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How to Ship Household Goods on a Freight Trailer to Save Money
LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) freight at $0.30 to $0.55 per pound cross-country, with pallet-build instructions, freight-class lookup, and a side-by-side comparison with U-Pack.
LTL freight is the commercial-shipping move
Manufacturers and small businesses ship pallets of goods between cities every day using LTL freight carriers. The same service is available to residential customers, just under-marketed. For a mover with 400 to 1,200 lb of belongings on 1 to 3 pallets, raw LTL freight directly with R+L Carriers, FedEx Freight, or ABF Freight is the cheapest legitimate cross-country shipping option short of selling everything. The trade-off is paperwork: pallet-build, freight class lookup, residential surcharge negotiation, and BOL (Bill of Lading) handling.
How LTL freight works for a consumer mover
- Get an instant quote at rlcarriers.com, fedex.com/en-us/shipping/freight, or arcb.com (ABF). You input pallet dimensions, weight, and freight class.
- Build the pallet. Buy a used 48 by 40 in wooden pallet ($8 to $25). Stack boxes evenly, no taller than 60 in total. Shrink-wrap with 4 to 6 wraps of stretch film.
- Print BOL. The Bill of Lading is the legal shipping document. Carriers email a printable BOL after booking; print 2 copies.
- Carrier picks up. Typically same-day or next-business-day. Driver inspects pallet, signs BOL, takes 1 copy.
- Transit 3 to 7 business days. Tracking via carrier website.
- Pickup at destination. Either at the carrier's terminal (cheapest, no residential surcharge) or at residence (residential surcharge applies).
Carrier comparison (cross-country, 1 pallet, 600 lb, Class 125)
| Carrier | Base rate | Residential surcharge | Transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R+L Carriers | $310 - $385 | $95 + $95 | 3-5 days | Strong residential program; user-friendly online quote |
| FedEx Freight (Priority) | $340 - $420 | $110 + $110 | 2-4 days | Fastest; widest network |
| FedEx Freight (Economy) | $280 - $345 | $110 + $110 | 4-7 days | Cheapest FedEx tier |
| ABF Freight | $295 - $370 | $100 + $100 | 3-5 days | Parent of U-Pack; same equipment, no consumer wrapper |
| Estes Express | $305 - $380 | $95 + $95 | 3-5 days | Established LTL; comparable to R+L |
| Old Dominion (OD) | $315 - $395 | $105 + $105 | 2-4 days | Premium service tier; higher reliability |
| U-Pack (for context) | $1,499 - $2,099 | Included | 3-10 days | Container, not pallet. Different product. |
Estimated, triangulated from carrier instant-quote tools sampled in May 2026 (Atlanta to Seattle, 1 pallet, 48 by 40 by 50 in, 600 lb, Class 125). U-Pack pricing pulled from upack.com/instant-quote with single ReloCube as the consumer-product comparison.
Freight class lookup for household goods
| Density (lb / cu ft) | Freight class | Example contents |
|---|---|---|
| 30+ lb / cu ft | Class 50-65 | Books, dense kitchenware, tools |
| 22-30 lb / cu ft | Class 70-77.5 | Mixed household, well-packed boxes |
| 15-22 lb / cu ft | Class 85-92.5 | Furniture, mixed household |
| 10.5-15 lb / cu ft | Class 100-110 | Light furniture, clothing-heavy |
| 8-10.5 lb / cu ft | Class 125-150 | Typical residential household (most common) |
| 6-8 lb / cu ft | Class 175-200 | Sparse pallets, oversized light items |
| Under 6 lb / cu ft | Class 250-400 | Very sparse loads; expensive per lb |
Density classes per NMFTA NMFC general rules. The single most useful packing tactic is loading the pallet densely; doubling density (8 to 16 lb per cu ft) can drop the freight class one or two bands and save 15 to 30 percent per pound.
How to build a freight pallet (step by step)
- Buy a used 48 by 40 in GMA-spec wooden pallet ($8 to $25). Home Depot, Lowe's, or local pallet recyclers. Check for damage and intact bottom-and-top boards.
