Freight,
properly
costed.
Quantity and postal code, and whether you have a dock or a forklift. Those three turn an ex-yard price into a number you can actually compare.
Empty totes are cube-bound; full totes are weight-bound. That single distinction explains almost every surprising freight quote in this industry. 48 empties double-stack into a 53-foot van at 6,000 lb — a seventh of the legal payload. 18 filled water totes hit 43,500 lb with half the floor unused. Per-unit freight falls from $150–$240 at one unit to $18–$34 at forty-eight.
The two constraints
A 53-foot dry van has 26 pallet positions on the floor and a legal payload of about 43,500 lb after tractor and trailer weight come off the 80,000 lb gross limit. Those two numbers compete, and which one binds determines everything.
Empties are cube-bound. 48 units double-stacked weigh 6,000 lb. You fill the trailer and carry a seventh of the allowed weight. Nothing you can do about it — and it is why shipping empties LTL in any quantity is simply burning money, because LTL charges you for the space anyway without the truckload discount.
Full totes are weight-bound. 18 water-filled 275 gallon units reach 43,500 lb using 18 of 26 positions. Eight pallet positions ride empty. With a heavier product it gets worse: corn syrup at SG 1.38 means 13 units and 13 wasted positions.
Per-unit cost, 500 miles
| Quantity and mode | Per unit |
|---|---|
| 1 unit, LTL | $150 – $240 |
| 2 units, LTL | $110 – $170 |
| 4 units, LTL | $85 – $130 |
| 10 units, LTL | $55 – $90 |
| 16 units, volume LTL | $40 – $62 |
| 24 units, partial | $30 – $48 |
| 36 units, partial | $22 – $40 |
| 48 units, full truckload | $18 – $34 |
| Backhaul collection, 20+ under 400 mi | $0 |
Indicative only, and diesel-sensitive. The shape of the curve is reliable; the absolute numbers move with fuel.
The crossover, worked
Say you need technical-grade 275s at $120 each, 500 miles out:
- 4 units: $480 goods + ~$430 freight = $910, or $228 delivered each. Freight is 47% of the bill.
- 10 units: $1,200 + ~$725 = $1,925, or $193 each.
- 24 units: $2,880 + ~$936 = $3,816, or $159 each.
- 48 units: $5,760 + ~$1,248 = $7,008, or $146 each.
So the delivered price of the same tote varies by 56% purely on order size. If you will need twenty-four over a year, buying them at once costs you storage and saves you roughly $1,650.
Accessorials, named in advance
| Charge | Typical |
|---|---|
| Liftgate service | $95 – $140 per stop |
| Residential delivery | $85 – $120 |
| Limited access (farm, site, school, church) | $75 – $110 |
| Inside delivery | $95+ |
| Appointment / notify before delivery | $25 – $45 |
| Reconsignment (address change in transit) | $120+ |
| Redelivery after a missed appointment | $95+ |
| Detention beyond 2 hours | $65 per hour |
These are what turn a $240 quote into a $430 invoice. The single most useful thing you can tell us is whether you have a dock, a forklift, both or neither — it is the difference between a quote and a surprise.
Practical rules
- Always compare delivered, never ex-yard. A tote $40 cheaper 800 miles away is $140 more expensive on arrival.
- Ask for volume LTL by name between ten and thirty units. Many quotes default to standard LTL and leave money on the table.
- Consolidate if you can wait. We will tell you when waiting pays, even though it delays our revenue.
- Note damage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves. Once signed clean, a claim is extremely hard.
- For filled shipments, plan on 18 units, not 26, and fewer for heavy product.
What fits
- Floor positions, 53' van
- 26
- Empty 275s, double stacked
- 48
- Empty 275s, single tier
- 26
- Filled 275s, water
- 18
- Filled 275s, corn syrup
- 13
- Empty 550s
- ≈14
- Legal payload
- 43,500 lb
Three things to tell us
- Delivery postal code
- Quantity — and whether it could flex upward
- Dock? Forklift? Neither?
With those three the quote is right the first time, accessorials included.
Quote deskWhich constraint binds your load?
Set the size, quantity and condition and it names cube or weight — and tells you how many positions ride empty.
Cube-bound: the floor fills first. You are carrying only 6,500 lb of a 43,500 lb allowance, which is exactly why empties should never move LTL if you have more than ten.
Freight questions
At what quantity should I stop using LTL?
Around ten units, and definitely by twenty-four. One to ten units LTL is simple and expensive per unit. Ten to thirty is volume LTL or partial truckload territory, which is frequently overlooked and worth asking for by name. Above thirty, a dedicated truck is cheaper per unit and faster, with one handling event instead of four.
Why is a single tote so expensive to ship?
Because LTL pricing is driven by freight class and dimensions, and an empty IBC is the worst possible LTL freight: it occupies a full pallet position and weighs 125 lb. You are paying for 13.3 square feet of trailer floor and getting almost no weight onto the bill. The carrier charges for the space, which is the right answer for them and an expensive one for you.
Can I really halve my cost by waiting?
Frequently, yes. Ten units at $55-$90 each is $550-$900. Twenty-four units as a partial at $30-$48 each is $720-$1,150 — more totes for barely more freight. If you were going to buy twenty-four over three months anyway, buying them at once is close to free freight on the second half. We tell customers this even though it delays our invoice.
What is a backhaul and can I get one?
Our trucks deliver reconditioned units outbound and would otherwise return empty. Collecting your empties on the return leg costs us loading time and little else, which is why 20+ unit pickups within about 400 miles usually ship free. You cannot request one on a delivery, but you can ask whether a truck is already routed past you — sometimes one is.
Send a postal code with your quantity
Delivered cost is the only number worth comparing, and it is the one we will give you.