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Retail and e-commerce · how to ship

How to ship a pallet

The right mode, how to prepare it, what drives the price and the mistakes that cost money. Best modes: LTL.

Short answer: Ship a single pallet by LTL: you pay for your pallet's share of a trailer, priced by lane, weight, freight class (density) and accessorials. Build it on a standard 48x40 pallet, keep it under about 72 inches tall, shrink-wrap and label it, and quote it with exact dimensions so the carrier doesn't reclass it.

Updated November 3, 2026 · By the GetShippingRates team at Armstrong Transport Group

Step by step

Preparing a pallet for shipping

  1. Use a sound 48x40 pallet and stack boxes square within its edges, heaviest on the bottom.
  2. Shrink-wrap the load to the pallet and add corner boards if it's tall or fragile.
  3. Weigh and measure the finished pallet, including the pallet itself.
  4. Label it with the shipper, consignee and BOL number on two sides.
  5. Add liftgate or residential service if the pickup or delivery has no dock.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Distance and lane
  • Weight and density (freight class)
  • Accessorials: liftgate, residential, appointment, inside delivery
  • Fuel surcharge

Freight class: Class comes from density: a 48x40x48 pallet at 500 lb is about 9.4 lb per cubic foot, which estimates near class 100 on the current scale. Check yours with the free freight calculators; the carrier’s NMFC item sets the final class.

For real prices see pallet shipping cost, the freight rate index and reefer shipping cost.

Avoid these

Mistakes that cost money

  • Guessing weight or dimensions, which triggers reweigh and reclass charges.
  • Overhanging boxes, which damage easily and can be refused.
  • Leaving out the liftgate for a business without a dock.

More retail and e-commerce guides

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship one pallet?

See our pallet shipping cost guide for real prices by distance and weight from 97,000+ LTL shipments, or get a live quote from 50+ carriers in seconds.

What is the maximum size for one pallet?

Most carriers handle up to about 48x48 inches by 96 inches tall and a few thousand pounds per pallet, but taller than about 72 inches is often treated as non-stackable and priced higher.

Is it cheaper to ship two pallets than one big one?

Not always. Price is driven by total weight, density and the floor space the freight takes. Quote both configurations.

More shipping cost guides

  • Shipping cost calculator — Billable weight for parcel, LTL, truckload, air and ocean, the mode that fits, and a dated LTL price range.
  • Pallet shipping cost — What 1 to 12 pallets cost to ship by LTL, by distance, from 97,000+ real shipments.
  • Freight shipping rates — How each mode is priced, and LTL price per 100 lb by weight and distance from real shipments.
  • LTL vs truckload — Where LTL stops making sense: pallet counts, weight, linear feet and transit, with real LTL prices.
  • Air freight rates — How air cargo is priced: chargeable weight, weight breaks, surcharges and door-to-door charges.
  • Ocean freight rates — FCL vs LCL, container sizes, revenue tons and every charge on an ocean freight quote.
  • Freight rate index — Median all-in truckload price per mile by equipment, distance and city, from hundreds of priced lanes.
  • Reefer shipping cost — What refrigerated LTL and reefer truckloads cost, from real quotes on 16 lanes.
  • White glove delivery cost — Curbside to white glove with assembly: what the two-person delivery leg costs in 16 US cities.
  • Broker vs. carrier direct — When a direct carrier contract beats a broker, and when it doesn't.
  • Volume LTL vs. partial truckload — The 6-to-18-pallet gray zone: how each is priced and handled.
  • Where to get a freight quote — Carrier sites, marketplaces, brokers and instant-rate platforms compared.
  • How to ship anything — Mode, packaging, freight class and cost drivers for furniture, machinery, produce, hazmat and more.
  • Shipping to Mexico — Cross-border freight: border crossings, the documents each side needs, and the US leg's real cost.
Live quote

Get a quote to ship a pallet

Pick the mode, enter the lane and freight, and see live rates in seconds where the mode supports it. Armstrong Transport Group's team handles the rest.

Prefer to talk? Call 877-240-1181 or email info@getshippingrates.com. Shipping several modes? Request a free multimodal shipping review.

LTL quote

  2. 2 Shipment
  3. 3 Contact
1–6 pallets or crates sharing a truck
Lane
Freight
Handling units
Extra services (optional)
At pickup
At delivery
Shipment