TFTruck Freight Calculator

LTL rate arithmetic

How to Calculate LTL Freight Rates: CWT, Minimum, Fuel and Fees

Work from final packaged measurements and a current class-specific rate to calculate linehaul, minimum, fuel and accessorials once.

Direct answer

For a weight-based LTL rate, divide pounds by 100 to obtain hundredweight, multiply by the current class-specific CWT rate, then apply the shipment minimum if it is higher. Add fuel only under the governing program and add the required pickup, delivery and event charges once. The calculator demonstrates the arithmetic; it does not supply a live lane rate.

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LTL freight estimate calculator

Enter packaged weight and dimensions, the class attached to your CWT rate, your shipment minimum and the fuel and service charges from your written terms. See linehaul and the complete entered total before requesting quotes.

The density screen does not replace the current NMFC item, subprovision or carrier classification.

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Calculated total from entered terms

$525
Packaged shipment volume1 × 48 × 40 × 48 in = 53.3 ft³
Packaged density1,200 lb ÷ 53.3 ft³ = 22.50 lb/ft³
2025 NMFTA density-class screenClass 65
Entered class for this rateClass 85
Class-specific linehaul calculation12.0 CWT × $35 = $420
Entered minimum charge$150; applied linehaul $420
Fuel treatment25.0% of linehaul = $105
Origin accessorials entered$0
Destination accessorials entered$0
Other shipment charges entered$0
Calculated total from entered terms$525
  • Evidence and operating rules reviewed 14 September 2026; the calculator does not supply a live market rate.
  • For LTL, the density class is a screen under the current 13-tier NMFTA scale. The exact NMFC item, subprovision, commodity characteristics, packaging and applicable tariff or contract control the class and charge.
  • EIA publishes diesel-price data but does not set a universal freight fuel surcharge. Use the carrier or contract formula and its effective date.
  • This worksheet is not a quote, booking, bill of lading, classification ruling or promise of capacity, transit time or liability coverage.
The default $35-per-CWT rate, $150 minimum and 25% fuel are illustrative inputs, not current market data. The selected freight class is an entered rate term, not a verified classification. This worksheet applies the entered minimum when higher and, when selected, fuel as a percentage of applied linehaul; confirm that basis against the governing terms. Do not add fuel to an all-in rate. No contact details are required to see your result.

What changes the result?

A useful calculation starts with the physical scope and the written commercial terms. These are the factors to make explicit:

  • Final packaged weight and dimensions
  • Current NMFC item and class
  • Lane-specific class CWT rate
  • Shipment minimum and discount treatment
  • Fuel and origin, destination or event charges

Use one scope for every quote

Give each business the same information and ask it to resolve the same boundaries. That makes the totals more comparable and exposes work left as an allowance or exclusion.

  1. Measure the tendered handling units
  2. Verify the commodity and class
  3. Use the current lane-specific rate
  4. Save the rate confirmation and effective terms

Calculate the base linehaul

Convert the total pounds to CWT by dividing by 100. A 1,200-pound shipment is 12 CWT; at an illustrative entered rate of $35 per CWT, the calculation is 12 × $35 = $420.

Compare that result with the applicable shipment minimum. If the minimum is $500, linehaul is $500 rather than $420. Use the class-specific rate, discount and minimum from the current tariff, contract or quote instead of a generic internet average.

Reproduce the complete LTL estimate

The editable example uses 1,200 pounds, an illustrative $35-per-CWT rate and a $150 shipment minimum. The 12 CWT × $35 calculation gives $420 linehaul, which exceeds that minimum. A separately entered 25% fuel surcharge adds $105, so the total is $525 with no other services entered. These inputs demonstrate arithmetic, not a current lane price or carrier quote.

If your written terms instead have a $500 minimum, the applied linehaul becomes $500. Under the example's selected 25%-of-linehaul fuel treatment, the total becomes $625 before other services. If fuel is already included, select included and do not add it again. Confirm the governing fuel calculation base, then enter origin, destination and other charges once. The selected terms and result carry into an optional quote brief without contact details being required to see the estimate.

Do not multiply by freight class twice

The entered CWT rate should already correspond to the shipment's class and lane. Applying another invented class multiplier can double-count classification and create a meaningless total.

Density can screen a shipment under NMFTA's current structure, but commodity, packaging, handling, stowability, liability, item and subprovision rules can still affect the proper class. Preserve the classification evidence used for the quote.

Add fuel and services under the written terms

EIA publishes weekly diesel-price data but does not set a universal surcharge. Use the carrier or contract's index, base, effective week and calculation base; if the rate is all-in, do not add fuel again.

List liftgate, residential, limited-access, appointment, inside delivery and known pickup services before tender. Detention, redelivery, reweigh, reclassification and storage depend on the governing rules and events, so keep timestamps, documents and approvals with the invoice.

Questions people ask

How do I calculate an LTL freight rate?

Multiply shipment CWT by the current class-specific lane rate, apply the shipment minimum if higher, then add fuel and applicable accessorials exactly as the governing terms require.

What does CWT mean in freight pricing?

CWT means hundredweight. Divide pounds by 100, so a 1,200-pound shipment equals 12 CWT.

Does freight class multiply the CWT charge?

Normally the quoted CWT rate is already class-specific. Do not apply an extra generic class factor unless the governing tariff or contract explicitly requires a separate calculation.

Can this calculator give me a live LTL quote?

No. It calculates from the rate, minimum, fuel and charges you enter. Live lane capacity and commercial terms must come from a current carrier, broker, tariff or contract.

Method and sources

The model is a planning tool, not a quotation. These are the published sources used for this page; read the full assumptions before relying on a range. Source review: 19 September 2026.

Review full methodology