If you are shipping pallets this year, you are operating in a "Shipper's Market" regarding leverage, but a "Carrier's Market" regarding fee enforcement.
1. The Cost of a Pallet in 2026
While distance is the obvious driver, density and lane efficiency are the true architects of your bill. As of early 2026, standard contract rates for LTL (Less Than Truckload) average $46.40 per hundredweight (CWT).
The Inflationary Reality: LTL rates have surged 14.3% year-over-year as of 2025/2026. This is largely due to carriers managing capacity strictly to maintain profitability despite lower overall shipment volumes.
2. The "Hidden" Statistics of Damage and Claims
The "sickening crunch" is more common than you think. In the second quarter of 2025, the LTL Claims Ratio was 0.34%.
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What this means for you: For every $1 million a business spends on freight, they recover roughly $3,400 in damage claims.
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The Incidence Rate: For some shippers, this translates to about 2 claims for every 100 shipments.
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The Recovery Gap: On average, carrier payouts for damaged freight only cover about 4% of the total invoice value of the goods if you rely on carrier-provided liability rather than third-party insurance.
3. Shipping Demographics and Regional Power
The flow of pallets is not evenly distributed. In 2026, Texas and the Midwest remain the dominant hubs for truck freight.
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Laredo, Texas: Remains the #1 port in the U.S. by value, moving nearly $30 billion in transborder freight monthly.
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Commodity Value: Electronics and motorized vehicles are the leading commodities by value, while gravel and cereal grains lead by weight.
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The Workforce: The trucking industry is currently facing a contraction; carrier authorities have been revoked at a rate 64% higher than pre-pandemic levels, leading to a tighter pool of reliable drivers.
4. Avoiding the 2026 "Accessorial" Trap
Carriers in 2026 use automated dimensioners (lasers) to scan every pallet. If your pallet is 1 inch over or 10 lbs heavier than stated, you get hit with a Re-weigh/Re-class fee (typically $25 - $150).
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Residential Delivery: Averages $216 per delivery in 2026.
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Liftgate Service: Typically carries a $184 minimum.
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Limited Access: Fees for schools, construction sites, or storage units now average $50 - $125.
5. Strategy: Using Closo to Offset Shipping Costs
Because shipping is expensive, you must ensure the "Landed Cost" (Inventory Price + Shipping + Fees) still allows for a profit.
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Source High-Value/Low-Weight: Use Closo Demand Signals to find electronics or medical equipment. Since these are Class 50-85, they cost less to ship than "fluffy" items like pillows or furniture (Class 250+).
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Automate Liquidations: When a shipment arrives damaged or isn't moving, use the Closo 100% Free Crosslisterto recover your cash on secondary marketplaces like eBay or Mercari.
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Consolidate: Moving two pallets at once is often only 25% more than moving one, because the "minimum floor charge" is already covered.
The Anatomy of a Shipping Pallet: Dimensions and Standards
When people ask how big is a shipping pallet, they are usually looking for one specific answer, but the reality is slightly more nuanced.In North America, the gold standard is the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) Pallet.
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Standard Pallet Size: 48 inches by 40 inches.
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Deck Boards: Usually has top and bottom deck boards made of hardwood or softwood.
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Entry: 4-way entry (meaning a forklift can pick it up from any side).
Here's where it gets interesting... If you use a non-standard size, you might get charged more. Carriers plan their truck loads based on the 48x40 footprint. If you try to ship a 48x48 pallet, it doesn't sit side-by-side with another standard pallet in the truck. This wastes space, and carriers will punish you for it with higher rates.
Wooden Pallet Dimensions and Types:
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Grade A (Premium): Clean, no repairs, no broken boards. Use this for heavy or high-value items.
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Grade B (Recycled): Has undergone repairs (stringer plugs). Fine for general merchandise, but check for protruding nails.
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Euro Pallet: 1200mm x 800mm. Common in international shipping but a headache for US domestic trucks.
Opinion Statement: I believe you should never pay for pallets if you can avoid it. Drive behind any strip mall, hardware store, or small manufacturing plant. They are usually begging people to take them. Just check for the "HT" (Heat Treated) stamp if you plan to ship internationally, though for domestic, it matters less.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Pallet? (The Money Question)
This is the question that haunts every reseller: how much does it cost to ship a pallet? It is not a flat rate like a stamp.Pallet shipping cost is calculated using a complex formula involving:
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Distance: obviously.
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Weight: The heavier, the more it costs (usually).
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Freight Class (Density): This is the kicker.
Understanding Freight Class
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) classifies goods.
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Class 50: Dense, heavy, hard to damage (e.g., bricks, nuts and bolts). Cheapest.
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Class 200+: Light, fluffy, takes up space (e.g., ping pong balls, assembled furniture). Expensive.
My Anecdote: I once shipped a pallet of pillows. They weighed nothing, maybe 150 lbs total. But because they took up the whole pallet space (high volume, low weight), the carrier rated them as Class 250. The bill was $600. If I had shipped a pallet of dumbbells (Class 50) weighing 1,000 lbs, it probably would have cost $200.
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Lesson: Air is expensive. Density is cheap.
How much to ship a pallet (Estimates for 2026):
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Short Haul (0-300 miles): $120 - $250.
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Medium Haul (300-1000 miles): $250 - $450.
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Cross Country (NY to CA): $400 - $800+.
