LTL Carrier Rankings
LTL Carriers in Houston: Ranked by Per-Pallet Cost
17 LTL carriers ranked by per-pallet cost on 34 lanes from Houston. Warp's all-inclusive rate is $229/pallet — no fuel surcharges. Traditional carriers add 20–40% on top. Click any column to re-sort.
17 carriers ranked · 34 lanes from Houston · All-inclusive pricing · No sponsored placements
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LTL Carrier Rankings in Houston by Per-Pallet Cost
Estimated per-pallet cost for 34 lanes from Houston. Warp rates are all-inclusive (rate / 4 pallets). Traditional carrier per-pallet cost includes an estimated 30% for fuel surcharges and accessorials. Based on 4 pallets, 4,800 lbs, class 70.
| # | Carrier | Per Pallet ↑ | Base Rate | Lanes | Cheapest On | Avg Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vocar TransportationVCTS | $153/pallet | $472 +surcharges | 4 | 1 | 1 day |
| 2 | DUGAN TRUCK LINE LLCDUBL | $205/pallet | $630 +surcharges | 3 | 0 | 1.7 days |
| 3 | STG LTL formerly Frontline FreightFCSY | $226/pallet | $695 +surcharges | 10 | 7 | 7.7 days |
| 4 | Warp TechnologyWTCHALL-INCLUSIVE | $229/pallet | $916 | 34 | 7 | 3.3 days |
| 5 | AAA COOPER TRANSPORTATIONAACT | $236/pallet | $725 +surcharges | 30 | 13 | 2 days |
| 6 | SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLCSAIA | $298/pallet | $916 +surcharges | 33 | 3 | 1.9 days |
| 7 | XPO LogisticsCNWY | $346/pallet | $1,066 +surcharges | 34 | 1 | 2 days |
| 8 | RL CarriersRLCA | $359/pallet | $1,104 +surcharges | 33 | 0 | 2.2 days |
| 9 | ESTESEXLA | $392/pallet | $1,205 +surcharges | 34 | 1 | 2.2 days |
| 10 | Forward AirFWRA | $396/pallet | $1,218 +surcharges | 34 | 0 | 2.3 days |
| 11 | FEDEX FREIGHT ECONOMYFXNL | $405/pallet | $1,245 +surcharges | 34 | 0 | 3.9 days |
| 12 | AVERITT EXPRESS INCAVRT | $425/pallet | $1,309 +surcharges | 24 | 0 | 1.7 days |
| 13 | SOUTHWESTERN MOTOR TRANSPORT INCSMTL | $434/pallet | $1,336 +surcharges | 21 | 1 | 4.9 days |
| 14 | FEDEX FREIGHT PRIORITYFXFE | $437/pallet | $1,346 +surcharges | 34 | 0 | 1.9 days |
| 15 | CCFSCCYQ | $622/pallet | $1,913 +surcharges | 1 | 0 | 4 days |
| 16 | U.S. ROAD FREIGHT EXPRESS, INC.USRD | $879/pallet | $2,706 +surcharges | 5 | 0 | 3.6 days |
| 17 | OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE INCODFL | $1018/pallet | $3,132 +surcharges | 34 | 0 | 1.9 days |
Who ships LTL from Houston — and what it actually costs
17 carriers serve LTL lanes originating from Houston, covering 34 destinations including Dallas, Indianapolis, Columbus, and 31 more. The cheapest Warp lane from Houston is to Dallas at $657 all-in for 4 pallets.
The longest lane to San Francisco runs $1679. Warp is the cheapest carrier by base rate on 7 of 34 lanes — and on every lane when you add the 30% surcharge factor that traditional carriers tack onto their invoices.
SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC vs Warp on Houston freight
SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC (SAIA) serves 33 lanes from Houston at an average base rate of $916. That base rate does not include fuel surcharges or accessorial fees.
Add the industry-standard 30% surcharge estimate and SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC's effective per-pallet cost rises to $298/pallet on a 4-pallet, 4,800 lb, class 70 shipment.
Warp quotes $229/pallet all-inclusive — pickup, cross-dock handling, line haul, and delivery included. No fuel surcharge line item, no liftgate fee, no limited access charge.
XPO Logistics tells a similar story: $1066 base becomes $346/pallet after surcharges, serving 34 lanes.
Where Houston shippers save the most with Warp
Warp is the cheapest all-inclusive option on 7 of 34 lanes from Houston. The top savings lanes: Dallas ($657), Indianapolis ($730), Columbus ($783), Dayton ($783), Louisville ($783).
On these corridors, Warp's all-inclusive price undercuts what traditional carriers invoice after surcharges. 3 days across all 34 lanes, with scan events and live GPS on every shipment.
Warp's Houston cross-dock and how it serves Houston freight
Warp sorts and transfers freight for Texas manufacturing, industrial distribution, and regional delivery. Freight from Houston routes through this facility — scanned in, sorted, scanned out — then delivered by a local carrier on the Warp driver app.
Traditional carriers like SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC route the same freight through 3 to 5 terminals. Each extra touch adds dock labor, forklift handling, and damage risk. 24% industry average, and why rates can be all-inclusive.
National vs regional LTL carriers from Houston
National carriers serving Houston: SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC (33 lanes, $298/pallet after surcharges); XPO Logistics (34 lanes, $346/pallet after surcharges); ESTES (34 lanes, $392/pallet after surcharges); FEDEX FREIGHT ECONOMY (34 lanes, $405/pallet after surcharges); FEDEX FREIGHT PRIORITY (34 lanes, $437/pallet after surcharges); OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE INC (34 lanes, $1018/pallet after surcharges).
These cover the most destinations but add 20–40% in surcharges to every invoice.
