs it at delivery. The signed copy becomes the proof of delivery. If freight arrives damaged or short, the bill of lading is the starting point for any claim, so its details should always be accurate.

The most common types are the straight bill of lading, which names a specific receiver and cannot be transferred, and the order bill of lading, which can be signed over to another party and is common in trade finance. Freight forwarders also use master bills, issued by the carrier for a consolidated shipment, and house bills, issued by the forwarder to each shipper. Ocean shipping adds others, such as clean and claused bills. For domestic truckload freight, a straight bill of lading is by far the most common.

A 53 ft dry van usually holds about 26 standard pallets of 48 by 40 in, placed two across on the floor. The count can change with the pallet size, how the pallets are turned and whether freight can be stacked. Double-stacking can raise the count if the freight and its weight allow. Weight often becomes the limit before floor space does, since a 53 ft dry van carries up to 42,000 lbs. Give the pallet count, size, height and total weight when booking so the load can be checked against the trailer.

Federal rules limit a tractor-trailer's total weight on interstate highways, and that limit includes the truck, trailer and fuel. In practice, a 53 ft dry van carries up to about 42,000 lbs of freight, and a full flatbed up to about 48,000 lbs. The exact figure depends on the equipment's own weight and how the load is spread across the axles. Loads heavier than legal limits need permits and special equipment. Always give an accurate weight when booking, because an overweight load can be refused or held at a scale.

Partial truckload is a service for mid-size shipments that are too big for LTL but do not fill a whole trailer. The freight shares a trailer with one or a few other shipments but usually stays on the same truck from pickup to delivery, without moving through terminals. That means less handling than LTL. Partial loads usually depend on the space and weight used rather than on freight class. They work well when timing has some flexibility. For urgent mid-size loads, a dedicated straight truck carries the freight alone and drives direct.

Full truckload, or FTL, reserves an entire trailer for one shipper, which is picked up and driven straight to the destination. Less than truckload, or LTL, combines freight from several shippers in one trailer, with stops at terminals where freight is sorted and moved to other trucks. LTL can cost less for small, non-urgent shipments, and it uses freight classes to price the space. FTL suits large loads, fragile freight and tight deadlines because there is less handling. For small loads that are urgent, a dedicated van or box truck offers direct service without paying for a full trailer.

No. Freight class, set by the National Motor Freight Classification system, is used mainly to price LTL shipments, where many shippers share a trailer and space must be divided fairly. A full truckload reserves the whole trailer, so its cost depends on the trip itself rather than on the class of the goods. You still need an accurate description, weight and piece count on the bill of lading. Some partial truckload shipments may use freight class, depending on the provider, so it helps to ask when booking.

Drop and hook is a way of loading or unloading where the driver leaves a trailer at the shipper or receiver and picks up a different one, instead of waiting while freight is loaded. The dropped trailer is loaded or unloaded by the facility on its own schedule. Drop and hook saves the driver waiting time and suits facilities with steady volume and space for extra trailers. The alternative is live loading or unloading, where the truck waits at the dock. Most one-off urgent truckloads are live loaded.