Long-Haul Truck Too Expensive? FTL vs PTL vs Intermodal Rail

Long-haul truckload (say LA to the East Coast) has gotten expensive. For freight that is long, heavy and not urgent, a straight truck is not the only option.

Three long-haul modes

• FTL (Full Truckload): urgent, full-truck volume, fastest door-to-door — but the highest per-mile cost on long routes.
• PTL (Partial Truckload): 6–20 pallets, less than a full truck and you'd rather not go LTL — shared truck spreads the cost.
• Intermodal Rail (IMDL): truck on both ends, rail in the middle. Best for 1,000+ miles, non-urgent, full or near-full container freight. Cheaper and greener than straight truckload on long-haul, with US/MX/CA cross-border. Port drayage → rail → delivery → transload, door-to-door with an all-in rate.

A quick decision table

Important: IMDL is "assess fit," not "always cheaper"

Intermodal saves money when the lane, equipment and timing fit — not automatically. We help you assess whether rail makes sense rather than pushing it.

How ShipOnlines helps

Send origin/destination ZIPs + equipment/volume + timing, and we compare FTL / PTL / intermodal rail and tell you which fits — with an indicative rate. Need port pickup too? See drayage.