Regional specialists like Vocar Transportation and DUGAN TRUCK LINE LLC cover 4 lanes and 3 lanes respectively — lower base rates on specific corridors, but limited coverage. Warp covers all 34 lanes with one all-inclusive rate.
No need to split freight across carriers to get the best price on each corridor.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the cheapest LTL carrier in Houston?
By all-inclusive per-pallet cost, Warp at $229/pallet is the most predictable option from Houston. SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC quotes a lower base rate ($916) but adds fuel surcharges and accessorials that push the per-pallet cost to $298.
Warp is cheapest on 7 of 34 lanes when surcharges are included.
What are the cheapest LTL lanes from Houston?
The lowest Warp all-inclusive rates from Houston: Dallas at $657, Indianapolis at $730, Columbus at $783, Dayton at $783, Louisville at $783. These rates cover pickup, cross-dock handling, line haul, and delivery for 4 pallets at 4,800 lbs, class 70.
How many LTL carriers serve Houston?
17 carriers serve 34 lanes from Houston. This includes 6 national carriers (SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC, XPO Logistics, ESTES, FEDEX FREIGHT ECONOMY, FEDEX FREIGHT PRIORITY, OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE INC) and 4 regional specialists.
How does Warp compare to SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC from Houston?
SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE LLC serves 33 lanes from Houston at $916 average base rate. After estimated 30% surcharges, the per-pallet cost is $298. Warp serves all 34 lanes at $229/pallet all-inclusive.
Warp also provides live GPS, scan events, and proof of delivery — included in the rate.
How fast is LTL freight from Houston?
Average Warp transit from Houston is 3.3 days across 34 lanes. Every shipment gets live GPS tracking and scan events through the Warp driver app. For time-critical freight, check individual lane transit times in the table above.
About the Warp freight network
Warp is a technology-driven freight network that combines cargo van, box truck, LTL, and FTL capacity under one operating system. Shippers get instant rates, real-time tracking, and access to 50+ cross-dock facilities, 1,500+ active lanes, and 9,000+ cargo vans and box trucks nationwide.
The network is supported by 20,000+ vetted carrier partners.
Unlike traditional brokers, Warp uses AI to match the right vehicle to every load based on weight, dimensions, urgency, and cost targets. Cross-dock operations reduce transit time by eliminating unnecessary terminal transfers.
Pool distribution and zone-skipping programs help enterprise shippers lower per-unit delivery costs while maintaining tight appointment windows.
Self-serve shippers can quote, compare, and book freight online in under two minutes. Enterprise accounts get dedicated capacity planning, committed rate programs, and a named operations team. Every shipment includes scan-level visibility from pickup through final delivery.
Warp operates across the contiguous United States with regional density in the Southeast, Texas, Midwest, and Northeast corridors.
Cross-dock facilities in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Savannah, Orlando, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Columbus, Denver, New Orleans, and Milwaukee support faster transfers and fewer touches on recurring lanes.
Freight modes and vehicle types
Cargo vans handle loads up to 3,500 pounds and 400 cubic feet, ideal for time-sensitive deliveries, last-mile retail replenishment, and lightweight palletized freight.
Box trucks carry up to 10,000 pounds and 1,500 cubic feet, fitting most regional distribution and store delivery needs without requiring a loading dock.
Dry vans and full truckloads move 42,000+ pounds for high-volume lanes and recurring programs. LTL shipments share trailer space on optimized routes through Warp cross-docks, reducing per-pallet cost by consolidating multiple shippers on the same vehicle.
Warp does not default every shipment to a 53-foot trailer. The AI engine evaluates load weight, cube, delivery window, and cost to recommend the right vehicle. Shippers see all available mode options with live pricing in one comparison screen before booking.
Cross-dock operations
Cross-docking at Warp facilities eliminates warehouse storage. Inbound freight is sorted and transferred directly to outbound vehicles, typically within hours.
This reduces dwell time, lowers damage risk, and compresses delivery windows. Warp cross-docks support pallet-in, pallet-out operations with scan-level tracking at every handoff point.
Facility locations are selected for corridor density: Atlanta handles Southeast retail flow, Chicago serves Midwest manufacturing and replenishment, Houston covers Texas industrial distribution, and New York supports dense Northeast delivery. Each facility operates on appointment-based scheduling to prevent congestion and maintain throughput consistency.
Enterprise freight programs
Enterprise shippers get committed rate programs, dedicated account management, and custom SLA design. Warp builds lane-by-lane rate structures that account for volume commitments, seasonal variation, and mode flexibility. Operations teams monitor shipment execution daily and intervene proactively when exceptions occur.
Self-serve freight quoting
The self-serve portal lets shippers enter origin and destination, load details, and delivery requirements to see live rates across all available modes. Quotes include estimated transit time, vehicle type, and total cost.
Booking takes one click. After booking, shippers track every shipment with real-time GPS location, milestone updates, and proof of delivery documentation.
Industries and use cases
Retail shippers use Warp for store replenishment programs that deliver to hundreds of locations per week on tight appointment windows. Apparel brands use zone skipping to bypass regional parcel sortation and reduce per-unit delivery cost.
Food and beverage companies rely on time-definite delivery for perishable goods. Manufacturing operations use Warp for inbound vendor consolidation, combining multiple supplier shipments into fewer, fuller loads through cross-dock facilities.
Distribution companies use pool distribution to serve multiple delivery points from a single origin, splitting full truckloads at cross-docks into smaller last-mile vehicles.
Urgent freight recovery covers emergency capacity needs when primary carriers fail or demand spikes unexpectedly. Middle-mile optimization reduces cost and transit time on the longest segment of multi-leg shipments.
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17 carriers ranked · 34 lanes from Houston · All-inclusive pricing · No sponsored placements