How to ship LTL freight in six steps.
Measure the pallet, get a per pallet rate, book the pickup, write the bill of lading, hand it to the driver, and track it to a signed proof of delivery. The six steps below each open with the drawing the dock works from, and the two ZIP form on this page returns a live, all inclusive LTL rate across 3,355 rated lanes.
By Chris Reeves, VP Pricing & Network
Rate data updated November 5, 2026 · Basis: 1 pallet, 500 lb, class 70, all inclusive · Methodology at wearewarp.com/research/ltl-rate-benchmarks
Live all-inclusive rates
Price your pallet now
Two ZIP codes. The rate comes back in 10 seconds, all inclusive, no card to quote.
- Los Angeles San Francisco$190/pallet$360 under market avg · 624 shipments/mo
- Los Angeles Las Vegas$201/pallet$134 under market avg · 202 shipments/mo
- Newark New York$155/pallet$432 under market avg · 335 shipments/mo
- Dallas Chicago$309/pallet$153 under market avg · 72 shipments/mo
- Newark Miami$277/pallet$354 under market avg · 72 shipments/mo
Tap any lane: ZIPs prefilled, quote in 10 seconds.
All-inclusive pricing: the rate at booking is the rate on the invoice. Market avg from carrier benchmark data.
Warp customers
The six steps
Each step opens with the drawing the dock is working from. Tap a step to jump to it.
Step 1: Measure and weigh the pallet
A sound 48 by 40 pallet under 85 inches and 2,000 lb gets an instant rate. Measure after packing, not before.
- Length, width and height of the packed pallet, including the pallet itself and anything overhanging the deck.
- Weight per pallet, with the pallet. A bathroom scale under each corner works at a pinch; a floor scale is better.
- Stackable or not. A pallet that cannot take weight on top rides as if it were full height.
- No freight class on Warp. Other carriers rate by NMFC class and reclass after pickup when the class is wrong; if you need one for them, the freight class calculator finds it from density.
Step 2: Get a per pallet rate
Two ZIP codes and the pallet count. Then read every quote for what it leaves out.
The form at the top of this page returns a live rate for your lane, and the five lanes under it show what a pallet costs tonight next to the market average. Across the 3,355 lanes in the Warp rate data the market average for one pallet is $608 as of November 5, 2026; the per lane figures are at LTL rates and the cost drivers at LTL shipping costs.
What moves a Warp rate, and what never does:
The full schedule is the Warp LTL tariff. When you compare a carrier quote, add its fuel surcharge and accessorials first; a base rate is not a price.
Step 3: Book the pickup
Orders placed by 10:30 am local time pick up the same day, Monday through Friday.
- Pickup date and a window the dock can hold. Same day before the cutoff, otherwise next business day.
- Dock contacts at both ends with phone numbers. They go on the bill of lading and the driver calls them, not you.
- Reference numbers: your PO, the receiver’s PO, and an appointment number if the consignee books deliveries.
- Site rules: liftgate, residential, appointment or limited access. All four are $0 on Warp, and they decide which truck is sent.
Step 4: Wrap it and write the BOL
The bill of lading is the contract and the receipt. The booking prints one; here is what has to be on it.
- Shipper and consignee names, addresses and phone numbers.
- Pieces, pallet count, total weight and dimensions, matching what you measured in step 1.
- A plain description of the goods and the reference numbers from the booking.
- Special instructions: liftgate, appointment, inside delivery. If it is not on the BOL, the driver cannot see it.
- Stretch wrap to the deck, corner boards on tall stacks, and a label on two sides with the consignee and the BOL number. The printable version is the LTL shipping checklist; a blank form is the free bill of lading template.
Step 5: Pickup day and the cross dock
The driver scans every pallet in. Then one Warp cross dock, one line haul, one delivery truck.
- Have the pallets staged at the door with the BOL on top. Free time is 30 minutes; staged freight loads in five.
- The driver scans each pallet with the Warp driver app and signs the BOL. That scan is the first tracking event and the first photo.
- From your dock the freight rides a local truck to a Warp cross dock, gets consolidated by destination onto a line haul trailer, and rides a local truck to the receiver: 1 to 2 touches through 70+ cross docks, against 3 to 5 terminal handoffs on a legacy LTL network.
- Fewer touches is the whole mechanism: less handling, less damage, and a rate that stays the rate.
Step 6: Track it to a signed POD
Six stages, each one a scan. The last one is a photo of the signed delivery receipt.
- Booked, picked up, at the cross dock, in transit, out for delivery, delivered. Each stage posts a scan event and a timestamp; the truck legs show live GPS.
- Our AI backbone, Orbit, watches every load and flags a late pickup, a missed scan or a route deviation before you have to ask.
