How to Ship a Humanoid Robot via LTL Freight
Warp's guide to shipping humanoid and mobile robots via LTL freight. Covers why a robot ships lying down, the class math on an upright crate versus a supine case, the lithium pack rule, and inside delivery to a pilot site.
Quick reference
Freight class and density
Humanoid Robots on the density scale
Pounds per cubic footA humanoid shipped lying down in a foam-cut case is class 85 freight, and the same robot shipped standing in a crate is class 175. Nothing about the robot changed. The upright crate is mostly air.
Six class bands between standing and lying down. Robots leave the factory supine for the same reason. Warp prices by the pallet, so the case only has to protect the robot; it does not have to win a classification argument. Run your own numbers with the density calculator or the freight class calculator.
Recommended packaging
Ship the robot supine in a foam-cut hard case or crate, joints locked or strapped in the transport pose the manufacturer specifies, head and hands in their own cutouts, on a shock pallet with isolators. Remove any lithium pack above the excepted threshold and ship it separately through a hazmat carrier. Put tilt and shock indicators on the case, mark it "This side up, do not stack", and keep the case on its own pallet.
Accessorials you may need
These are the most common accessorial services for humanoid robots 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 humanoid robots
- Ship it lying down. A supine case is six class bands denser than an upright crate, and the robot rides on its back without loading the leg actuators.
- Lock the joints in the transport pose. Unlocked joints swing on every forklift move and load the actuators and harnesses in ways they were never designed for.
- Pull the battery pack. A humanoid pack is well over the excepted threshold, so it is class 9 hazmat and Warp does not ship hazmat. The pack ships separately; the robot ships on Warp.
- Book inside delivery with a second person. A 400 lb case is not a one-person piece, and a pilot site is a floor, not a dock.
- Declare the value. Carrier liability is cents per pound; cargo insurance up to $1M declared value is one toggle at booking.
What each mistake costs
Shipping upright instead of supine
An upright 48 by 40 by 72 inch crate at 400 lb is 5 lb per cubic foot, class 175. The same robot supine in a 72 by 30 by 22 inch case is 12.7 and class 85. On a class-based carrier that is the price difference; on Warp it is simply a smaller pallet.
Leaving a regulated lithium pack in the robot
A humanoid pack is far above the excepted threshold, which makes it class 9 hazardous material. Warp does not ship hazmat on any mode. Pull the pack, ship it through a hazmat carrier, and the robot rides Warp LTL.
Dock delivery to a site with no dock
Pilot homes, offices and labs receive at a door, not a dock. Inside delivery plus liftgate puts the case on the floor where the robot will stand. Liftgate and residential delivery are included in the Warp rate.
No declared-value cover
Carrier liability pays cents per pound on a robot worth more than a car. Declare the value at booking and the certificate issues before you confirm.
What freight class a humanoid robot ships at
Class 85 lying down and class 175 standing up. A 70 kg humanoid is about 155 lb bare and 350 to 450 lb once it is in a foam-cut case on a shock pallet. Supine at 72 by 30 by 22 inches the case is 27.5 cubic feet, so 350 lb is 12.7 lb per cubic foot and class 85. Upright in a 48 by 40 by 72 inch crate it is 80 cubic feet, 5 lb per cubic foot and class 175, which is the band for freight that is mostly air. Warp prices by the pallet, so the band only changes what a class-based carrier would charge for the same case.
The lithium rule
Humanoid packs run to a kilowatt-hour or more, far above the excepted quantity threshold, which makes them class 9 hazardous materials under DOT rules. Warp does not ship hazmat on any mode. The working answer is the one the manufacturers use: pull the pack, ship it separately through a hazmat-certified carrier with the UN3480 marking and documentation, and ship the robot on Warp. If the pack cannot be removed, the whole unit is a hazmat shipment and belongs with a hazmat carrier.
Protecting the actuators in transit
Handling shock at the two ends damages actuators, harnesses and sensors long before the road does. Lock every joint in the manufacturer transport pose, seat the head and hands in their own cutouts, strap the case to a shock pallet with isolators, and add tilt and shock indicators where the receiver signs. 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 before any packaging decision.
Delivering to a pilot site
Pilot sites are homes, offices, warehouses and labs, and almost none of them have a dock. Book liftgate, inside delivery and a second person so the case lands on the floor where the robot will stand, and set the delivery appointment so the customer success lead is there when it does. A 400 lb crated robot from Sunnyvale to Dallas priced at $347 4-day as of October 2026, all inclusive, with liftgate, residential delivery, delivery appointment and limited access at $0. The return for a repair books the same way with the pickup at the site.
Let the agent book it
Robotics companies run on agents, and the Warp MCP server and keyless freight API give that agent the same quote, book, track, BOL and proof-of-delivery tools the booking screen uses. The agent quotes the case from its dimensions, books the pickup with inside delivery and a second person, watches the GPS and files the POD. The AI hardware and robotics industry page covers the full program.
Ship humanoid robots 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.
Humanoid Robots shipping FAQ
What freight class is a humanoid robot?
Class 85 shipped supine in a foam-cut case (72 by 30 by 22 inches at 350 lb is 12.7 lb per cubic foot) and class 175 shipped upright in a crate (48 by 40 by 72 inches at 400 lb is 5 lb per cubic foot). Warp prices by the pallet, so no class is assigned on our network.
How much does it cost to ship a humanoid robot?
A 400 lb crated robot from Sunnyvale to Dallas priced at $347 4-day as of October 2026, all inclusive with liftgate, residential delivery, delivery appointment and limited access at $0. Inside delivery and a second person book on the same screen. The rate moves with the lane and the case, so enter yours for an exact figure.
Can I ship a robot with its battery installed?
Not on Warp if the pack is above the excepted quantity threshold, which every humanoid pack is. Lithium batteries at that size are class 9 hazardous materials and Warp does not ship hazmat on any mode. Remove the pack, ship it through a hazmat-certified carrier, and ship the robot on Warp.
Should a humanoid robot ship standing or lying down?
Lying down, in a foam-cut case with the joints locked in the transport pose. A supine case is about a third of the cube of an upright crate, classes six bands lower, and keeps the weight off the leg actuators. Manufacturers ship them supine for the same reasons.
How do I deliver a robot to a home or an office with no dock?
Book liftgate, inside delivery and a second person. Liftgate, residential delivery and the delivery appointment are included in the Warp per-pallet rate, and inside delivery with a second person books on the same screen. The case lands on the floor where the robot will stand.
How do I insure a robot in transit?
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.