How do you ship freight? A step-by-step guide

This guide walks through a normal domestic move. Each step is short on purpose: where a step has its own detailed guide, we link to it rather than repeat it.

Step 1: Start with what is actually shipping

Describe the freight that will be handed to the carrier, not an old product sheet. Record the commodity, the number of pallets, crates, cartons or pieces, the shipping weight, length, width and height, whether it can be stacked, whether it can get wet, any temperature requirement, whether anything is hazardous or regulated, and any value or handling concern.

For machinery, vehicles and long material, also note how the item is lifted or driven and whether attachments come off. If you know the freight but not the equipment, the Freight Load Planner compares it against common trailers and shows what still needs confirming.

Step 2: Confirm the real pickup and delivery locations

A city and state is enough to start pricing. The actual site decides whether the truck can do the job the quote assumes. Confirm the street address, facility name, hours, appointment rules, dock or forklift, whether loading is at ground level, access restrictions and a contact with a phone number.

A warehouse with a dock and a construction site in the same ZIP code are different freight moves. See dock vs ground-level loading, job-site delivery and liftgate service.

Step 3: Measure and weigh the shipment

Measure what the carrier will receive: pallet, product, packaging, crate, stretch wrap and anything that overhangs. Use the actual shipping weight; product weight is not always shipping weight. Wrong numbers change trailer fit, LTL density and class, linear feet, oversize status and price.

Use how to measure freight, how to weigh freight, the Freight Density Calculator and the Linear Feet Calculator.

Step 4: Decide what service and equipment fit

Do not start by guessing a trailer name. Start with dimensions, weight, quantity, how it loads and unloads, weather protection, temperature and site access. LTL, partial and full truckload are service choices; dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck and RGN are equipment. The freight service guide covers the first and the trailer guide covers the second.

Step 5: Identify the services the load needs

Ask what has to happen at each end before the quote, not after dispatch: an appointment or notify call, liftgate, residential or limited-access service, inside delivery, driver assist, tarping, temperature control, extra stops or crane loading. Not every service applies to every carrier or mode. The point is to name the real operating requirement before a truck is committed. Accessorial charges explains how these are billed.

Step 6: Request a quote using the facts you know

A useful quote starts with origin, destination, pickup timing, commodity, count, dimensions, weight, equipment or service if known and any special requirements. If you do not know something, say so. Do not turn an unknown measurement into a made-up number to complete a form: unknown is not the same as none. What information do you need for a freight quote? lists what to send.

Step 7: Compare the quote to the shipment

Before approving a rate, check that it prices your shipment: origin and destination, dates, equipment, weight, dimensions, count, commodity, stops, accessorial services and any stated assumptions or exclusions. A low number built on the wrong shipment usually becomes a different invoice later. Why freight quotes change explains the common causes.

Step 8: Prepare the freight

Finish packaging, build and stabilise pallets or crates, protect corners, secure loose parts, label each handling unit, stage the freight, make sure loading equipment works and have paperwork ready. Tell the receiving side what is coming. See preparing freight, build a pallet that survives and before the truck arrives.

Step 9: Check the bill of lading

The BOL has to describe the freight that is actually leaving. For U.S. for-hire motor carriers, 49 CFR 373.101 requires the consignor and consignee, origin and destination, number of packages, a description of the freight and its weight, volume or measurement where that affects rating. Your shipment may need more. How to fill out a bill of lading goes field by field; the bill of lading checklist is the final check before release.

Step 10: Pickup

When the driver arrives, confirm the equipment suits the load before loading, inspect the trailer when the commodity needs it, verify the count, and make sure the signed paperwork reflects what was loaded. Keep your copy. Final loading, weight distribution and securement decisions belong to the carrier, driver and the parties loading the actual equipment.

Step 11: Track the freight

LTL is usually tracked by the carrier's PRO number and terminal events. Truckload may use a tracking link, the carrier's own system, check calls and pickup and delivery confirmations. A tracking screen is only as current as its last reported event. See how to track a freight shipment and PRO vs BOL vs PO numbers.

Step 12: Delivery and proof of delivery

The receiver should compare what arrived with the paperwork before signing clean: count, visible condition, seal where used and packaging. Note any visible exception on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves whenever possible, then keep the signed proof of delivery with the shipment record. Use the delivery checklist, OS&D and how to get proof of delivery.

What usually causes freight problems?

• The quote and the load were different — weight, dimensions, commodity or access changed.
• The wrong equipment arrived — the trailer was chosen before the freight details were confirmed.
• Pickup requirements were incomplete — no dock, closed facility, missing appointment or freight not accessible.
• Paperwork did not match — wrong count, weight, commodity, address or reference.
• Nobody planned the receiving side — the freight arrived and no one was ready to unload it.

Most of these are planning problems before they become transportation problems.

What if I do not know what equipment I need?

That is normal. Enter what you know into the Freight Load Planner or answer the five questions in the Equipment Selector. Both separate what appears to fit from what still has to be confirmed, and neither replaces the carrier's own check of the actual trailer.