Shipping a few pallets shouldn't break the bank. Learn how LTL carpooling works, why handling risks are rising, and how to avoid surprise fees in 2026.
The 'cheapest' way to ship isn't always the carrier with the biggest discount; it’s the shipper who makes the fewest mistakes by moving from reactive to proactive engineering of their own savings.
LTL freight
The LTL industry has moved away from traditional freight classes based solely on the type of product (e.g., "toasters") to a system based on density, or pounds per cubic foot (PCF). As of the 2025 National Motor Freight Classification overhaul, there are now 13 density tiers instead of 11. This means pricing is more precise and relies heavily on how much space a shipment occupies relative to its weight. Shippers can often lower their freight class and save significantly on costs by packing goods more tightly to increase their density.
Rating up is an industry practice where a shipper intentionally declares a shipment as heavier than its actual weight to reach a higher "weight break." Carriers offer lower rates per hundredweight (CWT) as the total weight of a shipment increases. For example, if a 1,800-pound shipment is billed at a lower rate per pound once it hits the 2,000-pound threshold, it may actually be cheaper to pay for 2,000 pounds than to pay the higher rate for the actual 1,800 pounds.
The Cubic Capacity Rule is a pricing penalty applied to shipments that are very light but take up a large amount of space in a trailer. If a shipment exceeds a certain size (typically 750 cubic feet) but has a low density (less than six pounds per cubic foot), the carrier will re-rate the shipment as if it weighs much more. This is designed to compensate the carrier for the "dead air" or wasted space that cannot be used for other cargo, and it can cause shipping costs to quadruple in some instances.
Accessorial fees are charges for services beyond standard dock-to-dock delivery, such as using a motorized liftgate, delivering to a residential area, or inside delivery. In the 2026 market, these fees can add 20 to 60 percent to a total bill. To avoid expensive "rack rates" or redelivery fees, shippers should be transparent and declare these requirements upfront on the Bill of Lading (BOL) rather than waiting for the carrier to discover them at the destination.
Because LTL freight is handled four to six times at various terminals, professional packaging is essential to prevent damage and avoid extra fees. Proper pallet engineering includes using standard 48x40 inch pallets, ensuring there is no "overhang" where boxes stick out past the wood, and using an interlocking stacking pattern. Additionally, anchoring the freight by wrapping the plastic around the base of the pallet and using corner boards for vertical strength helps ensure the shipment survives the hub-and-spoke system and avoids "improper packaging" claims denials.
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