Liftgate fees by LTL carrier

Liftgate is one of the most common accessorials on small LTL shipments, and the published charge varies more than most shippers expect. We read the current rules tariff of each carrier below and pulled the liftgate item word for word: the rate, the minimum, the maximum and the item number, with a link to the source document.

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

Published liftgate charges at 12 LTL carriers

Charges are listed exactly as each tariff states them. “cwt” means per 100 lb of shipment weight. Click the tariff name to open the carrier’s own document, and check the carrier’s current tariff before you rely on a number: they change with general rate increases and tariff revisions.

Fees are taken from each carrier’s public rules tariff as published on September 24, 2026 and change frequently. They are list charges for the 48 contiguous states (Alaska, Hawaii and Canada often differ) and do not reflect any shipper’s negotiated pricing. Always check the carrier’s current tariff; the item number is the fastest way to find the rule in the document.

How a per-cwt liftgate charge actually works

Every carrier in the table prices liftgate the same way: a rate per hundred pounds, held between a minimum and a maximum. The formula is simple:

Liftgate charge = shipment weight ÷ 100 × rate, but never less than the minimum or more than the maximum.

The minimum is what matters for most shippers. The median shipment Armstrong customers moved over September 2025 – August 2026 weighed 870 lb (how we calculate these figures). At that weight, 12 of the 12 carriers charge exactly their minimum, because the per-cwt math comes in lower. In practice the liftgate fee on a typical pallet is a flat number set by the tariff’s minimum.

Worked example: a 3,000 lb shipment

Take a 3,000 lb, four-pallet shipment going to a business without a dock.

• Old Dominion (ODFL) (Item 891): 30 cwt × $4.40 = $132. That is above the $105 minimum and below the $330 cap, so the charge is $132.
• Saia (Item 575): 30 cwt × $12.12 = $363.60. That is between the $164.50 minimum and the $382.50 cap, so the charge is $363.60.

Same freight, same service, a $231.60 difference at tariff levels. That gap is why the cheapest linehaul rate is not always the cheapest bill once accessorials are added, and why you should compare quotes with the liftgate already included.

What each carrier’s tariff charges at common weights

The table applies each carrier’s published formula to four shipment weights. The 870 lb column is the median Armstrong shipment weight. The last two columns show the weight at which each charge leaves its minimum and reaches its cap.

Calculated from the published rate, minimum and maximum only. Carrier rules that double the charge for heavy or oversized pieces, or that bill pickup and delivery separately, are listed below and are not included.

Carrier rules that change the liftgate price

The headline rate is only part of the rule. These conditions come straight from the same tariff items:

• Saia (Item 575): Same item covers hand unloading.
• XPO (Item 218): Also applies to hand loading or unloading when a liftgate cannot be used.
• R+L Carriers (Item 520): Skids over 2,000 lb are broken down and the liftgate charge is doubled. Max skid 60 in long x 48 in wide.
• ABF Freight (Item 758): Per shipment per trailer.
• TForce Freight (Item 892-A): Charged separately at pickup and at delivery.
• Southeastern Freight Lines (Item 890-100): Residential liftgate limit: 1,000 lb and 48 x 60 x 72 in per piece (2,500 lb non-residential).
• AAA Cooper (Item 890): Standard transit may run 1-2 business days longer.
• Central Transport (Item 757): Doubled if any article is over 2,500 lb, or over 70 in long/wide or 80 in high.
• Estes (Item 567) and TForce Freight (Item 892-A): service may be refused above 2,000 lb per handling unit, or for pieces too large to sit on the gate, when it cannot be done safely.

Two patterns matter most. First, heavy or oversized pieces can double the charge or make liftgate service unavailable, so check piece weight and footprint before you promise a customer a liftgate delivery. Second, liftgate at pickup and at delivery are two separate services. A shipment moving from a small shop to a home can carry two liftgate charges plus a residential charge.

When you need a liftgate, and when you don’t

A standard LTL trailer floor sits about four feet off the ground. Without a dock at that height, freight has to be lowered to the ground, and that is the service the liftgate charge pays for. You typically need it when:

• The pickup or delivery location has no loading dock (retail stores, offices, many small shops, homes).
• There is a dock but no forklift or pallet jack to pull freight off the trailer.
• The dock is too high, too low or blocked for a full-size trailer.

You don’t need it when the receiver has a working dock, when they can unload at grade with their own forklift from the side or rear, or when the consignee picks the freight up at the carrier’s terminal. If you are unsure, ask the receiver one question: “Do you have a dock and a pallet jack?” It saves more money than any rate negotiation.

How to avoid or reduce liftgate fees

• Confirm the delivery site before booking. A liftgate added at delivery costs the same charge plus the risk of a failed attempt, a redelivery fee and storage.
• Use terminal pickup or drop-off. If the receiver has a pickup truck or small trailer, collecting at the carrier’s terminal removes the liftgate (and any residential charge) entirely.
• Keep pieces within liftgate limits. Staying under the per-piece weight and size limits avoids the doubled charges some carriers apply. Two lighter pallets can be cheaper than one heavy one.
• Compare carriers on the all-in price. Minimum liftgate charges in this table differ by $199 from lowest to highest. On a one-pallet shipment that can decide which carrier is actually cheapest.
• Negotiate it, or ship through someone who has. Accessorial charges are negotiable in shipper contracts and broker agreements, especially if liftgate deliveries are a regular part of your freight.
• Mark it on the bill of lading. It won’t lower the fee, but it gets a liftgate truck dispatched the first time. See our bill of lading guide for what to write.

Why your price may not match the tariff

A rules tariff is the carrier’s published list price for extra services. It applies in full when you ship with no agreement in place. Most business freight doesn’t move at list price: shipper contracts, pricing agreements and broker or 3PL carrier contracts commonly override accessorial items with a flat charge, a lower minimum, a cap or a waiver. The tariff still governs anything the agreement doesn’t address.

That is the case for Armstrong customers too. Shipments quoted through GetLTLRates move on Armstrong Transport Group’s carrier pricing, so the liftgate charge on your quote may be lower or structured differently from the tariff figures above. The quote you receive shows what applies to your shipment. The tariff table is the useful benchmark: it tells you what the service costs when nobody has negotiated it, and it explains the size of the line item when a carrier invoice arrives.

For the full list of extra charges that show up on LTL invoices, see LTL accessorial charges explained. For what a single pallet costs all-in, see how much it costs to ship a pallet, and for the whole process, how to ship a pallet.