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Industrial · how to ship

How to ship building materials

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

Short answer: Lumber, steel, roofing and drywall in full loads ship on a flatbed so they can be loaded by forklift from the side; partial orders on pallets ship LTL. Job sites usually need a liftgate or a truck with a forklift and an appointment, so state the delivery site type when you quote.

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

Step by step

Preparing building materials for shipping

  1. Bundle and band materials so they can be forklifted.
  2. Count pieces and get total weight; flatbeds carry about 48,000 lb.
  3. Tell the carrier whether it's a job site, yard or dock.
  4. Request tarps for drywall, insulation and anything that can't get wet.
  5. Arrange someone to receive and unload at the job site.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Flatbed vs LTL
  • Job-site and limited-access delivery charges
  • Tarps
  • Long material (over 12 feet) handling fees on LTL

Freight class: Dense materials like tile, steel and lumber commonly estimate at class 50 to 70. 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

  • No forklift on the job site.
  • Long pieces sent LTL without declaring length.
  • Drywall shipped untarped on a flatbed.

More industrial guides

Frequently asked questions

What truck do I need for lumber?

A flatbed for full or large loads; LTL with a liftgate for a few bundles to a site without a forklift.

Can LTL deliver to a construction site?

Yes, with a limited-access or construction-site accessorial, and usually a liftgate. Expect an appointment.

How much weight can a flatbed carry?

About 46,000 to 48,000 lb on a standard 48-foot flatbed.

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

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