Why linear feet matter in LTL
Linear feet is the length of trailer floor a shipment takes up, measured from the front of the trailer toward the doors. It's one dimension only. It isn't square feet or cubic feet, and it has nothing to do with the board foot, a lumber measure. A 53-foot trailer is 53 feet long on the outside; this calculator counts 630 inches (52.5 ft) of usable inside length. Pallets sit in rows across the trailer width, so your linear footage is the number of rows times the length of one pallet along the trailer.
Space matters because an LTL (less-than-truckload) carrier fills each trailer with freight from many shippers. A light shipment that spreads across the floor leaves space the carrier can't sell to anyone else, so carriers recover it through space-based charges and minimums in their rules tariffs (the published terms behind their rates). Those rules differ from carrier to carrier. R+L Carriers treats freight occupying more than 16 feet as a capacity load (freight that takes enough of the trailer to be billed on space, not just weight), Magnum LTL's linear foot rule applies at 15 feet, ODFL and Estes use 20 feet, and Saia uses 21 feet. Some bill a per-mile minimum, some a rate per linear foot per mile, and Line Drive Trucking rates by a fixed assumed weight. Across the six carrier tariffs we checked, the cutoffs run from 12 to 21 linear feet, and none of them charges a flat 1,000 lb per linear foot. Check your own carrier's tariff before you rely on a number.
How to calculate linear feet
Start with how many pieces fit side by side across the trailer. The calculator uses 98.5 inches of inside width. A standard 48 x 40 in pallet loaded lengthwise (48-inch side along the trailer) takes 40 + 40 = 80 inches, so two fit per row. Divide the quantity by pieces per row and round up, because a half-full row still blocks a full row of floor. Then multiply rows by the piece length in inches and divide by 12. Five pallets two per row need ⌈5 ÷ 2⌉ = 3 rows, or 12.0 ft, not 2.5 rows and 10.0 ft.
The calculator reports linear feet, floor used and row count. It doesn't figure rates, assumed weights or freight class, has no height or weight inputs, and doesn't model mixed straight-and-turned pallet patterns.
- Measure each piece the way it will sit in the trailer: length along the trailer, width across it. If freight overhangs the pallet, measure the outer edge of the freight, not the deck.
- Pick the trailer: 53-foot dry van (enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer) at 630 in (52.5 ft) inside length, 48-foot at 576 in (48.0 ft), or 28-foot pup trailer at 327 in (27.25 ft). All three are 98.5 in wide inside.
- Divide the inside width by the piece width and round down to get pieces per row. Double that if the freight can be stacked two high.
- Divide the quantity by pieces per row and round up to whole rows.
- Multiply rows by piece length in inches and divide by 12 to get linear feet.
- Compare the total with your carrier's rules tariff. The cutoffs in the tariffs we checked run from 12 to 21 linear feet, and each carrier bills them its own way.
Example: 6 standard pallets, two per row
Six standard 48 x 40 in pallets, non-stackable, loaded lengthwise in a 53-foot trailer. This is the calculator's default setup.
| Pallets (non-stackable) | 6 |
| Per row (40 + 40 = 80 in) | 2 |
| Rows (⌈6 ÷ 2⌉) | 3 |
| Row length (48 in ÷ 12) | 4.0 ft |
| Linear feet (3 × 4.0 ft) | 12.0 ft |
| Floor used (144 ÷ 630 in) | 23% |
| Turned 90° (3 × 3.33 ft) | 10.0 ft |
The shipment takes 12.0 linear feet, about 23% of the 53-foot trailer floor. Turned 90°, it drops to 10.0 ft. 12.0 ft sits at the bottom of the 12–21 ft range of cutoffs in the tariffs we checked, and 10.0 ft sits below it, so your carrier's tariff decides whether a space rule applies.
Straight vs. turned pallet loading
Turning a pallet 90° puts its 40-inch side along the trailer and shortens each row. It works only because two 48-inch sides (96 in) still fit within the 98.5-inch inside width.
| Loading | Across the width | Along the length | Per row | Ft per row |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight (48 in side lengthwise) | 40 + 40 = 80 in | 48 in | 2 | 4.0 ft |
| Turned (40 in side lengthwise) | 48 + 48 = 96 in | 40 in | 2 | 3.33 ft |
Common mistakes
- Treating linear feet as area or volume. It's floor length only, not square feet, cubic feet or the board feet used for lumber.
- Dropping the partial row. Five pallets two per row take 3 rows (12.0 ft), not 2.5 rows (10.0 ft).
- Assuming stacking halves the length. Six pallets go from 3 rows (12.0 ft) to 2 rows (8.0 ft), and stacking only counts if the freight, packaging and carrier allow it. Magnum LTL figures non-stackable freight as floor loaded (every piece on the trailer floor, nothing on top).
- Ignoring orientation. The same six pallets take 12.0 ft loaded straight and 10.0 ft turned 90°. Carriers bill the freight as it's actually loaded, so enter the orientation you'll really use.
