Banded bundles and palletized wood products ship LTL in enclosed trailers. Send the lengths and weights so the carrier can confirm handling.

Do you offer flatbed service?

Ask us first. Standard LTL uses enclosed trailers, and we check open-deck options on the load details before quoting.

How do I stop flooring from warping?

Keep flooring in its cartons, wrapped against moisture and flat on a full pallet. Tell the receiver to acclimate it per the manufacturer's instructions.

Can you deliver lumber to a jobsite?

Yes, when the site has a forklift or dock and room for the truck. Share the site contact and access details with the quote request.

Lumber Freight Shipping

At a glance

Lumber bundles longer than a standard pallet need their full length on the quote, since carriers set their own rules for long freight.
Banding every bundle on runners keeps boards straight and gives a forklift clearance to lift from underneath.
Standard LTL moves in enclosed van trailers, so loads that need a flatbed or open-deck trailer should be raised with us before you book.

How is lumber freight shipping classed?

Lumber freight shipping is classed by the NMFC item for the product, whether rough lumber, plywood panels, flooring or finished doors. Many of those items use the 13-tier density scale from NMFTA Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, and some keep a commodity class. The lane, weight, accessorials and fuel shape the price along with class.

Solid wood is dense, while a pallet of boxed millwork or prehung doors holds more air. The density scale and worked example on this page run the numbers for a pallet of hardwood flooring.

Freight class by density (lb per cubic foot)

0 to 1 lb/ft³Class 400
1 to 2 lb/ft³Class 300
2 to 4 lb/ft³Class 250
4 to 6 lb/ft³Class 175
6 to 8 lb/ft³Class 125
8 to 10 lb/ft³Class 100
10 to 12 lb/ft³Class 92.5
12 to 15 lb/ft³Class 85
15 to 22.5 lb/ft³Class 70
22.5 to 30 lb/ft³Class 65
30 to 35 lb/ft³Class 60
35 to 50 lb/ft³Class 55 example below
50 or more lb/ft³Class 50

Denser freight lands in a lower class, the basis for a lower rate. Source: NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025. The scale applies to items the NMFC classes by density; some items keep a commodity class, so confirm the NMFC item for your product.

Worked example: a pallet of hardwood flooring

Measure the loaded pallet, pallet included: 48 × 40 × 36 inches = 69,120 cubic inches.
Convert to cubic feet: 69,120 ÷ 1,728 = 40 cubic feet.
Divide the weight by the cubic feet: 1,900 lb ÷ 40 = 47.5 lb per cubic foot.
Read the class off the density scale: 47.5 lb per cubic foot falls in class 55.

Run your own pallet through the freight class calculator, or read how freight class works.

Illustrative numbers, not a quote or a class ruling. Class depends on the NMFC item for the product; the scale is NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025.

How should lumber bundles be banded?

Lumber bundles should be banded at several points along their length and set on runners so forklift tines slide under without splitting boards. Loose or single-banded bundles fan out when lifted and shift in the trailer.

Steel or poly banding both work when pulled tight, with edge guards at the corners. Send the bundle count, length and weight so the carrier can plan how to load the trailer.

How do you keep wood from warping in transit?

Wood stays flat in transit when it ships dry, wrapped against rain and loaded on a level floor under even support. Kiln-dried boards and finished flooring pick up moisture at open docks, which can cause cupping and warping before installation.

Cover exposed bundles with poly or a waterproof wrap and keep finished millwork in its cartons. Doors and panels travel best on edge in a rack or flat on a full-size pallet, never leaning against other freight.

Which service fits: LTL, volume LTL, partial or full truckload?

Standard LTL fits most palletized shipments that can share a trailer; volume LTL, partial truckload and full truckload fit larger loads or loads that need their own truck. Price the same shipment details across the four services, and confirm the points in the table before you book.

Service	Fits	Confirm before booking
Standard LTL	Palletized freight that shares a trailer and moves through carrier terminals	NMFC item and class, pickup and delivery accessorials, delivery appointment
Volume LTL	Larger LTL shipments quoted as a one-off price for that shipment	Quote terms, space the freight takes, whether it still moves through terminals
Partial truckload	Shipments that share a truck with a few others	Whether the freight stays on one trailer, any planned transfers, transit estimate
Full truckload	Freight that fills a trailer, reaches its weight limit, or needs its own truck	Trailer type, loading and unloading time, appointments at both ends

When does lumber need a different trailer?

Lumber needs a different trailer when the lengths or the loading method rule out an enclosed van, such as bundles that must be lifted from the side or from above. Standard LTL runs in enclosed trailers loaded from the rear, so ask us first about any load that needs an open-deck or flatbed trailer.

Long bundles in an enclosed trailer also need a dock or a forklift at delivery. Liftgate limits vary by carrier, so send the heaviest and longest piece and the carrier confirms whether a liftgate can take it.

What do you send for a lumber and wood products freight quote?

A lumber and wood products freight quote needs the 8 details below. Complete details let the carrier rate the shipment once, without a reweigh or reclass after pickup.

Product: dimensional lumber, plywood or panels, millwork, doors or flooring
Length of the longest bundle or piece
Bundle or pallet dimensions with runners included
Weight of each bundle or pallet
Whether the wood is kiln-dried or finished and needs weather wrap
Loading and unloading method: dock, forklift or side-load
Delivery site: lumberyard, jobsite, store or distribution center
NMFC item numbers, if you know them

What do the freight terms on this page mean?

Kiln-dried: Wood dried in a heated chamber to a set moisture content before sale.
Open-deck trailer: A flatbed or step-deck trailer with no sides or roof, loaded from the side or above.
Millwork: Finished wood products such as trim, moulding, stair parts and door frames.
Cupping: A warp across the width of a board, where the edges rise above the center.

Lumber freight shipping