Shipping and carriers
First LTL shipment: freight class, BOL, dock or liftgate, and when parcel is still cheaper
Move from parcel to LTL at about 150 lb to one address, or when cartons pass 50 lb each. Here is how freight class, the bill of lading and liftgate fees work on a first shipment, with current UPS and Estes numbers.
Switch from parcel to LTL when one shipment to one address passes about 150 lb, or when single cartons weigh more than 50 lb. UPS and FedEx Ground cap a package at 150 lb, and UPS adds $46.50 or more to every box over 50 lb. You do not need a loading dock. A liftgate covers it.
Where parcel stops making sense
UPS and FedEx Ground both accept packages up to 150 lb, 108 inches long and 165 inches in length plus girth. A package found in the UPS network over those limits is billed an Over Maximum Limits fee of $1,875, according to the UPS daily rate guide updated September 7, 2026.
The cost climbs well before that ceiling. The same guide charges Additional Handling on any domestic package with an actual weight over 50 lb: $46.50 in zone 2, rising to $58.75 in zone 7 and beyond. Over 110 lb, the Large Package Surcharge takes over at $219.50 to $286.00 for a commercial address. Eight 55 lb cartons to one wholesale customer carry $372 in handling charges in zone 2 before any postage.
Estes, a national LTL carrier, defines LTL as shipments of 150 to 15,000 lb and says freight is generally the cheaper choice from 150 lb up. FreightSimple puts the crossover at about 150 to 200 lb for many small businesses.
Freight class in one calculation
LTL pricing runs on freight class, and class runs mostly on density. Multiply the length, width and height of the finished pallet in inches, pallet included, and divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet. Divide the weight by the cubic feet. The result is density in pounds per cubic foot.
Since July 19, 2025, the standard scale has 13 density bands, from class 400 for freight under 1 lb per cubic foot down to class 50 for freight at 50 lb or more (Cole International's summary of NMFC Docket 2025-1). A 48 x 40 x 45 inch pallet at 450 lb is 50 cubic feet and 9 lb per cubic foot. That lands in the 8 to under 10 band, class 100. Stack the same 450 lb to 40.5 inches and the density reaches 10, which is class 92.5. A lower class means a lower rate.
Density sets the class unless handling, stowability or liability pushes it elsewhere, and the NMFC item for your product has the final word. Carriers weigh and measure freight on their own docks. Estes states in its BOL instructions that it may correct the weight and change the class. Our freight class calculator shows your band and the density needed to reach the next class down.
The bill of lading
The bill of lading, or BOL, is required on every freight shipment and hands responsibility for the goods to the carrier in transit. It names the shipper and the consignee, the number of handling units, a description of the goods with the NMFC item number, the weight, the class, special instructions such as a liftgate, and who pays. On the Estes form, a shipment with neither prepaid nor collect marked moves as prepaid.
The driver signs the BOL and applies a PRO sticker. The PRO number is the tracking number for the shipment. At delivery, the receiver counts pieces against the BOL and writes any visible damage on the receipt before signing. Damage found after the driver leaves should be reported within five days, the notice window LTL carriers moved to in 2015 (Trinity Logistics). Federal law sets a floor of nine months to file the claim itself under 49 U.S.C. 14706 (claim deadline guide).
Dock or liftgate
You do not need a dock at either end. A liftgate is the platform on the back of the truck that lowers a pallet to the ground. Estes says one is needed whenever a site has no raised dock, forklift or pallet jack, and that it should be requested on the BOL or the pickup request so the right truck is sent.
It is an extra charge. The Estes accessorial list effective November 17, 2025 prices liftgate service at $4.95 per 100 lb with a $75 minimum and a $350 maximum. Residential pickup or delivery is $8.50 per 100 lb with a $75 minimum. A limited access location is $85 and a delivery appointment is $30. A 450 lb pallet going to a home with a liftgate picks up $150 in accessorials at those list prices. Put every one of them on the quote request so the price you see is the price you pay.
Parcel, freight-priced parcel or LTL
| Option | Best for | Limits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS or FedEx Ground parcel | Cartons of 50 lb or less, under 150 lb in total | 150 lb, 108 inches long, 165 inches length plus girth per package | $46.50 to $58.75 per box over 50 lb at UPS |
| UPS Ground with Freight Pricing | 150 to 1,000 lb to one address, no pallet | At least four packages, each 10 to 50 lb | You still need a freight class |
| LTL | 150 to 15,000 lb, usually on pallets | Standard pallet is 48 x 40 inches, 2,500 lb maximum at Estes | Reweigh, reclass, liftgate and residential charges |
The middle row is a UPS service for multi-box shipments that keeps package-level tracking. FedEx Ground Multiweight is the nearest FedEx equivalent. It starts at 200 lb and is contract only.
Your first LTL shipment in five steps
- Build the pallet. Standard is 48 x 40 inches. Heaviest cartons on the bottom, nothing past the edges, stretch wrapped down over the pallet deck.
- Weigh and measure the finished pallet, pallet included, to its highest point.
- Work out density and class. 450 lb on 50 cubic feet is 9 lb per cubic foot, class 100.
- Quote with the real conditions at both ends: dock or liftgate, business or residence, appointment or none.
- Print the BOL, get the driver's signature and keep the PRO number for tracking.
Where this meets our warehouse
We build B2B and wholesale orders and prep FBA shipments at 905 Remsen Avenue in Brooklyn. Parcel orders in by the 3:30pm ET cutoff ship the same day, with every label priced across 12+ carriers. For the freight side, the calculators page has the freight class, pallet configuration and cubic feet tools, all free. If heavy boxes are the reason you are looking at freight, read dimensional weight explained and why your shipping bill went up in 2026 first. Sending pallets to Amazon? Our FBA prep guide covers the three options.
