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Industrial · how to ship

How to ship auto parts

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

Short answer: Small auto parts ship parcel; boxed parts on pallets, engines and transmissions ship LTL; production volume ships by truckload. Drain all fluids from engines and transmissions, bolt them to a pallet, and declare used parts with oil residue correctly so they aren't refused.

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

Step by step

Preparing auto parts for shipping

  1. Drain engines, transmissions and radiators completely.
  2. Bolt heavy parts to a pallet or crate; box small parts together.
  3. Wrap and corner-board bumpers and body panels.
  4. Weigh and measure the finished pallet.
  5. Declare batteries separately; they're hazmat.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Density: body panels are light and bulky, engines are dense
  • Hazmat for batteries and fluids
  • Residential delivery to a home garage
  • Reweigh charges for undeclared weight

Freight class: Boxed parts commonly estimate at class 85 to 125; bulky body panels can estimate at class 175 or higher. 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

  • Shipping an engine with oil in it.
  • Batteries packed with other parts and not declared.
  • Bumpers shipped unboxed and damaged.

More industrial guides

Frequently asked questions

How do I ship an engine?

Drain all fluids, bolt it to a pallet or engine crate, wrap it, and ship LTL. Declare whether it's new or used.

Can car batteries ship LTL?

Yes, as hazmat, packed and labeled to DOT rules. Declare them when you quote.

Parcel or LTL for auto parts?

Under about 150 lb per box, parcel. A pallet of parts or anything heavy goes LTL.

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

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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
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