- At delivery the receiver counts the pallets and signs. Any shortage or damage goes on the delivery receipt at that moment; a clean signature makes a later claim hard to win.
- The proof of delivery photo and signature post to the shipment, and the invoice matches the rate you booked unless an accessorial actually happened.
- Rate & carrier
- ETA & pickup window
- Equipment type
- Pickup address
- GPS location
- Scan event & photos
- E-signature
- Handling time
- Scan in / scan out
- Pallet count verified
- Dwell time
- Facility location
- ELD tracking
- Driver position & HOS
- Live ETA
- Total distance
- GPS location
- Scan event
- Accessorial services
- Arrived time
- POD photo
- E-signature
- Confirmed timestamp
- Delivery receipt
When LTL is the wrong mode
LTL is the shared trailer. The shape of the freight decides when that stops being the cheapest way.
- Three pallets or fewer across town: a cargo van, same day, no liftgate needed.
- Up to a dozen pallets locally, or a stop with no dock: a 26 ft box truck with a liftgate.
- From about 13 pallets, or anything that must not be handled in transit: a dedicated 53 ft trailer, priced per load. The guide is how to ship FTL freight.
- Six to eighteen pallets on a shared trailer with no cross dock: a partial truckload. The three side by side are at LTL vs partial vs FTL.
Six mistakes that cost money
- Measuring before packing. The wrap, the corner boards and the overhang all count.
- Comparing a base rate to an all inclusive rate. Add fuel and accessorials before deciding.
- Leaving the liftgate off the booking because it is free. Free, but the wrong truck still cannot deliver.
- A BOL with no phone numbers. The driver calls the dock, not you, and a silent dock is a missed pickup.
- Freight on the floor at pickup. Free time is 30 minutes; a forklift and a staged pallet use five.
- A clean signature on a short load. Count at the door and write it on the receipt before the truck leaves.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ship LTL for the first time?
Measure and weigh each packed pallet, enter the pickup and delivery ZIP codes with the pallet count on this page for a live rate, book the pickup with both dock contacts, print the bill of lading the booking generates, stage the freight at the door, and track the scan events to a signed proof of delivery.
No account setup call and no freight class lookup.
Do I need a freight class to ship LTL?
Not with Warp. Traditional carriers require freight class and NMFC codes, which add complexity and reclassification risk.
Warp calculates LTL rates per pallet based on weight, dimensions, and distance. No freight class lookups and no post shipment reclassification adjustments.
How much does LTL shipping cost?
LTL cost depends on pallet count, weight, dimensions, and distance.
Warp LTL averages 24% less than traditional carriers because rates are all inclusive with no fuel surcharges, no accessorials, and no terminal handling charges.
Get an instant rate on the Warp self serve platform.
How long does an LTL shipment take door to door?
LTL transit times vary by distance. Short haul lanes (under 500 miles) typically transit in 1 to 2 days. Cross country lanes transit in 3 to 5 days.
Warp LTL transit times are shown on every lane page alongside carrier comparisons. Same day and next day options are available for local LTL in metros.
What is the difference between LTL and FTL?
LTL (less than truckload) moves 1 to 12 pallets on shared trucks. FTL (full truckload) gives you a dedicated trailer for 13 or more pallets or any shipment that fills a truck.
LTL costs less per shipment but takes longer because freight is consolidated at facilities. FTL is direct from origin to destination.
What has to be on an LTL bill of lading?
Shipper and consignee with phone numbers, the piece and pallet count, total weight and dimensions, a plain description of the goods, your reference numbers, and any special instruction such as liftgate or appointment.
The Warp booking prints a complete BOL; a blank one is at /tools/bill-of-lading-template.
How do I track my LTL shipment?
Warp provides live GPS tracking, scan events at every touchpoint, and proof of delivery photos with electronic signatures on every LTL shipment.
Our AI backbone, Orbit, monitors loads in real time and flags exceptions before your team has to ask. Enterprise shippers can receive all updates via TMS integration through API.
About the Warp freight network
More about the Warp freight network
Warp is the open source freight network: the tech is free and the network is open. We run Warp LTL, our own carrier, Warp FTL, cargo van, box truck and fulfillment ourselves, with every major LTL carrier, parcel, ocean, air and drayage plugged in beside them. Our driver app rides on every truck and our warehouse app runs every cross-dock, so an open network of 38,000+ carriers behaves like one carrier you control. Warp is licensed by the FMCSA as a property broker and freight forwarder, and runs the network itself: instant rates, live tracking, 70+ cross-dock facilities, 14,000+ cargo vans and box trucks, 80%+ US LTL zip-to-zip coverage and nationwide FTL, box truck and cargo van.
The network is supported by 24,000+ vetted FTL carriers.
