FTL shipping checklist
23 checks from the load plan to the delivery dock, for one 53 ft dry van. The numbers are the trailer's own: 26 pallet positions or 44,000 lb, whichever comes first, a dock at both ends, two free hours at each, printed and saved as you go.
By Troy Lester, Co-Founder & CRO
24,000+ vetted FTL carriers · ELD visibility on every load · rates in 10 seconds
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The checklist
Four moments, in the order they happen. Each one opens with the drawing the dock is working from.
Plan the load
0 / 7A 53 ft dry van is 26 pallet positions or 44,000 lb, whichever you hit first.
Paper and seal
0 / 6One bill of lading, one trailer number, one seal. The load is closed on paper before it's closed on the doors.
Loading day
0 / 5Two free hours at the dock. The trailer leaves when the doors close, not when the paperwork starts.
Delivery dock
0 / 5The receiver checks the seal before the doors open and writes the exceptions before anyone signs.
What changes the price, and what doesn't
A truckload rate covers pickup, line haul and delivery for the load you described. These are the lines that can move it.
No fuel surcharge added afterward. The truckload runs through 24,000+ vetted FTL carriers with ELD visibility on every load, and every protection behind it is on the protection page, numbers included. What a truckload costs has the lane math.
When it isn't a truckload
A dedicated trailer is the right shape when the freight fills it, or when nothing can be handled in between. Below that, the shared trailer is cheaper.
Under about a dozen pallets, LTL: the pallets ride with other shippers' freight through 70+ cross docks and you pay per pallet. That shipment has its own list, the LTL shipping checklist. In between twelve and twenty, price both and compare; LTL vs partial vs FTL walks the math.
Temperature controlled freight runs on a 53 ft reefer, ambient, chilled or frozen, on the same checklist. See refrigerated freight shipping for the ranges and the lanes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my freight fits one 53 ft dry van?
Count positions and total the weight, and the first ceiling you hit decides.
A 53 ft dry van holds 26 pallet positions straight loaded, 30 turned, or 52 double stacked, inside 630 by 98.5 by 108 inches, with a 44,000 lb payload.
Heavy freight hits the weight ceiling first: 26 pallets at 1,700 lb each is already over.
Does a 53 ft dry van need a loading dock?
Yes. A 53 ft dry van is dock to dock and there is no liftgate on a 53.
A site without a dock gets a box truck, which carries up to 12 pallets with a liftgate, or a cross dock in the plan where the freight transfers to a trailer.
How much free loading time comes with a Warp truckload?
Two free hours at each stop. After that detention runs per the tariff, and it is billed from documented times, so write the arrival and departure times on the bill of lading at both docks.
Why does the FTL checklist book pickup for the next day?
Next day pickup rates. Same day pickup is quoted higher, so the quote link on this page dates the pickup for tomorrow and lands on booking options with a truckload price already shown.
What goes on the bill of lading for a full truckload?
Everything an LTL bill of lading carries, pallet count and total weight, shipper and consignee with phones, the PO, plus three truckload lines: the trailer number, the seal number, and the shipper load and count notation when you loaded and counted the trailer yourself.
Pickup and delivery windows go on it too.
Can I print the FTL shipping checklist?
Yes. The print button removes the site chrome and prints the checks with their boxes, and any browser can save that as a PDF.
Progress saves in your browser per checklist, so the printed copy shows what is already done.
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 and air 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.
Plan the load, then price the lane.
Two ZIPs and the pallet count. The rate comes back in 10 seconds, dated for next day pickup, and it is the rate on the invoice.
24,000+ vetted FTL carriers · ELD visibility on every load · rates in 10 seconds
Performance figures are computed from Warp network data. See our methodology.
By Troy Lester