Equipment

Freight is matched to the smallest unit that fits it, so you are not paying for empty deck space. If you are unsure which truck your shipment needs, give dispatch the dimensions and weight and we will tell you.

Fleet and capacities

Payload figures are maximums. Actual capacity depends on how the freight cubes out.

Unit	Max payload	Pallets	Cargo length	Liftgate
Cargo van	3,000 lb	4	11 ft	No
High-roof sprinter	4,000 lb	6	14 ft	Available
16 ft box truck	6,000 lb	8	16 ft	Yes
26 ft box truck	10,000 lb	12	26 ft	Yes

Weight versus cube

Most shippers think in pounds, but trucks usually run out of floor space before they run out of weight capacity. A pallet of insulation and a pallet of tile weigh nothing alike and take the same footprint. When you request a quote, send both the weight and the footprint of each pallet or crate. That is what determines the unit we assign and, in turn, the rate.

Loading requirements

Tell us the loading situation at both ends before the truck is dispatched. The three that matter most:

• Dock height. A standard dock loads directly. Without one, the truck needs a liftgate, which is an accessorial charge and adds time at the stop.
• Forklift availability. If neither end has a forklift, the driver works off the liftgate with a pallet jack, and the freight has to be on pallets that a jack can actually get under.
• Access. Low clearances, tight residential streets, gated communities, and construction sites can rule out a 26 ft box truck entirely. Mention it in advance and we will send something that fits.

Packaging and securement

Drivers strap and blanket freight in the trailer, but they are not packers. Shipments should arrive at pickup already palletized, shrink-wrapped, banded, or crated as the commodity requires. Loose cartons stacked on a dock will be refused or repalletized at your cost, since anything that shifts in transit becomes a damage claim.

Machinery and anything top-heavy should be bolted to a skid. If a piece has a preferred orientation or a lift point, mark it and tell dispatch when you book.