How to ship a pallet: a step-by-step guide

A single pallet is the most common LTL shipment there is. It is also where most first-time shippers overpay, usually because of a bad build, a guessed weight or a missing accessorial. Here is the whole process, from an empty pallet on your dock to a signed delivery receipt, and what it typically costs.

By Ryan Poynter, SVP of LTL, Armstrong Transport Group · Updated September 24, 2026

Is LTL the right way to ship your pallet?

LTL (less-than-truckload) carriers are built for exactly this: freight that is too big or heavy for parcel but nowhere near a full trailer. Your pallet rides in a shared trailer with other shippers’ freight, and you pay for the space and weight you use.

• Under about 150 lb and boxable: parcel (UPS, FedEx Ground) is often cheaper. 150 lb is the parcel carriers’ per-package limit.
• One to five pallets: standard LTL. This is the sweet spot.
• Six to twelve pallets, or over about 5,000 lb: ask for volume LTL or partial truckload pricing. See LTL vs. truckload.

Step 1: Build a pallet that survives the network

LTL freight gets handled several times: picked up, cross-docked at the origin terminal, loaded onto a linehaul trailer, unloaded at destination and delivered. Forklifts will move it, and other freight will sit next to it (and sometimes on top of it). Build for that.

• Use a sound pallet. The standard is 48″ × 40″. No broken deck boards, no missing stringers, and big enough that nothing hangs over the edge. Overhang is the number one cause of crushed corners.
• Stack heavy on the bottom, square and flat. Align cartons column-style for strength, keep the top level, and avoid pyramids. A flat top means the carrier can stack other freight on it without crushing yours.
• Keep it a sensible height. Stable pallets are usually well under the trailer door. A tall, top-heavy pallet is more likely to tip and costs more because of the extra cube.
• Stretch wrap it tight, including to the pallet. Wrap five or six times around, and twist the film down around the pallet deck so the load and the pallet move as one piece. Add corner boards and banding for heavier or fragile loads.
• Mark it. “Do not stack” or “fragile” markings help, but they are not a guarantee. If it truly cannot be stacked on, tell the carrier at booking, because some price that as extra space.

Step 2: Measure and weigh the finished pallet

Measure after it is wrapped, and include the pallet itself. Length × width × height at the widest and tallest points, rounded up to the next inch. Then weigh it on a scale, pallet included. Carriers run freight through dimensioning machines and certified scales at the terminal. If your numbers are low, you get a reweigh or reclass bill later (see freight reweigh and reclass).

Step 3: Work out density and the estimated freight class

Class drives the rate as much as weight does. For most commodities it now comes from density, using the NMFTA’s 13-tier density scale that took effect July 19, 2025. Some commodities still carry their own item-specific class, so check your product’s NMFC item if you know it.

Worked example. A 48″ × 40″ pallet stacked to 48″ (pallet included), weighing 500 lb:

• Cubic feet: 48 × 40 × 48 = 92,160 cubic inches ÷ 1,728 = 53.33 ft³
• Density: 500 lb ÷ 53.33 ft³ = 9.4 lb per cubic foot
• On the density scale, 8 to under 10 lb/ft³ is class 100, so the estimated density-based freight class is 100.

Stack the same 500 lb only 36″ tall and density climbs to 12.5 lb/ft³, which lands in class 85. Building the pallet more compactly is one of the few free ways to lower your rate. Run your own numbers in the freight density calculator, and read what is freight class? for the full scale.

Step 4: Decide which accessorials you need

A standard LTL rate assumes dock-to-dock: a business with a loading dock at each end, open normal hours. Anything else is an accessorial, and it needs to be on the quote and the bill of lading. The common ones for a single pallet:

• Liftgate at pickup or delivery if there is no dock or forklift.
• Residential pickup or delivery, including home businesses.
• Limited access for schools, churches, construction sites, storage units, farms and similar locations.
• Appointment or notify before delivery if the receiver needs a call ahead.
• Inside delivery if the pallet has to go past the front door.

