Freight Shipping for Small Businesses: When Parcel Is Not Enough

Horizon Pack and Ship helps small Kentucky businesses cross the line from parcel to freight without overpaying. Anything over 150 lbs, larger than 108 inches in length, or palletized typically ships LTL (less-than-truckload). Budget $150-$600 per pallet, 3-7 business days, and a Bill of Lading.

What do I need to ship freight from a small business?

You need pallets, a Bill of Lading, accurate weights and dimensions, and a freight class. Get those four right and the rest of the process is paperwork.

• A pallet, standard 48"x40" wooden pallet, also called a GMA pallet. Available at many warehouses or for $15-$30 new.
• Stretch wrap and strapping, to keep your shipment on the pallet through 3-5 truck transfers.
• Bill of Lading, generated by your freight carrier or broker. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates how BOLs must be completed.
• Accurate weight and dimensions, measured on a certified scale, not a bathroom scale. Carriers reweigh on their own scales and rebill any discrepancies, plus a fee.
• Freight class, determined by the National Motor Freight Classification. If you don't know yours, your broker can look it up.
• Origin and destination details, including hours of operation, whether each end has a loading dock, and any access restrictions.

How do I ship freight as a small business? Step-by-step

The first time you palletize is intimidating. The second time it's routine.

1. Confirm freight is the right call. Use UPS or FedEx for anything under 150 lbs and under 108 inches that isn't oversized. The SBA shipping guide covers the parcel-vs-freight decision in plain language.
2. Pack onto the pallet. Stack heaviest items on the bottom. Do not overhang the pallet edges. A "pallet" 60 inches wide gets billed as oversized.
3. Wrap and strap. Stretch-wrap from the pallet base up over the top to lock the load to the pallet. Strap with two bands minimum. A loose pallet is the leading cause of damage claims.
4. Weigh and measure. Get the weight in pounds and the dimensions in inches: length, width, height including the pallet itself.
5. Determine freight class and get quotes. Get rate quotes from at least three LTL carriers (XPO, Old Dominion, FedEx Freight, UPS Freight, Estes) or use a broker who shops them all. Quotes should be itemized so you can see fuel surcharge, accessorials, and base rate separately.
6. Generate the Bill of Lading. Include shipper info, consignee info, item description, NMFC freight class, declared value, and any accessorials (liftgate, residential delivery, inside delivery, appointment delivery). Print three copies.
7. Schedule pickup and hand off. The driver inspects the freight, signs the BOL, gives you a copy as your receipt. Save it. Also save the PRO number, that's your tracking ID for LTL.

Watch out: If you reweigh and the carrier finds your pallet is heavier or larger than you declared, expect a "reweigh and reclass" fee plus the rate difference, often $50-$200 added to your invoice.

What are the most common mistakes when shipping freight?

Most freight problems trace back to four avoidable mistakes.

• Underdeclared weight or dimensions, almost always rebilled with a penalty.
• Wrong freight class, the most expensive single mistake. Class 70 vs class 150 can double the rate. When in doubt, ask the carrier or broker before booking.
• Missing accessorials, discovering at delivery that the receiver has no dock, then calling for a liftgate, costs 2-3x what booking it upfront would have.
• Bad packaging, freight gets stacked, rolled by forklifts, and transferred 3-5 times. A box that survived parcel handling will not survive freight handling. Always palletize and wrap.
• Skipping insurance. LTL carrier liability defaults to roughly $25 per pound of declared damaged freight under DOT carrier liability rules. For valuable goods, buy third-party freight insurance.
• No appointment for residential or business delivery, drivers have 30-minute windows. Without an appointment your pallet sits on the dock and accrues storage fees.

When should I hire someone instead of doing this myself?

If you ship freight more than once a quarter, work with a counter or broker every time. The savings on freight class alone usually pay the brokerage fee.

Small businesses can absolutely DIY their first few freight shipments. Get a pallet, wrap it, fill out the BOL online, and meet the driver. By the third or fourth shipment most owners have a process.

What changes the math is volume and complexity. The moment you're shipping freight into a state with strict commercial regulations (California, New York), to a residence, or with high-value or fragile cargo, professional brokerage stops being optional. Horizon Pack and Ship in Radcliff and our Elizabethtown counter palletize, classify, complete the BOL, schedule the pickup, and re-rate-shop your freight every quarter as carrier rates change. For most small Kentucky businesses, that costs less per shipment than a single mis-classed pallet would have.

Larger shippers (over 25 pallets a month) should consider a Transportation Management System and direct carrier contracts. Until you hit that volume, brokerage is the right answer.