- Assuming one '10 feet and 1,000 lb per linear foot' rule for every carrier. None of the six carrier tariffs we checked works that way; each sets its own cutoff and billing method. Low-density freight can also fall under a separate cubic capacity rule, which rates bulky, light freight at an assumed weight per cubic foot (6 lb at ODFL, Saia and Estes), even well under 10 linear feet.
What does linear feet mean in freight?
Linear feet is the length of trailer floor a shipment occupies, measured from the front of the trailer toward the doors. It's a single dimension: width and height don't enter the number, and it isn't square feet, cubic feet or the board foot used for lumber. Carriers use it to see how much of the trailer your freight blocks.
How do you calculate linear feet for pallets?
Work out how many pallets fit side by side across the trailer (98.5 inches of inside width in this calculator), divide the pallet count by that number and round up to whole rows, then multiply rows by pallet length in inches and divide by 12. Five standard 48 x 40 in pallets loaded lengthwise sit two per row, so they need 3 rows: 3 × 48 in = 144 in = 12.0 ft. The usable inside length is 52.5 ft in a 53-foot trailer, 48.0 ft in a 48-foot trailer and 27.25 ft in a 28-foot pup trailer.
What is the LTL linear foot rule?
It's the name for carrier tariff rules that charge LTL freight for the trailer space it takes, not only for its weight and freight class. LTL trailers carry freight from many shippers, so a light load spread across the floor keeps the carrier from selling that space. R+L Carriers, for example, treats freight occupying more than 16 linear feet as a capacity load (freight that takes enough of the trailer to be billed on space, not just weight) with a minimum of $8.30 per mile. Magnum LTL charges up to $0.13 per linear foot per mile once freight occupies 15 linear feet, with a $500 minimum per shipment.
How many linear feet before LTL space rules apply?
It depends on the carrier. In the rules tariffs we checked, Line Drive Trucking limits LTL to 10,000 lb and 12 linear feet, Magnum LTL's rule applies at 15 feet, R+L Carriers' capacity load starts above 16 feet, ODFL and Estes use 20 feet, and Saia uses 21 feet. That's a range of 12 to 21 linear feet. None of those tariffs uses a 10-foot cutoff, so look up your carrier's own rules tariff before you quote.
Does turning pallets 90° reduce linear feet?
Yes, as long as the turned pallets still fit across the trailer. A standard 48 x 40 in pallet turned 90° (sometimes called pinwheeling) puts its 40-inch side along the trailer. Two turned pallets need 96 inches, which fits within 98.5 inches of inside width. Each row drops from 4.0 ft to 3.33 ft, so six pallets go from 12.0 ft to 10.0 ft. The calculator shows the saving whenever turning everything would shorten the load.
How do carriers charge for linear feet?
There's no single method. Among the six carrier tariffs we checked, R+L, ODFL and Saia bill capacity loads at a per-mile minimum charge (the lowest amount billed regardless of weight). Magnum and Estes use a rate per linear foot per mile. Line Drive Trucking rates freight at a fixed assumed weight, for example 10,000 lb once it reaches 1,400 cubic feet (20 linear feet). None of them rates freight at 1,000 lb per linear foot, so read the carrier's rule before you estimate the cost.
Does double stacking cut linear feet in half?
Not always. Stacking two high puts two pallets on each floor position, but rows still round up. Six standard pallets two per row take 3 rows (12.0 ft) single-stacked and ⌈6 ÷ 4⌉ = 2 rows (8.0 ft) double stacked, not 6.0 ft. Stacking also has to be allowed by the freight, its packaging and the carrier. Magnum LTL, for example, figures linear feet for freight marked or packed as non-stackable as if everything were floor loaded (every piece on the trailer floor, nothing on top).
What's the difference between linear feet and cubic feet?
Linear feet measure how much trailer length you use; cubic feet measure volume (length x width x height). Carriers apply them through separate rules. Linear foot rules look at floor length, while low-density rules look at volume and density. ODFL, Saia and Estes can rate qualifying low-density freight as if it weighed 6 lb per cubic foot, and Magnum LTL rates freight at 750 cubic feet and under 8 lb per cubic foot as if it weighed 8 lb per cubic foot, at class 100. A low-density rule can apply even when the shipment is short.
Sources
All calculations run in your browser. Figures are based on published standards, carrier-published values and nominal dimensions, so check them against your carrier's own numbers before you book.
Last reviewed:
Embed this calculator on your site
Add this calculator to your own website for free. Paste the snippet below into your page; it includes a credit link back to this tool.
By default the widget follows the visitor's light or dark system setting. To lock the theme, add ?theme=light or ?theme=dark to the iframe URL.
<iframe id="cargosum-linear-feet-calculator" src="https://cargosum.com/embed/linear-feet-calculator/" width="100%" height="620"
style="border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:4px" title="LTL Linear Feet Calculator | CargoSum" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Powered by <a href="https://cargosum.com/linear-feet-calculator/?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=widget&utm_campaign=linear-feet-calculator">CargoSum LTL Linear Feet Calculator</a></p>
<script>window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin==="https://cargosum.com"&&e.data&&e.data.type==="cargosum:embed-height"){var f=document.getElementById("cargosum-linear-feet-calculator");if(f&&e.source===f.contentWindow)f.style.height=e.data.height+"px";}});</script>