Unlike traditional brokers, Warp uses AI to match the right vehicle to every load based on weight, dimensions, urgency, and cost targets. Cross-dock operations reduce transit time by eliminating unnecessary terminal transfers.
Pool distribution and zone-skipping programs help enterprise shippers lower per-unit delivery costs while maintaining tight appointment windows.
Self-serve shippers can quote, compare, and book freight online in under two minutes. Enterprise accounts get dedicated capacity planning, committed rate programs, and a named operations team. Every shipment includes scan-level visibility from pickup through final delivery.
Warp operates across the contiguous United States with regional density in the Southeast, Texas, Midwest, and Northeast corridors, and West Coast and Southwest coverage from Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.
Warp operates 70+ cross-dock facilities across the US, with named markets including Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, New York, Savannah, Orlando, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Columbus, Denver, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Los Angeles. They support faster transfers and fewer touches on recurring lanes.
Freight modes and vehicle types
| Mode | Max payload | Max cube | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo van | 3,500 lbs | 400 cu ft | Time-sensitive, last-mile, light pallets |
| Box truck | 10,000 lbs | 1,500 cu ft | Regional distribution, no dock required |
| LTL | Per-pallet | Shared trailer | Lower per-pallet cost via cross-dock routing |
| Dry van / FTL | 42,000+ lbs | Full 53-ft trailer | High-volume lanes, recurring programs |
Cargo vans handle loads up to 3,500 pounds and 400 cubic feet, ideal for time-sensitive deliveries, last-mile retail replenishment, and lightweight palletized freight.
Box trucks carry up to 10,000 pounds and 1,500 cubic feet, fitting most regional distribution and store delivery needs without requiring a loading dock.
Dry vans and full truckloads move 42,000+ pounds for high-volume lanes and recurring programs. LTL shipments share trailer space on optimized routes through Warp cross-docks, reducing per-pallet cost by consolidating multiple shippers on the same vehicle.
Warp does not default every shipment to a 53-foot trailer. The AI engine evaluates load weight, cube, delivery window, and cost to recommend the right vehicle. Shippers see all available mode options with live pricing in one comparison screen before booking.
Cross-dock operations
Cross-docking at Warp facilities keeps freight moving instead of storing it: inbound freight is sorted and transferred directly to outbound vehicles, typically within hours. When inventory does need to sit, Warp's fulfillment centers in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New Jersey hold it inside the same network, with same day delivery within 30 miles of each.
This reduces dwell time, lowers damage risk, and compresses delivery windows. Warp cross-docks support pallet-in, pallet-out operations with scan-level tracking at every handoff point.
- Atlanta — Southeast retail flow
- Chicago — Midwest manufacturing and replenishment
- Houston — Texas industrial distribution
- New York — dense Northeast delivery
Facility locations are selected for corridor density: Atlanta handles Southeast retail flow, Chicago serves Midwest manufacturing and replenishment, Houston covers Texas industrial distribution, and New York supports dense Northeast delivery. Each facility operates on appointment-based scheduling to prevent congestion and maintain throughput consistency.
Enterprise freight programs
Enterprise shippers get committed rate programs, dedicated account management, and custom SLA design. Warp builds lane-by-lane rate structures that account for volume commitments, seasonal variation, and mode flexibility. Operations teams monitor shipment execution daily and intervene proactively when exceptions occur.
Self-serve freight quoting
Shippers enter origin and destination, load details, and delivery requirements to see live rates across all available modes. Quotes include estimated transit time, vehicle type, and total cost.
Booking takes one click. After booking, shippers track every shipment with real-time GPS location, milestone updates, and proof of delivery documentation.
Industries and use cases
Retail shippers use Warp for store replenishment programs that deliver to hundreds of locations per week on tight appointment windows. Apparel brands use zone skipping to bypass regional parcel sortation and reduce per-unit delivery cost.
Food and beverage companies rely on time-definite delivery for perishable goods. Manufacturing operations use Warp for inbound vendor consolidation, combining multiple supplier shipments into fewer, fuller loads through cross-dock facilities.
Distribution companies use pool distribution to serve multiple delivery points from a single origin, splitting full truckloads at cross-docks into smaller last-mile vehicles.
Urgent freight recovery covers emergency capacity needs when primary carriers fail or demand spikes unexpectedly. Middle-mile optimization reduces cost and transit time on the longest segment of multi-leg shipments.
Measure the pallet, then price the lane.
Two ZIPs, the pallet count, the weight and the dimensions you just measured. The rate comes back in 10 seconds, and it is the rate on the invoice.
Rate data updated November 5, 2026 · Basis: 1 pallet, 500 lb, class 70, all inclusive · Methodology at wearewarp.com/research/ltl-rate-benchmarks
Performance figures are computed from Warp network data. See our methodology.
By Chris Reeves