LTL vs. FTL: What You're Actually Booking
Clothing bales ship one of two ways. LTL (less-than-truckload) means your pallets share a trailer with other shippers' freight — the standard for fractional orders. FTL (full truckload) means a dedicated trailer for your order alone, which is how a full 40,000 lb load moves.
Most RawBales orders ship LTL: your bales are palletized, strapped, and shrink-wrapped, then moved through the carrier's network to your dock.
What Goes Into a Freight Quote
- ·Distance and lane — the pickup ZIP to your delivery ZIP
- ·Weight and pallet count — a 10,000 lb order is roughly 10–12 bales
- ·Delivery access — a loading dock vs. a liftgate delivery
- ·Location type — residential or limited-access deliveries usually cost more than a commercial address
- ·Extra services — delivery appointments or call-ahead notice
Dock vs. Liftgate
With a loading dock, the carrier backs up and your forklift pulls the pallets straight off the trailer. Without one, you need a liftgate truck, which lowers each pallet to the ground. Either way, each bale weighs 800–1,100 lbs, so you still need a forklift or pallet jack to move it once it's off the truck. Note your setup on the order request so we book the right equipment.
Receiving: Protect Yourself on the Bill of Lading
- ·Count the pallets against the bill of lading before the driver leaves
- ·Check for torn wrap, broken straps, or crushed pallets
- ·Write any damage or shortage directly on the BOL before you sign
- ·Take photos of anything damaged, with the trailer and pallet labels 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 allocate 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.
Tell us your ZIP, your dock or liftgate setup, and your volume, and a rep will send a firm all-in quote — product plus freight. Request a quote here.