Plan LTL, FTL, and accessorial pallet shipping costs by pallet count, distance band, freight class, and accessorial assumptions. Planning estimate — not a live freight quote.
This calculator is a planning estimate, not a live freight quote. Pallet shipping costs vary by lane, carrier, freight class, fuel surcharge, accessorials, pickup and delivery requirements, appointment fees, and market conditions. Auto-estimated freight class is a density-based planning approximation, not an official NMFC classification. Verify final pricing with your carrier, broker, 3PL, or freight forwarder. No live carrier API call is made.
A pallet shipping cost estimator is a planning tool that produces a cost range for shipping a palletized freight shipment. It takes pallet count, weight, dimensions, distance band, freight class, and accessorial assumptions and returns a low / mid / high range for LTL linehaul, FTL flat range, fuel surcharge, accessorials, and total. It does not call a carrier, does not pull a published tariff, and is used for budgeting, lane comparison, and palletized freight planning before booking.
LTL (less-than-truckload) shares trailer space with other shippers. You are rated on weight, freight class, and distance band, plus accessorials. Best for 1–10 pallets, 200–12,000 lb, where the shipment is too small to fill a full truck. LTL passes through terminals, which adds handling and damage risk.
FTL (full truckload) reserves the entire trailer for one shipper. Best for 12+ pallets, 15,000+ lb, fragile, high-value, or time-sensitive freight. FTL pricing is per truck by lane, not by class. FTL avoids terminal handling and class rating but has a higher per-shipment floor.
The estimator shows a side-by-side LTL vs FTL range when "Compare LTL vs FTL" is selected, with a recommendation flag at the pallet and weight thresholds where FTL is usually cheaper per pound.
Pallet count drives the cost in three ways:
Freight class is an NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) code from 50 to 500 that groups products by density, stowability, handling, and liability. Density (weight ÷ cubic feet) is the primary driver. Lower classes (50, 55, 60) are dense items — brick, metal, packaged liquids. Higher classes (250, 400, 500) are low-density items — mattresses, foam, ping-pong balls. The estimator approximates class from density when "Auto estimate" is selected, but this is a planning value, not an official NMFC classification. The official class must be assigned by the carrier or published in the NMFC database.
Density bands used by this estimator (planning only):
| Density (lb/ft³) | Estimated class |
|---|---|
| ≥ 50 | 50 |
| 35 – 49.99 | 55 |
| 30 – 34.99 | 60 |
| 22.5 – 29.99 | 65 |
| 15 – 22.49 | 70 |
| 13.5 – 14.99 | 77.5 |
| 12 – 13.49 | 85 |
| 10.5 – 11.99 | 92.5 |
| 9 – 10.49 | 100 |
| 8 – 8.99 | 110 |
| 7 – 7.99 | 125 |
| 6 – 6.99 | 150 |
| 5 – 5.99 | 175 |
| 4 – 4.99 | 200 |
| 3 – 3.99 | 250 |
| 2 – 2.99 | 300 |
| 1 – 1.99 | 400 |
| < 1 | 500 |
Accessorials are extra charges beyond the base LTL linehaul. Stacking several can add 20–40% to a shipment. Planning defaults used by this estimator:
A single liftgate delivery ($95) on a $300 LTL linehaul is 32% of the base cost. Add residential ($150) and appointment ($75) and you are at 60% of the linehaul. For small palletized ecommerce shipments, accessorials often exceed the linehaul itself. Two practical moves reduce this:
Run the Pallet Calculator first to determine pallet count, pallet weight, and stack height. The output feeds directly into this estimator: pallet count → "Number of pallets", pallet weight → "Weight per pallet", pallet dimensions and stack height → "Pallet length / width / stack height". This avoids double-counting and keeps the freight estimate consistent with the layout plan.
A pallet shipping cost estimator is a planning tool that produces a cost range for shipping a palletized freight shipment. It takes pallet count, weight, dimensions, distance band, freight class, and accessorial assumptions, and produces a low / mid / high planning range. It is not a live freight quote, does not call a carrier API, and is used for budgeting, lane comparison, and palletized shipment planning before booking.
No. This is a planning estimate only. No live carrier API call is made and no real-time freight rate is pulled. Final pricing depends on lane, carrier, freight class, fuel surcharge, accessorials, pickup and delivery requirements, appointment fees, and market conditions. Verify final pricing with your carrier, broker, 3PL, or freight forwarder.
LTL (less-than-truckload) pricing scales with shipment weight, freight class, and distance band. The estimator uses a per-cwt (per 100 lb) rate plus a minimum charge by distance band, multiplied by a freight class multiplier. Multiply by your accessorials (liftgate, residential, inside delivery, appointment) and add a fuel surcharge percentage. The result is a planning range, not a final quote.
Freight class is an NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) code from 50 to 500 that groups products by density, stowability, handling, and liability. Lower classes (50, 55, 60) are dense items like brick or metal. Higher classes (250, 400, 500) are low-density items like mattresses or ping-pong balls. Density (weight ÷ cubic feet) is the primary driver. This estimator approximates freight class from density when "auto estimate" is selected, but the result is a planning value, not an official NMFC classification.
Accessorial fees are extra charges for services beyond standard dock-to-dock pickup and delivery. They include liftgate pickup or delivery, residential pickup or delivery, limited access locations, inside delivery, appointment-required delivery, and sort / segregation handling. Liftgate alone can add $75–$95 per side. Residential and limited access typically add $125–$150 per side. Stacking several accessorials can add 20–40% to a base LTL linehaul.
FTL (full truckload) is generally cheaper per pound than LTL once the shipment reaches a certain size — typically 12–18 pallets, or when total weight approaches 12,000–15,000 lb. FTL also avoids LTL freight class rating and accessorial stacking, and reduces terminal handling. Use FTL for time-sensitive, fragile, high-value, or full-truck-volume freight. Use LTL for smaller palletized shipments where you do not need the whole truck.
Yes, as a planning step before booking. Use it to estimate LTL or FTL cost for an FBA inbound palletized shipment. Then verify Amazon FBA receiving requirements (Pallet Type A vs Pallet Type B, freight class, labeling, appointment booking) in Seller Central. Amazon FBA / warehouse appointment locations are flagged in the calculator but no extra fee is guaranteed. Final pricing still depends on your carrier, broker, or 3PL.
No. This estimator uses planning assumptions by distance band, weight, and freight class. It does not call any carrier, does not pull published tariff rates, and does not account for carrier-specific discounts, surcharges, or lane imbalances. Use it for budgeting, comparison, and educational planning. Always verify with the actual carrier, broker, or 3PL.