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Industrial · how to ship

How to ship steel

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

Short answer: Steel coils, beams, pipe and plate ship by flatbed truckload, loaded by crane or forklift and secured with chains; coils need a coil rack or well. Smaller bundled orders on skids can ship LTL. Declare the weight accurately: steel loads hit legal weight limits long before they fill the deck.

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

Step by step

Preparing steel for shipping

  1. Bundle and band pieces; protect edges.
  2. Get exact weight and piece lengths.
  3. Specify coils (eye to sky or eye to rear) so the carrier brings coil racks.
  4. Request tarps for finished or galvanized steel.
  5. Confirm crane or forklift loading at both ends.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Weight close to the legal limit
  • Coil securement and tarps
  • Length over 40 feet may need an extendable trailer
  • Crane loading time and detention

Freight class: Steel is dense; bundled steel on LTL commonly estimates at class 50. 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

  • Underdeclared weight leading to an overweight truck.
  • Finished steel shipped without tarps and rusting in transit.
  • No coil racks requested for coils.

More industrial guides

Frequently asked questions

How is steel shipped?

Mostly on flatbeds, chained down, with tarps for finished product. Coils ride in a coil well or on racks.

How much steel fits on a flatbed?

Weight runs out first: about 46,000 to 48,000 lb of cargo on a standard flatbed.

Can I ship steel LTL?

Yes for bundles on skids under 12 feet long; longer pieces cost extra or need a 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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