What is line haul?
Line haul, also written linehaul, is the long-distance transport of goods between two hubs: from a warehouse to a sorting centre, between carrier terminals, or between cities and countries. It is the middle part of a delivery, after the first mile (collection) and before the last mile (delivery to the customer). Line haul usually moves large, consolidated loads, such as full trucks, trailers, containers or air cargo.
Core principle: Line haul is where volume is bundled. The fuller the truck between hubs, the lower the cost per parcel or pallet.
Line haul vs first mile and last mile
| First mile | Line haul | Last mile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Warehouse or shipper to the first hub | Hub to hub, often hundreds of kilometres | Local depot to the customer |
| Loads | Collections, smaller loads | Full trucks, swap bodies, containers | Single parcels |
| Cost per unit | Medium | Lowest | Highest |
See also last-mile delivery.
Types of line haul
Road
Trucks and trailers between hubs. The most common form in Europe, often driven overnight so goods are ready for delivery in the morning. Documents such as the CMR consignment note travel with international loads.
Rail and intermodal
Trailers or containers on trains for long distances, with road transport at each end. Lower CO₂ emissions, but less flexible.
Air
Between airport hubs for express parcels and urgent freight.
What line haul costs depend on
- Distance, fuel and road tolls
- How full the vehicle is: full truckload (FTL) or shared
- Driver time and rules: in the EU, a driver may drive up to 9 hours a day (10 hours twice a week) and must take a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours
- Empty return trips, which carriers price in
- Waiting times at warehouses and terminals
Example: A brand stores stock in Poland and sells across Germany. Every evening, a full trailer of parcels runs from the warehouse to a carrier hub in Germany: the line haul. There, the parcels enter the German parcel network for next-day delivery, at a lower cost than sending each parcel internationally.
Line haul in eCommerce
Parcel carriers run line haul between their sorting centres every night. Fulfilment providers also use their own line haul to inject parcels into a carrier’s network in another country, or to move stock between warehouses using cross-docking.
Frequently asked questions
What does line haul mean?
The long-distance transport of goods between two hubs, terminals or warehouses.
Is it line haul or linehaul?
Both spellings are used and mean the same.
What is the difference between line haul and last mile?
Line haul moves consolidated loads between hubs; the last mile delivers single parcels from the local depot to the customer.
What does “in linehaul” mean in parcel tracking?
The parcel is on a truck or plane between two of the carrier’s hubs.
