FedEx Freight services are built around three core LTL service levels: FedEx Freight Priority, with delivery typically in 1–3 days; FedEx Freight Economy, a lower-cost option with delivery typically in 3–6 days; and FedEx Freight Direct, for large shipments delivered to a business or residence, including inside the door. Around those sit delivery-time options, retail programs, cross-border service to Canada and Mexico, and FedEx Custom Critical for expedited or temperature-controlled freight.
Since June 1, 2026, FedEx Freight has been an independent, publicly traded company (NYSE: FDXF), separate from FedEx’s parcel business. This guide covers what each service does, who it suits, and how to choose between them. For FedEx’s parcel services, see our FedEx shipping guide.
What are FedEx Freight’s main LTL services?
FedEx Freight’s services page lists three core service levels. The right one depends on how fast the freight must arrive and where it is going.
| Service | Typical delivery | Coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx Freight Priority | Typically 1–3 days, depending on origin and destination | Contiguous U.S., with service to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico | Time-sensitive freight and tight inventory schedules |
| FedEx Freight Economy | Typically 3–6 days | North American destinations including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Canada | Freight that can trade a few days for a lower cost |
| FedEx Freight Direct | Appointment-based for most levels | Delivery to businesses and residences, including through the door | Furniture, appliances, fitness equipment and other bulky consumer goods |
Freight in this context generally means shipments over 150 pounds. FedEx Freight’s shipping basics guide puts typical LTL shipments between 150 and 20,000 pounds, with a maximum length of 20 feet.
What is the difference between FedEx Freight Priority and Economy?
The difference is speed and coverage. Priority is FedEx Freight’s faster service, typically delivering in 1–3 days, and it reaches Mexico as well as Canada. Economy typically delivers in 3–6 days and serves Canada but not Mexico.
Choose Priority when a delay would stop a production line, miss a store reset or break a delivery promise to a customer. Choose Economy for replenishment stock, seasonal inventory or any freight with slack in the schedule. If you need a precise arrival, FedEx Freight Priority Plus lets you request a specific delivery time or delivery one day earlier than the published Priority transit time.
What does FedEx Freight Direct include?
FedEx Freight Direct is the service for heavy or bulky items going to homes and businesses that need more than dock-to-dock delivery. It comes in four levels.
| Level | Where the freight is left | Appointment | Piece limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Front door, back door, garage, patio or curb; no signature | No | None listed |
| Basic by Appointment | Same locations as Basic | Yes (choose this if a signature is needed) | None listed |
| Standard | First available living space, garage, patio, backyard or curb; ground level only | Yes | 150 lbs per piece |
| Premium | Room of choice, two-person delivery, debris removal on request | Yes | 300 lbs per piece |
All four levels share a maximum piece size of 80 × 60 inches, a maximum height of 75 inches and a maximum of 2,000 pounds per pallet, according to FedEx Freight. Standard pieces over 150 pounds are upgraded to Premium, and installation is not included at any level.
What delivery options can you add to FedEx Freight services?
FedEx Freight offers several options that tighten the delivery window on top of the core service. Surcharges and handling fees for them are set in the FXF 100 Series Rules Tariff.
- Priority Plus: request a specific delivery time or delivery one day earlier than the published Priority transit time.
- A.M. Delivery: delivery by 10:30 a.m. on the standard delivery date, where the destination ZIP code is eligible.
- Close of Business Delivery: delivery by 5 p.m. on the standard delivery date, across the contiguous 48 states.
- Retail Flex (contract only): Retail Must Arrive for delivery within a retailer’s required window, Retail In Full to hold delivery until every handling unit is present, and a customized option when neither fits.
Most of these also depend on accurate freight details. Confirm your class with our freight class calculator guide before booking, because NMFTA’s July 19, 2025 classification overhaul moved many commodities to a 13-step density scale.
Does FedEx Freight ship to Canada, Mexico and offshore destinations?
Yes. FedEx Freight Priority serves both Canada and Mexico, while FedEx Freight Economy serves Canada only. FedEx Freight’s Freight International Services team handles monitoring, paperwork and customs follow-up for cross-border shipments.