Amounts vary by carrier tariff. What matters most is declaring them up front: a liftgate added after the fact costs more than one that was quoted, and the missed delivery attempt can add a redelivery fee on top. The accessorial charges guide covers each one.

Step 5: Get quotes from several carriers

LTL pricing is not a single market price. The same pallet on the same lane can price very differently across carriers depending on their network, how full their trailers are heading your way and the discount behind the quote. To get a real quote you need: origin and destination ZIP, pickup and delivery location type, weight, dimensions, pieces, commodity and class, and accessorials.

GetLTLRates, powered by Armstrong Transport Group, compares 50+ carriers in one request, and on average Armstrong customers save about 15% versus carriers’ published rates (the overall average; savings range case by case). Compare the all-in number (base rate plus fuel plus accessorials) and the transit days, not just the line-haul.

Step 6: Book and prepare the bill of lading

Once you pick a carrier, the shipment gets booked and you receive a bill of lading (BOL). The BOL is the contract and the carrier bills from it, so it has to match the freight: correct addresses and contacts, piece count, weight, dimensions, commodity description, NMFC item and class, and every accessorial. Print at least two copies, one for the driver and one for your records. The bill of lading guide walks through each field.

Step 7: Label the pallet

Put a shipping label on at least two sides of the wrapped pallet, not just the top. Include the consignee name and address, the PRO number or BOL number and the piece count (“1 of 1”). Labels on the top get covered when freight is stacked, and a pallet with no visible label is the kind that ends up in a terminal overage area.

Step 8: Pickup

Most LTL pickups happen in the afternoon, when the local driver runs a route of stops. Give the carrier a ready time and a close time with a reasonable window (a two-hour window is often the minimum), and have the pallet staged near the dock. When the driver arrives:

• Hand over the BOL and have the driver sign it. Keep your signed copy.
• Confirm the piece count on the BOL matches what goes on the truck.
• Take a quick photo of the finished pallet, with its label visible. It costs nothing and it is the best evidence you will have if anything goes wrong.

Step 9: Track it

The PRO number is your tracking number. Expect scans at pickup, at the origin terminal, as it departs on linehaul and when it arrives at the destination terminal, then “out for delivery.” Transit is quoted in business days, so a long-haul pallet picked up Thursday will not arrive Monday. See LTL transit times for how to plan around that.

Step 10: Inspect it on delivery

This step protects every claim you might ever need to file. Before the receiver signs the delivery receipt, they should count the pieces and look over the pallet: torn wrap, crushed corners, punctures, tipped freight, wet cartons. Anything visible gets written on the delivery receipt, specifically (“1 pallet, wrap torn, 3 cartons crushed on NE corner”), before signing. A clean signature is treated as proof it arrived in good condition. If the damage only shows up after unpacking, report it to the carrier right away and keep all the packaging. The freight claims guide covers the full process.

What it costs to ship a pallet

Across 97,351 LTL shipments Armstrong arranged from September 2025 – August 2026, single-handling-unit shipments (median weight 500 lb) paid a middle-50% range of $255 to $525, with a median of $360. Distance and weight move the number most:

All-in rates Armstrong customers paid, including fuel and any accessorials; middle 50% of shipments, September 2025 – August 2026. Transit is the median in business days. These are historical ranges, not a quote or a guarantee.

For the full breakdown by weight, class and distance, see how much it costs to ship a pallet. For specific corridors, the lane pages show recent pricing on the busiest state-to-state corridors.

The cheapest way to ship a pallet

1. Ship dock to dock when you can. Business-to-business with docks at both ends avoids the most common accessorials.
2. Build it dense. Shorter, squarer, fully used pallets drop the estimated class, as the example above shows.
3. Combine pallets going to the same place. Two pallets on one BOL almost always beat two separate shipments.
4. Declare everything accurately. The cheapest quote is worthless if a reweigh, reclass or surprise liftgate turns it into the most expensive invoice.
5. Be flexible on pickup day. If it does not have to go today, ask whether another day or carrier prices better.
6. Compare carriers every time. The best carrier on one lane is often not the best on the next.