- Lay a layer of cardboard sheet (cut from a box) over the pallet boards. Prevents box bottoms from catching on pallet edges.
- Stack heaviest boxes on the bottom, in a tight grid. No overhang beyond the pallet edge.
- Build upward in even layers. Cross-stack boxes (rotate 90 degrees between layers) for structural stability.
- Stop at 60 in total height (pallet + boxes). Taller pallets exceed standard LTL trailer interior height.
- Top the load with cardboard sheet. Prevents stretch wrap from cutting into top boxes.
- Apply stretch wrap (1 roll, ~$14 at Home Depot). 4 to 6 wraps minimum, starting at the pallet and spiraling upward, then back down. Pull tight enough to compress slightly without crushing.
- Label the top and 4 sides with destination address, sender address, and BOL number.
When LTL beats U-Pack and when U-Pack wins
Direct LTL freight (R+L, FedEx Freight, ABF)
400 to 1,500 lb total. 1 to 3 pallets. You can build a pallet. You have access to a commercial pickup or delivery address. You want the cheapest mid-weight cross-country option.
U-Pack ReloCube or 28 ft trailer
1,500 to 5,000 lb total. 1BR or 2BR full apartment. You want load-at-home, deliver-to-home convenience. You do not want to build a pallet or handle BOL paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
What is LTL freight and can a consumer really use it for moving?+
LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) freight is the commercial shipping service used by manufacturers and warehouses to ship pallets of goods between cities. Carriers like R+L Carriers, FedEx Freight, ABF Freight, Estes Express, and Old Dominion all accept residential pickup and delivery, though most quietly. The mechanics: you build or buy a pallet, shrink-wrap your boxes to it, and the carrier picks up. The rate is $0.30 to $0.55 per pound cross-country, with minimums around $250 to $400 per shipment.
How does LTL freight compare with U-Pack?+
U-Pack is essentially a consumer-friendly LTL freight reseller. U-Pack uses ABF Freight (its parent company) trucks and a 28 ft trailer with linear-foot pricing. Raw LTL freight booked directly with a carrier like R+L can be 15 to 35 percent cheaper than U-Pack for the same weight, but requires you to handle pallet-building, freight-class lookup, BOL (Bill of Lading) paperwork, and residential surcharge negotiation. For movers comfortable with light freight-broker work, direct LTL saves real money. For others, U-Pack is the right balance.
What is freight class and how do I figure mine out?+
Freight class is the NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) code that determines the per-pound rate for a shipment. Household goods are typically Class 100 to Class 175 depending on density. The NMFTA (National Motor Freight Traffic Association) publishes the lookup. As a practical matter, consumer movers usually quote at Class 125 for household goods on a pallet at moderate density (8 to 15 lb per cu ft). Lower-density shipments get a higher class number and a higher per-pound rate.
Do I need to build my own pallet?+
Yes, almost always. Carriers do not provide pallets for residential moves. Buy a used wooden 48 in by 40 in pallet from a hardware store or Home Depot ($8 to $25), stack your boxes evenly to no more than 60 in tall total, and shrink-wrap the entire stack with at least 4 to 6 wraps of stretch film. A poorly built pallet that shifts during transit can damage your goods AND damage other shippers' goods on the same trailer, which is your liability.
What is a residential surcharge and how do I avoid it?+
LTL carriers add a residential pickup or delivery surcharge ($75 to $200 each end) for non-commercial addresses, because residential streets often require smaller trucks or longer wait times. To avoid: arrange pickup and delivery at a commercial business address (a friend's office, a UPS Customer Center, an Amazon Hub Locker, or a willing local business). For movers with flexibility, this single change saves $150 to $400 per shipment.
How long does cross-country LTL freight take?+
3 to 7 business days for most cross-country lanes. LTL freight is faster than container moves (U-Pack quotes 3 to 10 business days) because LTL trailers move on regular daily schedules with multiple intermediate sorts. R+L Carriers and FedEx Freight publish 3 to 5 business day transit times for most cross-country lanes; ABF and Estes are similar.