LTL is a shipment that does not fill a truck. The less-than-truckload (LTL) industry provides transportation of partial-load shipments that go to one or more destinations or full trailer-load shipments going to multiple destinations. The LTL is a $39 billion industry and is comprised of two distinct segments, national LTL and regional LTL. The national LTL participants operate a "hub-and-spoke" network with an average length of haul of 1,200 to 1,400 miles. Growth is dependent on accelerated economic activity and competitor failures. The estimated size of the national LTL segment is $12 billion. The regional LTL segment is characterized by numerous carriers, typically non-union, that operate a modified hub-and-spoke network, with an average length of haul of 200 to 600 miles for most freight. Growth in this segment is dependent on consolidation within the marketplace, the shift toward more regionalized freight patterns by shippers, and general economic growth. The regional LTL segment is highly fragmented, with the top 20 participants accounting for roughly 50% of the estimated $27 billion market. http://www.stephens.com/research/industries__companies/transportation/truckload__less-than-truckloa.aspx