Part Load vs Full Truck Load: Which Is Cheaper for You?

You have 400 kg of goods to send from Indore to Bhopal. Do you hire a Tata Ace for yourself, or share space in a truck that is already going there? The answer depends on weight, urgency and the kind of goods. This guide compares part load (PTL / LTL) and full truck load (FTL) in plain terms, with prices from WheelSniffer's fair-price rate card.

What is the difference?

How part load is priced

Part load is priced per kilogram, and the per-kg rate grows with distance. On WheelSniffer's rate card:

• The rate is about ₹0.6 per kg plus ₹0.0035 per kg for every km. For 193 km that is about ₹1.28 per kg.
• Loads under 300 kg cost about 30% more per kg, because small loads take the same handling effort.
• The chargeable weight is at least 50 kg, a city pickup and drop handling charge of about ₹200 is added, and the minimum fare is about ₹500.
• Once your goods take about 85% of a vehicle, the price is capped at the full-vehicle fare - you never pay more for sharing.

Part load vs full truck: price comparison

Estimated one-way prices, excluding GST and loading labour. The full-truck column uses the smallest common truck that fits the weight.

Indore to Bhopal (about 193 km)

Indore to Mumbai (about 606 km)

As you can see, for these weights sharing a truck costs a fraction of hiring one. The saving shrinks when your goods fill most of a vehicle - and at that point you get the dedicated truck anyway.

When a full truck is the better choice

Price is not everything. Choose a full truck when:

• Time matters. A dedicated truck leaves when you are ready and goes straight to the drop. A shared truck may wait to fill up or make extra stops.
• Goods are fragile or high-value. Every extra loading and unloading of other customers' goods is a chance of damage. A full truck is loaded once.
• You need a sealed or closed vehicle for electronics, pharmaceuticals or goods that must not be mixed with others.
• You are moving a household. Furniture and cartons are better handled by one team in one truck. See packers and movers.
• You fill most of the truck anyway. Above roughly three-quarters of a truck's capacity or space, the full truck is simpler and often similar in price.

When part load makes sense

• You send a few cartons, bags or a single machine to another city.
• Your delivery date is flexible by a day or two.
• Your goods are well packed and can be stacked with others.
• You are a small shop, manufacturer or online seller shipping regularly in small quantities.

Tips for sending a part load

• Pack for handling. Use strong cartons or gunny bags, seal them well and mark "fragile" and "this side up" where needed.
• Weigh your goods honestly. The price depends on weight; the truck driver may reweigh.
• Label every piece with the receiver's name, phone and address.
• Add photos of your goods when you post, so transporters can bid accurately.
• Keep invoices and e-way bills ready for business goods, as required by GST rules.

Other ways to save

If you need a whole truck but your dates are flexible, look at return trucks - vehicles already heading back towards your destination, usually offered below the normal fare. For loads inside the city up to about 1 ton, a mini truck booking is usually the quickest option. And to understand full-truck prices, read how truck fare is calculated.

Common questions