Trailer or Container: What You're Actually Booking
Every RawBales order is a full 40,000 lb load, and it moves one of two ways. Domestic buyers get a full truckload (FTL) — a dedicated 53' trailer carrying your load and nothing else, straight from our warehouse to your dock. Export buyers get a container, loaded here and shipped to their destination port.
Because the equipment is yours alone, your bales aren't cross-docked or reloaded at carrier terminals along the way. They stay on the same trailer or in the same container from pickup to delivery.
What Goes Into a Freight Quote
- ·Lane — our shipping warehouse to your delivery ZIP or destination port
- ·Equipment — a 53' trailer for domestic delivery or a container for export
- ·Receiving — your dock hours, appointment requirements, and how fast you can unload
- ·Extra services — delivery appointments or call-ahead notice
What Your Receiving Dock Needs
A full load is roughly 36 to 50 bales at 800–1,100 lbs each. To receive it you need a loading dock the trailer can back into and a forklift to pull the bales off. Plan floor space for the whole load plus room to break bales down, and have your crew ready when the truck arrives so the unload doesn't run into detention time. Note your setup on the order request so we book the right equipment.
Receiving: Protect Yourself on the Bill of Lading
- ·If the trailer or container is sealed, check the seal number against the bill of lading before you break it
- ·Count the bales against the bill of lading before the driver leaves
- ·Check for broken straps or damaged bales
- ·Write any damage or shortage directly on the BOL before you sign
- ·Take photos of anything damaged, with the trailer and bale in frame
A clean signature tells the carrier everything arrived in good condition. If it didn't, the note on the BOL is what protects your claim.
How We Keep Your Freight Cost Down
Freight is part of your real cost per pound, so we work to shrink it. We hold inventory in warehouses nationwide and ship from the one closest to you, which means fewer miles and fewer days in transit. See how freight fits into your landed cost per pound, or read our guide to exporting by the container.
Tell us your ZIP or destination port, your receiving setup, and how many loads you need, and a rep will send a firm all-in quote — product plus freight. Request a quote here.