How to Ship a Pallet: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you are asking how to ship a pallet or how do i ship a pallet for the first time, follow this protocol religiously. One skipped step can result in a refused pickup or damaged goods.
Step 1: Sourcing and Inspection
Get a Grade A 48x40 pallet. Check for "shiners" (nails sticking up). I carry a hammer in my truck just to pound these down. A shiner can rip a bag of concrete or scratch a custom cabinet in seconds.
Step 2: The Stack
You have two options for shipping a pallet:
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Column Stack: Boxes directly on top of each other. Best for compression strength (heavy boxes).
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Interlocking (Brick) Stack: Rotating layers. Best for stability (preventing toppling).Critical Rule: No Overhang.If your boxes hang over the edge of the shipping pallet size, they act as the bumper. They will get crushed by other pallets in the truck. Keep everything 1 inch inside the perimeter.
Step 3: Secure the Load
Gravity is not enough.
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Corner Guards: Use cardboard V-boards on the corners. This turns the loose boxes into a solid unit.
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Strapping: Use poly strapping (I use the Uline H-101 kit). Ratchet it down tight.
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Shrink Wrap: Don't be stingy. Start by tying the wrap to the wood. Go around the base 4 times. Work your way up. Twist the wrap occasionally to create "ropes" of tension.
Parenthetical Aside: (I once watched a guy try to save money by using three layers of wrap. The driver laughed at him and refused to load it. The driver said, "That's going to look like a yard sale by the time we hit the first pothole." He was right.)
The Hidden Fees of Pallet Shipping
When calculating pallet shipping, the base rate is just the start. Carriers love "Accessorial Fees." These are the silent margin killers.
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Liftgate Service (~$50 - $100): If you don't have a loading dock or a forklift, you need a truck with a hydraulic liftgate to lower the pallet to the ground.Honest Failure: I forgot to check the "Liftgate Required" box on a shipment to a residential garage. The driver showed up in a standard semi. He looked at me, looked at the 1,500 lb pallet, and said, "I can't get it off." He drove away. I was charged a "Redelivery Fee" of $125 plus the liftgate fee.
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Residential Delivery (~$50 - $150): Delivering to a house is harder than a warehouse. Streets are narrow. Trees are low. They charge a premium for this.
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Limited Access (~$75):Schools, storage units, churches, and construction sites often incur this fee.
Tools of the Trade
You can't do this with bare hands. Here is my kit:
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Pallet Jack: I own a Crown PTH 50. It’s expensive but indestructible. For a budget option, the Uline H-1043 is decent.
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Stretch Wrap: Uline S-474 (80 gauge). Don't buy the cheap stuff from Amazon; it tears constantly.
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Scale: A floor scale (like the Optima OP-915) is essential. If you guess the weight and you are wrong, the carrier will re-weigh it and charge you a "Re-weigh Fee" (~$25).
Sourcing Inventory with Closo
You know how to ship a pallet, but where do you get the inventory to put on it? Moving empty pallets is a waste of money. I use Closo Sourcing to find high-value, manifested inventory.
Closo AI Agents help me analyze the market data. Instead of guessing what to buy, the AI scans thousands of liquidation manifests.
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Scenario: I see a pallet of "Returned Small Appliances" in Ohio.
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Analysis: I use Closo Demand Signals to check the resale velocity of the items on the manifest.
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Result: If the data looks good, I buy it.
I then use Closo 100% Free Crosslister to list the items once they arrive. The workflow is seamless: Source via Closo -> Ship via LTL -> List via Closo.
Strategies to Reduce Pallet Shipping Cost
1. Consolidate Shipping two pallets is cheaper than shipping one pallet twice. There is a "minimum charge" for LTL. If you can combine orders into a single shipment, your cost per pound drops drastically.
2. Negotiate or Use a Broker Never call FedEx Freight or XPO directly and ask for a quote. You will get the "Retail Rate." Use a freight broker like FreightQuote, uShip, or Unishippers. They have negotiated volume discounts.My Result: I typically save 40-60% off the carrier's base rate by booking through a broker.
3. Terminal Pickup If you are shipping to a residential customer, ask if they can pick it up at the carrier's terminal. This avoids the Residential Fee and the Liftgate Fee. It saves roughly $150 per shipment.
People always ask me...
How tall is a pallet allowed to be?
Common question I see. Technically, a trailer is about 100 inches tall inside. However, most carriers have a "limit" of 96 inches. Practically? Keep it under 72 inches (6 feet). Why? Because above 6 feet, the pallet becomes unstable and top-heavy. It is much more likely to tip over during a turn. Also, Amazon FBA has a strict 72-inch height limit.
Can I ship a pallet via UPS or FedEx Ground?
No. UPS and FedEx Ground are for loose parcels (usually under 150 lbs). Shipping a pallet requires their Freight divisions (UPS Freight / TForce or FedEx Freight). It is a completely different network with different trucks and drivers.
Conclusion
Mastering shipping pallets is about respect. Respect for the weight, respect for the forces of physics, and respect for the hidden costs of logistics. It is the boring, unsexy part of the business that separates the amateurs from the professionals.
If you treat every pallet like it's going to be dropped off a cliff, you will rarely have damage. If you measure twice and weigh once, you will rarely have billing adjustments. And if you use tools like Closo Wholesale and Closo AI Agents,you ensure that the goods inside that shrink wrap are worth the shipping cost.
Wrap it tight. Strap it down. And don't forget the liftgate.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—because once that pallet hits your dock, the race to sell begins.
