GetShippingRatesPowered byArmstrong Transport Group877-240-1181Get a quoteQuote
Industrial · how to ship

How to ship tires

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

Short answer: A few tires ship parcel; stacked and wrapped tires on pallets ship LTL; floor-loaded tires fill a dry van truckload. Tires are light for their size, so density, not weight, drives LTL cost: stack them tightly on pallets and wrap them to keep the class down.

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

Step by step

Preparing tires for shipping

  1. Stack tires on a pallet in tight columns or a laced pattern.
  2. Stretch-wrap the stack to the pallet.
  3. Measure the finished pallet.
  4. Floor-load full truckloads to fit the most tires.
  5. Declare whether tires are new or used.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Density
  • Floor-loading labor for truckloads
  • Pallet count
  • Residential delivery for consumer orders

Freight class: Stacked passenger tires commonly estimate at class 110 to 150 by density. 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

  • Loose, unwrapped tires on a pallet.
  • Quoting by weight without dimensions.
  • Missing unload time for floor-loaded trailers (detention).

More industrial guides

Frequently asked questions

How many tires fit in a 53-foot trailer?

Floor-loaded, roughly 1,000 to 1,500 passenger tires depending on size and stacking.

Do tires ship LTL?

Yes, on pallets, stacked and wrapped.

Is parcel or LTL cheaper for tires?

For one to four tires parcel usually wins; past about 8 to 10, palletized 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

Get a quote to ship tires

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