How to Ship Tires via LTL Freight
Complete guide to shipping new and used tires on pallets via LTL freight. Covers freight class for passenger, truck, and OTR tires, banding and stacking, accessorials, and tips to avoid reclass fees and damage claims.
Quick reference
Recommended packaging
Stack tires vertically on a standard 48x40 pallet so the sidewalls support each other, not flat where they nest and crush. Band the stack to the pallet with at least two steel or heavy poly straps run through the center and around the deck boards. Cap the top with a piece of plywood or a pallet lid before the final strap so the band doesn't cut into the top tire. Shrink-wrap the full stack with four or more layers to keep road grime and water off used or take-off tires. Keep stack height under 50 inches so the pallet stays stackable and inside standard trailer cube.
Accessorials you may need
These are the most common accessorial services for tires 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 tires
- Stack tires upright, not flat. Vertical stacking carries the weight on the sidewalls and packs denser, which drops your freight class. Flat-nested tires waste cube and ride up into a higher class.
- Band the whole stack to the pallet with steel or heavy poly straps. Loose tires that slide off a pallet in transit get handled as loose pieces, and loose freight draws a higher class plus a reclass fee.
- Weigh the pallet before you ship. Tires are dense, so a single 48x40 pallet can carry 1,500 to 2,000 lbs. Carriers re-weigh at the terminal, and an undeclared weight gets corrected with a fee.
- Photograph used and take-off tires before wrapping and note tread depth on the BOL. A buyer who claims the tires arrived worn has no case if your time-stamped photos show the condition at pickup.
Common mistakes to avoid
Mistake 1: Loose tires shipped without a pallet get billed by the piece and ride at a higher class because they're not stackable or bandable. Always palletize and band, even small passenger orders.
Mistake 2: Big OTR and skid-steer tires hold a lot of air and void space, so a half-full pallet of large tires can rate as high as class 92.5 to 100. Pack the pallet tight or the low density costs you.
Mistake 3: Used and take-off tires that arrive wet or muddy invite damage and condition disputes. Wrap them so they show up at delivery in the same shape they left, and let the consignee inspect before signing.
Why tires sit on the low end of the class scale
Freight class is driven by density, and tires are one of the denser things you can put on a pallet. A 48x40 pallet of passenger tires stacked upright and banded tight can weigh 1,500 lbs or more in well under 70 cubic feet, which pushes it to class 50 to 70. The class climbs when the density drops. Loose tires, large truck or OTR tires with a lot of internal air, or a partially loaded pallet all trap void space and rate higher, up toward class 92.5 to 100. Carriers classify on what they measure and weigh at the terminal, not what the BOL claims. If you declare class 60 but ship a half-empty pallet that measures at class 92.5, the carrier reclassifies and bills the difference plus a fee. Pack the pallet tight, weigh it, and measure before you ship.
Palletizing and banding tires for LTL
Tires move through multiple terminals on an LTL run, and anything not secured to the pallet becomes a loose piece that gets handled, stacked, and sometimes lost. Stack tires vertically so the sidewalls bear the load and the stack packs dense. Run at least two steel or heavy poly straps through the center of the stack and around the pallet deck boards, then cap the top with plywood or a pallet lid so the band doesn't bite into the top tire. Shrink-wrap the full stack with four or more layers of stretch film. The wrap keeps road spray and water off used or take-off tires and keeps the bundle reading as one handling unit instead of a pile of loose tires. Keep the stack under 50 inches so the pallet stays stackable and inside standard trailer cube.
Choosing the right accessorials for tire deliveries
Where the tires are going decides which accessorials you need. Tire shops and warehouses usually have a dock or a forklift, so a dock-to-dock pallet needs nothing extra. Deliveries to a home garage, a small repair shop, or a rural address are a different story. If there's no dock, you need liftgate delivery so the driver can lower a 1,500 lb pallet to the ground. If the address is residential, add residential delivery. Off-road, farm, and construction sites count as limited access and carry their own fee. A delivery appointment is worth it whenever the consignee has tight receiving hours. Add these upfront on the quote and BOL. Leaving them off means the carrier adds them later at a higher rate or refuses the delivery.
Tires shipping FAQ
What freight class are tires?
Tires typically ship between class 50 and class 100 depending on density. Passenger and light-truck tires stacked upright and banded tight on a pallet are dense and ship at the low end, class 50 to 70. Loose tires, used take-offs, or large OTR and skid-steer tires with a lot of trapped air and void space ship higher, class 85 to 100. The exact class depends on the weight and dimensions of the loaded pallet measured at pickup.
How much does it cost to ship tires LTL?
LTL tire shipping runs about $120 to $500 per pallet depending on distance, freight class, and accessorials. A short-haul pallet of passenger tires shipped dock-to-dock at class 60 is on the low end. A cross-country pallet of large tires with liftgate and residential delivery is on the high end. Because tires are dense, you often fit more weight per pallet than other commodities, which lowers your cost per tire. Get an instant per-pallet rate on Warp to see exact pricing for your lane.
What NMFC code do tires use?
New and used pneumatic tires fall under the NMFC 16030 family, which covers tires not otherwise indexed. The exact sub-number and class depend on whether the tires are new, used, or recapped, and on the density of the loaded pallet. Run your pallet weight and dimensions through a freight class calculator to confirm the class, then verify the sub-item in an NMFC lookup. Get an instant per-pallet rate on Warp once you have your dimensions.
Do I need a liftgate to ship tires?
You need liftgate delivery if the destination has no loading dock or forklift. A full pallet of tires can weigh 1,500 to 2,000 lbs, far too heavy to hand off the back of a trailer. Home garages, small repair shops, and rural addresses almost always need liftgate, and often residential or limited-access delivery on top of it. Add these on the quote upfront. Missing them causes a failed delivery or a surprise accessorial charge. Get an instant per-pallet rate on Warp with accessorials included.
How do I avoid damage and reclass fees when shipping tires?
Stack tires upright on a standard pallet, band the stack to the deck boards with at least two straps, cap the top with plywood, and shrink-wrap with four or more layers. Weigh and measure the loaded pallet so your declared class and weight match what the carrier finds at the terminal. Photograph used or take-off tires before wrapping and note tread depth on the BOL. At delivery, inspect before signing the receipt and note any damage on the BOL.
Ship tires 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.