How to Ship Drones via LTL Freight
Warp's guide to shipping commercial and industrial drones via LTL freight. Covers airframes in hard cases on a pallet, the lithium battery split, the low-density class problem, and delivery to field sites, bases and job sites.
Quick reference
Freight class and density
Drones on the density scale
Pounds per cubic footA pallet of drones in hard cases is some of the lightest freight on the truck, and the class shows it. Stacking the cases to a full pallet height is the one thing that moves the number.
Drones are light and their cases are big. Put the ground station, the spares and the payloads on the same pallet so the pallet carries weight. Warp prices by the pallet, so the class is a comparison number, not a bill. Run your own numbers with the density calculator or the freight class calculator.
Recommended packaging
Ship airframes in their foam-cut hard cases, props and arms folded or removed and stowed in the case, gimbals locked, on a 48 by 40 pallet, cases strapped and corner-boarded, stacked to no more than the case rating. Lithium batteries above the excepted threshold ship separately through a hazmat carrier; small packs within the threshold stay in the case, packed and marked to the regulation. Mark the pallet "This side up, do not stack" and keep it on its own.
Accessorials you may need
These are the most common accessorial services for drones shipments. Declare them at booking time — carriers that discover them on arrival bill more and back-date to the invoice. With Warp, every accessorial below is already included in the per-pallet rate.
Need to price a different combination? Use the accessorial fee calculator to see what accessorials add to any base rate.
Shipping tips for drones
- Fill the pallet. Add the ground station, spares, payloads and chargers so the pallet carries weight. Light freight classes high on a class-based carrier.
- Sort the batteries by watt-hours. Packs under 100 Wh can stay in the case when packed and marked to the regulation. Larger enterprise packs are class 9 hazmat and ship separately.
- Lock the gimbals and fold the arms. Loose arms and unlocked gimbals are the most common drone transit damage, and they are preventable at the bench.
- Book limited-access delivery for job sites, bases and airfields. Warp includes it in the per-pallet rate; most carriers bill it on arrival.
- Set the appointment and give a reachable field contact. A field site without a receiver is a redelivery.
What each mistake costs
Enterprise packs left in the case
Lithium batteries above the excepted threshold are class 9 hazardous materials. Warp does not ship hazmat. Ship the packs through a hazmat carrier and the airframes on Warp. Small packs under 100 Wh, packed and marked to the regulation, can stay in the case.
A half-empty pallet
Four cases on a 48 by 40 pallet at 150 lb are 3.8 lb per cubic foot, class 250. A full pallet with the ground station, spares and payloads at 550 lb is 10.3 and class 100. On Warp the per-pallet rate makes the full pallet the better deal either way.
Limited-access delivery billed on arrival
Job sites, bases, airfields and farms are limited-access deliveries. Most carriers add the fee after delivery. Warp includes limited access, liftgate and the delivery appointment in the per-pallet rate.
No declared-value cover
A pallet of enterprise airframes with sensors and payloads is worth far more than carrier liability pays. Declare the value at booking, up to $1M, and the certificate issues before you confirm.
What freight class drones ship at
Class 100 to 250, set almost entirely by how full the pallet is. Drones are light and their hard cases are large: four cases on a half-height pallet at 150 lb are 3.8 lb per cubic foot and class 250, six cases stacked to 48 inches at 300 lb are 5.6 and class 175, and a full pallet with the ground station, spares, payloads and chargers at 550 lb is 10.3 and class 100. Warp prices by the pallet, so the band only matters when comparing against a class-based carrier, but the advice is the same: fill the pallet.
The lithium battery split
Drone batteries are the shipment decision. Packs within the excepted quantity threshold, in practice most packs under 100 Wh, can stay in the case when packed and marked to the regulation. Enterprise and industrial packs above the threshold are class 9 hazardous materials, and Warp does not ship hazmat on any mode. Pull those packs, ship them separately through a hazmat-certified carrier, and ship the airframes, ground stations and payloads on Warp. Note the watt-hours of every pack on the packing list so the receiver knows what arrived on which truck.
Packing airframes for the truck
Fold or remove the arms, remove the props, lock the gimbals, seat each airframe in its foam-cut case, and strap the cases to a 48 by 40 pallet with corner boards. Stack to the case rating and no higher, keep the pallet on its own, and mark it do not stack. Payloads and sensors ride in their own cases on the same pallet. Warp moves the pallet through one or two cross-dock touches instead of three to five terminal transfers, which halves the number of forklift events.
Delivering to field sites, bases and job sites
Drone deliveries go to places without docks: a job trailer, a farm, an airfield, a base gate, a survey crew. Book liftgate, limited-access delivery and the delivery appointment, and give a field contact who answers the phone. Warp includes liftgate, limited access, residential delivery and the appointment in the per-pallet rate. A 300 lb pallet of cased airframes from Torrance to the Dulles corridor in Virginia priced at $437 5-day as of October 2026, all inclusive.
Let the agent book it
Drone companies run fleets with software, and the Warp MCP server and keyless freight API give an ops agent the same quote, book, track, BOL and proof-of-delivery tools the booking screen uses. The agent quotes the pallet, books the pickup with limited-access delivery, watches the GPS and files the POD. The AI hardware and robotics industry page covers the full program.
Ship drones with Warp
Warp gives you instant per-pallet rates with no hidden fees. Enter your origin, destination, and pallet details to see transparent pricing across LTL, FTL, box truck, and cargo van. First shipment gets $50 off with code WARP2026.
Drones shipping FAQ
What freight class are drones?
Class 100 to 250, set by how full the pallet is. A full 48 by 40 by 48 inch pallet of cased airframes with the ground station, spares and payloads at 550 lb is 10.3 lb per cubic foot and class 100; four cases on a half pallet at 150 lb is class 250. Warp prices by the pallet, so no class is assigned on our network.
Can I ship drones with their batteries on Warp?
Packs within the excepted quantity threshold, in practice most packs under 100 Wh, can stay in the case when packed and marked to the regulation. Enterprise packs above the threshold are class 9 hazardous materials and Warp does not ship hazmat on any mode; ship those through a hazmat-certified carrier and the airframes on Warp.
How much does it cost to ship a pallet of drones?
A 300 lb, 48 by 40 by 48 inch pallet of cased airframes from Torrance to the Dulles corridor in Virginia priced at $437 5-day as of October 2026, all inclusive with liftgate, limited access, residential delivery and the delivery appointment at $0. The rate moves with the lane and the pallet, so enter yours for an exact figure.
How do I pack a drone for freight shipping?
Fold or remove the arms, remove the props, lock the gimbal, seat the airframe in its foam-cut hard case, and strap the cases to a 48 by 40 pallet with corner boards, stacked no higher than the case rating. Put payloads, spares and the ground station on the same pallet so it carries weight, and mark it do not stack.
Can Warp deliver drones to a job site, a farm or a base?
Yes. Those are limited-access deliveries, which Warp includes in the per-pallet rate along with liftgate, residential delivery and the delivery appointment. Give a field contact who answers the phone, and for a base gate send the driver details the site needs for access at booking.
How do I insure a drone shipment?
Declare the value at booking. Warp issues cargo insurance up to $1M declared value per shipment with the certificate at booking and the premium shown before you confirm, on top of the standard carrier liability and the $75K FMCSA surety bond every shipment carries at no charge.