How to Ship Restaurant Equipment via LTL Freight
Guide to shipping commercial kitchen equipment on pallets via LTL freight. Covers freight class for ranges, fryers, walk-in coolers, and prep tables, plus packaging, accessorials, and tips to avoid reclassification and damage claims.
Quick reference
Recommended packaging
Ship in original manufacturer crating or packaging whenever it's available, since restaurant equipment is built to NSF standards and dents fail inspection. If you don't have the OEM box, build a wood crate or wrap the unit in moving blankets and corrugated cardboard, then bolt or strap it to the pallet through the deck boards. Cap every sharp steel corner and protruding handle, knob, and gas connection with corner protectors. Tape doors shut and secure shelves, grates, and burner caps so nothing rattles loose in transit. Mark "Do Not Stack" and "This Side Up" on all four sides for any unit with a compressor, glass, or controls.
Accessorials you may need
These are the most common accessorial services for restaurant equipment 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 restaurant equipment
- Weigh and measure each unit before you quote. As of the 2025 NMFC changes, most foodservice equipment classes are density-only, so an accurate PCF reading is the difference between class 85 and class 250.
- Crate or palletize compressor-driven units upright. Walk-in cooler condensers, reach-ins, and ice machines hold refrigerant and oil that migrate if the unit is laid down or tipped.
- Protect every steel corner and gas line. Carriers treat an exposed bent corner or sheared fitting as a packaging failure and deny the claim.
- Flag restaurants, food trucks, and strip-mall kitchens as limited-access. A delivery to a storefront with no dock needs liftgate plus a limited-access fee that's easy to forget on the BOL.
Common mistakes to avoid
Mistake 1: Bulky, light equipment like a stainless prep table, exhaust hood, or reach-in cooler ships at class 150-250 because of low density. A solid cast-iron range or a fryer over 500 lbs can drop to class 70-85. Measure before you book or the carrier reclassifies and bills the difference.
Mistake 2: Refrigeration is no longer a flat class 150. Under the 2025 NMFC rules, walk-in panels, reach-ins, and ice machines are rated by density, so a half-full pallet of cooler parts can land far higher than expected.
Mistake 3: Liftgate plus inside delivery plus limited-access fees stack fast on a restaurant address. Three accessorials can add $200-400 to a single unit, so quote them upfront instead of eating a surprise bill.
Why restaurant equipment freight class spans 70 to 250
Commercial kitchen equipment covers a huge density range, and that's what drives the class. A deep fryer or a heavy cast-iron range packs a lot of steel into a small footprint and ships dense, landing around class 70-85. A stainless prep table, an exhaust hood, or a reach-in cooler is mostly air inside a thin metal shell, so it ships light and bulky at class 150-250. Under NMFC item 25970, heavy commercial cooking equipment over 500 pounds is rated purely on density: 6 pounds per cubic foot or more bills at class 85, while under 6 PCF jumps to class 250. Ranges and ovens fall under item 26720 with a similar density break. The carrier classifies what it measures at pickup, not what you wrote on the BOL, so weigh and measure every unit before you quote.
Packaging commercial kitchen equipment for LTL
Restaurant equipment is heavy, awkward, and full of fragile surfaces: glass doors, control panels, gas valves, and NSF-rated stainless that fails inspection if it's dented. Your unit will be loaded, unloaded, and reloaded at multiple terminals, so anything that can bend, shear, or scratch will. Ship in the OEM crate when you have it. If you don't, build a wood crate or wrap the unit in moving blankets and corrugated cardboard, then bolt or strap it to the pallet through the deck boards so it can't walk. Cap every steel corner, handle, and protruding fitting with corner protectors, tape the doors shut, and secure loose grates, shelves, and burner caps. Keep compressor units upright and mark all four sides "Do Not Stack" and "This Side Up."
Accessorials for restaurant deliveries
Most commercial kitchen equipment goes to a restaurant, food truck commissary, or storefront kitchen, and those addresses rarely have a loading dock. If there's no dock, you need liftgate delivery so the driver can lower the unit to the ground. If the equipment has to move past the back door into the kitchen, you need inside delivery, and a heavy range or cooler usually needs two-man delivery to handle it safely. Restaurants inside malls, plazas, and downtown strips often count as limited-access locations, which carry their own fee on top of liftgate. Add a delivery appointment so someone is on-site to inspect and sign. Leaving any of these off the BOL means the carrier charges them anyway at a higher rate or refuses the delivery.
Restaurant Equipment shipping FAQ
What freight class is restaurant equipment?
Restaurant equipment ships between class 70 and class 250 depending on density. Heavy, compact units like cast-iron ranges and large fryers ship dense at class 70-85. Bulky, lighter units like prep tables, exhaust hoods, and reach-in coolers ship at class 150-250 because of their low density. Under the 2025 NMFC rules, most commercial cooking and refrigeration equipment is rated by pounds per cubic foot measured at pickup, so the exact class depends on the unit's weight and dimensions.
How much does it cost to ship restaurant equipment LTL?
LTL restaurant equipment shipping costs $200-800 per pallet depending on distance, freight class, and accessorials. A dense, low-class unit on a short-haul lane with a dock on both ends sits on the lower end. A bulky reach-in cooler going cross-country to a storefront with liftgate, inside, and limited-access delivery runs higher. Get an instant per-pallet rate on Warp to see exact pricing for your lane.
What NMFC code is used for commercial kitchen equipment?
Heavy commercial cooking equipment like broilers, fryers, griddles, and steamers over 500 pounds falls under NMFC item 25970, which is rated by density: class 85 at 6 PCF or higher, class 250 under 6 PCF. Ranges, ovens, and stoves fall under NMFC item 26720 with a similar density break. Refrigeration, including walk-in panels and reach-ins, moved to density-based classification in the 2025 NMFC update rather than the old flat class 150. Always confirm the current sub-item against your unit's measured density.
How do I avoid damage when shipping restaurant equipment?
Crate the unit or wrap it in blankets and cardboard, strap it to the pallet through the deck boards, and cap every steel corner, handle, and gas fitting with corner protectors. Tape doors shut and secure loose grates and shelves. Keep any compressor unit upright and mark "This Side Up" and "Do Not Stack" on all four sides. Photograph the equipment before wrapping, and at delivery inspect for dents and refrigerant issues before you sign the receipt. Note any damage on the BOL, because signing clean waives most claim rights.
Do I need a liftgate for restaurant equipment delivery?
Yes, if the destination doesn't have a loading dock, which is the case for most restaurants, food trucks, and storefront kitchens. The driver uses the truck's hydraulic liftgate to lower the unit to ground level, and a heavy range or cooler often needs two-man and inside delivery on top of that. Restaurants in malls or plazas may also trigger a limited-access fee. Add these accessorials to the BOL and quote upfront so you don't get hit with a surprise charge or a failed delivery.
Ship restaurant equipment 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.