LTL and palletized freight
The awkward middle that national carriers price badly.
There is a size of shipment that neither parcel networks nor full truckload carriers handle well. Too big and too heavy for a parcel service, which will either refuse it or charge dimensional rates that make no sense. Too small to justify a full trailer. Three pallets going from a warehouse in Edison to a job site in Queens sits squarely in that gap.
Traditional LTL carriers will move it, but through a hub and spoke network. Your pallet gets collected, taken to a terminal, cross docked, loaded onto a line haul, cross docked again, and put out for delivery from a terminal near the destination. Every one of those handlings is a chance for damage, and the total transit time is measured in days for a journey that is twenty five miles.
Inside this metro we skip all of it. Your pallets are loaded once at your dock and unloaded once at the destination. Same day where the timing works, next day as standard. Because it never enters a terminal network, the shrink wrap arriving is the shrink wrap that left, and you can give your customer a delivery window rather than a date range.
Our box trucks carry liftgates, which quietly solves the most common freight problem in this region. A large share of the receiving locations in New York City and in older New Jersey industrial buildings have no dock, or have a dock at the wrong height, or have one that is occupied all afternoon. A liftgate and a pallet jack turn that from a failed delivery into a normal one.
Pallets on a full 26 foot load
From a single skid upward. If you have more than a truckload we will tell you and quote it as multiple runs.
Quick answers
Call dispatch and describe the job. Most quotes take about three minutes, including whether the deadline is realistic.
Call (646) 771-5768Prefer to write it down? Send the details here.
What is included
Standard on every job of this type.
Liftgate equipped
Ground level delivery where there is no dock, which covers a lot of receiving points in this metro.
Pallet jack on board
So freight can be moved into the building rather than left at the kerb.
Direct, no terminal
Loaded once, unloaded once. Your freight does not enter a hub and spoke network.
Bill of lading handling
Paperwork completed correctly at both ends and returned to you with the delivery.
Cargo coverage
Insured in transit, with limits confirmed against the declared value of your load.
Booked windows
An arrival window you can pass on to your receiving customer with confidence.
Common jobs
What customers actually use this for.
If your situation is not on this list it does not mean we cannot help. It usually means it is a variation of one of them.
Distributor to retailer replenishment
Regular palletized deliveries into stores and trade counters across the metro, including locations with no dock and restricted delivery hours.
Construction and job site materials
Fixtures, fittings, flooring, equipment and materials delivered to sites where a liftgate is not optional.
Trade show and event freight
Booth materials, displays and equipment moving to and from venues on a fixed schedule where arriving late means arriving after the hall closes.
Overflow and surge volume
Covering the weeks when your own trucks cannot absorb the volume, without you signing an annual contract to get it done.
What drives the price
No published rate card, and here is the honest reason why.
Any rate card broad enough to cover every job in this metro would have to be priced for the worst case, which means overcharging most customers. We quote the actual job instead.
These are the factors that move the number. Nothing else gets added afterwards, and the quote you agree is the invoice you receive.
Get a quote| Factor | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pallet count and dimensions | How many, how tall, and whether they are standard footprint or oversized. Height matters more than most shippers expect. |
| Weight | Both total weight and weight per pallet, since a liftgate has a working limit. |
| Liftgate and pallet jack | Whether the delivery point has a usable dock, and whether the freight has to travel inside the building. |
| Distance and route | Mileage plus the realistic route, including any bridge or tunnel crossing and the tolls that come with it. |
| Timing | Same day costs more than next day. A narrow arrival window costs more than a wide one. |
| Delivery site conditions | Restricted hours, appointment requirements, residential delivery, limited street access or a required check in process. |
What is the largest load you can take?
A full 26 foot box truck, which is around fourteen standard pallets depending on their height and weight. Above that we would run it as more than one vehicle, and we would tell you that on the quote rather than discovering it at the dock.
Do you deliver to places without a loading dock?
Yes, and it is a large part of why customers use us. Our box trucks carry liftgates and pallet jacks, which handles ground level delivery at sites with no dock, a mismatched dock height, or one that is permanently occupied. Tell us the site conditions when you book so the right vehicle goes out.
How does this compare on price to a national LTL carrier?
For short haul work inside this metro we are usually competitive and often better, because we are not paying for terminal handling and line haul you do not need on a twenty five mile journey. For freight leaving the region entirely, a national LTL carrier will normally beat us and we will tell you so.
Can you handle freight that needs to be delivered inside the building?
In most cases yes, with a pallet jack, provided the route into the building is level and passable and the floor will take the load. Stairs, tight service lifts and long carries need discussing beforehand so we send two people or the right equipment.
Straight answers
Questions about this service
If it is not covered here, the phone is faster than any FAQ page.
Also available
Other services from the same dispatch board.
Ready when you are
Got pallets that do not fit the usual options?
Send us the count, the dimensions and the two addresses. We will come back with a number and a window the same day.
Quotes come back the same business day. Tell us the pickup, the drop and the deadline, and we will tell you whether we can hold it before you commit to your customer.