For offshore U.S. destinations, FedEx Freight ships to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cross-border freight needs commercial paperwork in addition to the bill of lading, and FedEx Freight requires a paper copy of the BOL for international shipments at pickup.
What specialized FedEx Freight services are available?
For freight that doesn’t fit standard LTL, FedEx Freight offers two further routes. Specialized solutions cover oversized shipments, time-critical deliveries and loads that need special handling.
FedEx Custom Critical, a FedEx Freight subsidiary, handles shipments that need custodial control, added security or temperature management from pickup to delivery, including Surface Expedite and White Glove Services, available 24/7/365. If you need speed but your shipment is light enough for parcel service, our comparison of 2-3 day expedited shipping options is the better starting point.
How do you get a FedEx Freight quote and book a shipment?
FedEx Freight offers cost calculation on its own site and links its “Ship Now” button to LTL Select, the free multi-carrier quoting tool FedEx Freight provides. On LTL Select you can compare FedEx Freight against other LTL carriers, pay, generate a bill of lading and track the shipment.
- Measure and weigh each pallet or crate as it will ship.
- Confirm the NMFC freight class or calculate density.
- Note the location types and any accessorials, such as liftgate or residential delivery.
- Choose Priority, Economy or Direct and request the quote.
- Book, print the bill of lading and hand it to the driver.
Our guide to how LTL Select works covers that tool in detail. If you also want a second LTL quote, you can price the same pallet in the PalletPath freight calculator, the LTL service of ParcelPath.
When are FedEx parcel services a better fit than FedEx Freight?
Single boxes under 150 pounds usually belong in a parcel network, not LTL. FedEx’s parcel services, such as FedEx Express Saver for 3-day delivery, are a separate business from FedEx Freight since the spin-off, and their delivery windows are covered in our guide to what time FedEx delivers.
If you’re open to UPS or USPS for those boxes instead, ParcelPath offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, with no subscription, no per-label fee and no minimums. Our broader overview of FedEx services, tiers and transit times helps you compare the parcel options side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What services does FedEx Freight offer?
FedEx Freight services center on three LTL levels: Priority, typically delivering in 1–3 days; Economy, typically delivering in 3–6 days; and Direct, for bulky freight delivered to homes and businesses. Options such as Priority Plus, A.M. Delivery and Close of Business Delivery tighten the delivery window, and FedEx Custom Critical handles expedited, secure and temperature-controlled freight.
Is FedEx Freight still part of FedEx?
No. FedEx Freight completed its spin-off from FedEx Corporation on June 1, 2026, and now trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FDXF, while FedEx continues as FDX. FedEx Freight describes itself as the largest pure-play LTL carrier in North America, with about 40,000 team members and nearly 30,000 vehicles.
How heavy does a shipment need to be for FedEx Freight services?
FedEx Freight treats shipments over 150 pounds as freight. Its shipping basics guide says LTL is typically ideal for shipments between 150 and 20,000 pounds, with a maximum length of 20 feet. Lighter single packages usually ship more simply through a parcel carrier, while loads that fill most of a trailer are often better as full truckload.
Does FedEx Freight deliver to residences?
Yes. FedEx Freight Direct delivers large shipments to residences as well as businesses, at four levels: Basic, Basic by Appointment, Standard and Premium. Premium includes two-person delivery to the room of your choice and debris removal on request, with a limit of 300 pounds per piece, while Standard is ground level only and limited to 150 pounds per piece.
Sources
- FedEx Freight, Services overview (fedexfreight.com/en-us/services)
- FedEx Freight, FedEx Freight Direct (fedexfreight.com/en-us/services/freight-direct)
- FedEx Freight, Freight Shipping 101 (fedexfreight.com/en-us/support-resources/freight-shipping-101)
- FedEx Freight Newsroom, FedEx Freight Completes Spin-Off and Begins Trading on the New York Stock Exchange, June 1, 2026 (newsroom.fedexfreight.com)
- NMFTA, NMFTA Implements Historic NMFC Changes; Launches ClassIT+
This article is part of our FedEx guide. Explore more in our guide to the best shipping services and solutions.
Part of our ParcelPath Going Freight guide. Related: LTL Freight and Logistics: Complete Guide to Less-Than-Truckload Shipping.
