What does linehaul mean in trucking?

The main movement of freight from origin to destination — in LTL, between terminals. The linehaul charge pays for that movement alone; fuel and extra services are added on top.

Does a linehaul rate include fuel?

No. DAT defines its linehaul rate as exclusive of the fuel surcharge, accessorials and other fees, and LTL tariffs add fuel as a percentage of the linehaul charge.

What is the difference between linehaul and accessorial charges?

Linehaul pays for moving the freight between origin and destination. Accessorial charges pay for anything beyond that — inside delivery, a liftgate, waiting time — and are billed in addition.

Term

Linehaul

Linehaul is the main movement of freight from origin to destination — in LTL, from the origin terminal to the destination terminal — and the linehaul charge is the price of that movement alone. Fuel surcharges and accessorial services are billed on top, so the linehaul rate is rarely what the shipper finally pays.

Also called line haul, line-haul, linehaul rate, linehaul chargeApplies in USUpdated 13 October 2026

What it covers

The US Federal Highway Administration defines linehaul as the movement of freight over the road or rail from origin terminal to destination terminal, usually over long distances. Old Dominion's rules tariff spells out what its linehaul rates include: one pickup at one site, the transport from origin to destination, one delivery, and unloading at a place immediately next to the rear of the truck. Anything else is charged in addition.

Worked example: a bill built line by line

Line	How it is worked out	Amount
Constant shipment charge	28 ft pup, Atlanta to Omaha	USD 816.00
Mileage	975 miles × USD 4.31	USD 4,202.25
Linehaul	Before fuel	USD 5,018.25
Fuel surcharge	57.70% at an EIA diesel index of 619 (Item 570)	USD 2,895.53
Total	Before any accessorial	USD 7,913.78

FedEx Freight's own capacity-load example in its rules tariff (Item 390), with its fuel surcharge for the week of 5 October 2026

An accessorial adds to that: inside delivery at FedEx Freight, for example, is USD 18.92 per 100 lb with a USD 200 minimum.

Linehaul in truckload pricing

In truckload, DAT's linehaul rate is the price for a lane exclusive of the fuel surcharge, accessorials and other fees. Its US van spot linehaul rate averaged USD 2.19 a mile in August 2026, with fuel surcharges a further USD 0.70.

The mistake people make

Comparing carriers on linehaul alone. One carrier's lower linehaul can be outweighed by a higher fuel table or dearer accessorials; compare the total for the services the shipment will actually use.

FAQ

Linehaul: common questions

What does linehaul mean in trucking?: The main movement of freight from origin to destination — in LTL, between terminals. The linehaul charge pays for that movement alone; fuel and extra services are added on top.
Does a linehaul rate include fuel?: No. DAT defines its linehaul rate as exclusive of the fuel surcharge, accessorials and other fees, and LTL tariffs add fuel as a percentage of the linehaul charge.
What is the difference between linehaul and accessorial charges?: Linehaul pays for moving the freight between origin and destination. Accessorial charges pay for anything beyond that — inside delivery, a liftgate, waiting time — and are billed in addition.