How to Ship a Pallet
A practical, end-to-end LTL guide — how to measure, set freight class, package and wrap, choose a mode, prepare the bill of lading, and avoid the reweighs and accessorial surprises that inflate the final invoice. For rate ranges, see our pallet shipping cost guide.
Price this pallet shipment
Enter origin, destination, weight, and dimensions for instant LTL pallet rates from multiple carriers.
Record length, width, and height including the pallet, plus total weight. Carriers reweigh and remeasure — accurate numbers keep the invoice matching the quote.
Set freight class from density, then build a stable load on a sturdy 48 x 40 pallet — brick-stacked, no overhang, wrapped into one unit.
Compare LTL carriers on your lane and declare accessorials (liftgate, residential, inside delivery) before you book.
Label the pallet, print the bill of lading with class and PRO number, stage it for the driver, and track through to delivery.
1. Measure and weigh — accurately
LTL carriers reweigh and remeasure freight on certified scales and dimensioners. If your declared numbers are off, you get a reweigh or reinspection fee and a corrected — higher — invoice. Measure each pallet's length, width, and height including the pallet, and record the total weight (freight plus pallet plus packaging).
- The standard footprint is the 48 x 40 inch GMA pallet. Freight should not overhang the edges.
- Keep height at or under 72 inches floor-to-top for standard LTL handling and stacking; some carriers allow up to about 84 inches with prior notice.
- LTL is built for roughly 150–15,000 lbs. Past ~10,000–12,000 lbs, or about 12+ pallets, compare partial or full truckload — it is often cheaper and handled less.
2. Set the freight class before you quote
LTL pricing runs on freight class, driven mainly by density (weight divided by cubic feet) plus the commodity's NMFC listing. Lower density means a higher class and a higher rate. Guess the class low and the carrier reclasses it after inspection, with a price correction attached. Calculate density first with our freight class calculator so the class you book matches the class you get billed for.
3. Package and palletize so it survives the network
LTL freight is handled several times and rides alongside other shippers' goods, so packaging does the heavy lifting:
- Start with a sound pallet. Use a sturdy 48 x 40 with no cracked or missing boards.
- Build a stable stack. Heaviest boxes on the bottom, lightest on top. Brick-stack — rotate each layer about 90 degrees from the one below — rather than stacking straight columns. Avoid pyramids; an uneven top can't be stacked in the trailer.
- No overhang. Cartons past the pallet edge get crushed and can bump your freight class.
- Wrap it into one unit. Stretch-wrap from the bottom up, 4–5 full rotations, anchoring the load to the pallet itself with a few turns around the base. Overlap each pass about 50% and crisscross the top corners.
- Reinforce heavy or fragile loads. Add corner boards — they stabilize the top layer and stop banding from biting into boxes — and run straps or banding over the wrap.
- Test it. If you can nudge the boxes, add another pass of wrap. Nothing should shift.
4. Choose a mode, then declare accessorials
For one to six pallets, LTL is almost always the right call. Get multi-carrier quotes for your lane, and declare any accessorials before you book — adding them after pickup is where invoices balloon. If you're near the top of the LTL weight range, quote partial truckload too.
Accessorials are charges for anything beyond a standard dock-to-dock move. The common ones for pallet shipments:
- Liftgate — when either end has no loading dock; the truck's hydraulic gate lowers the pallet to the ground.
- Residential pickup or delivery — any non-commercial address; carriers route smaller trucks and bill for it.
- Inside delivery — the driver moves freight inside rather than leaving it at the curb or dock.
- Limited access — schools, churches, government sites, storage facilities, construction sites, and farms.
- Appointment or notification — when the receiver needs a scheduled window or a call-ahead.
Declaring these at quote time keeps your booked rate honest. Carriers add them — plus a correction — when they discover them at the dock. For a full breakdown of charges, see our service fees reference.
5. Bill of lading and pickup
The bill of lading (BOL) is the contract and the carrier's instructions. It lists origin and destination, piece count, total weight, freight class, and special instructions, and it ties to your PRO number for tracking. Put a clear shipping label on every handling unit, print the BOL with our bill of lading generator, and have the wrapped, labeled pallet staged and accessible when the driver arrives. Drivers won't wait long, and a missed pickup pushes your transit out a day.
6. Track and confirm delivery
Most domestic LTL pallet moves run 2–5 business days, depending on distance and routing; weather and terminal volume can add time. Track with the PRO number and confirm the receiver is ready — if they need a liftgate or an appointment, that should already be on the BOL. Estimate door-to-door time first with our shipping time calculator.
Tools for this shipment
- Pallet calculator — how many boxes fit on a pallet
- Freight class calculator — density-based class estimate
- Dimensional weight calculator — find your chargeable weight
- Weight converter — pounds, kilograms, and tons
- Linear feet calculator — deck space if you scale to a partial
- Truckload calculator — when you outgrow LTL
- Shipping time calculator — estimate door-to-door transit
- Fuel surcharge calculator — the fuel component of your rate
- Bill of lading generator — create your BOL