U.S. trucking freight costs are made up of two parts: the base freight rate (distance from origin to destination, plus the shipment's density-based freight class), and accessorial charges — extra fees triggered by address type, loading conditions, or special service requirements. Many shippers only look at the base quote and are surprised by accessorials on the final invoice — usually not because the carrier overcharged, but because the quote request didn't include enough detail upfront.
Base Freight Rate: Distance + Shipment Density
LTL and truckload pricing work differently:
- Distance — for both modes, the farther the origin is from the destination, the higher the base rate, generally speaking
- For LTL, density drives the rate — not just pallet count or weight alone, but weight relative to volume. The denser a shipment, the lower its freight class tends to be, and the lower the per-pound rate
- For truckload (FTL), density is not the main factor — FTL isn't priced by freight class. Rates are mainly driven by mileage, equipment type, market capacity, and seasonality. Whether a shipment fills the trailer or approaches the weight limit affects whether it fits in one truck, but it doesn't set the per-unit rate the way density does for LTL
Freight class is determined using the NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification), maintained by NMFTA. To check what class your shipment likely falls into, use ShipMay's NMFC lookup tool instead of guessing.
Density Matters More Than Footprint: Why a “Bigger” Pallet Isn't Always More Expensive
A real question shippers ask is: “Is a 48×80 inch pallet more expensive to ship than a 63×63 inch pallet?” The answer: footprint alone doesn't tell you — density is what matters.
Density equals total weight divided by total volume (measured using the pallet's outer dimensions, including any packaging that extends past the pallet edge). Two pallets can have different footprints and still end up with the opposite cost outcome, depending on height and weight:
- A 63×63 inch pallet that's shorter and heavier can end up with higher density — and a lower freight class
- A 48×80 inch pallet that's stacked tall but light can end up with lower density — and a higher freight class, meaning a higher rate per pound
In other words, footprint is just one input into the density calculation — it can't tell you the cost by itself. Weight, length, width, and height all have to be provided together to get an accurate class. This is also why ShipMay always asks for actual dimensions and weight before quoting, not just a pallet count.
Common Accessorial Charges: Residential, Appointment, Liftgate, Limited Access, Remote Areas
Beyond the base rate, these are the most common accessorial charges — and the most common source of rebilled invoices (see the full list in Freight Accessorial Charges Explained):
| Accessorial | When It Applies |
|---|---|
| Residential | Pickup or delivery address is a residence |
| Liftgate | No loading dock or forklift on site — the carrier needs a liftgate truck to move freight between the trailer and the ground |
| Limited Access | The address has gated entry, security checks, appointment requirements, or other non-standard access conditions |
| Appointment | Delivery requires a scheduled time window |
| Remote area | The delivery address falls outside a carrier's standard service area |
These charges often stack — a residential address with no loading dock can trigger residential, liftgate, and sometimes limited access all on the same shipment. Disclosing address type and site conditions upfront is the single most effective way to avoid a rebilled invoice.
How to Get a More Accurate Quote: What to Prepare Before You Ask
Both the base rate and accessorials depend on how complete your information is. Before requesting a quote, have ready:
- Origin and destination (with zip codes)
- Actual weight (including pallet and packaging — not just the freight itself)
- Actual dimensions (length, width, height, including anything extending past the pallet edge)
- Pallet count
- Commodity description, and freight class or NMFC code if known
- Whether either address is residential
- Whether either site has a loading dock or forklift
- Whether an appointment is required, or whether the site has gated/restricted access
The more complete the information, the smaller the gap between the quote and the final invoice.
How ShipMay Helps
ShipMay verifies address type, loading conditions, and shipment details at the quoting stage — before the shipment moves — to catch accessorial risk early and keep the final invoice close to the original quote. Start a quote with ShipMay and give us the origin, destination, commodity, weight, dimensions, pallet count, and address type up front for a more accurate number.
Related Reading
- Freight Accessorial Charges Explained
- What Is a Limited Access Fee in Freight Shipping?
- What Is a Liftgate Fee in LTL Freight?
- LTL Reweigh and Reclass: Why Freight Bills Change After Pickup
- LTL Freight Quote Checklist
- LTL Freight Quotes
- Logistics Tools
Reference
- National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), which maintains the NMFC classification system that freight class is based on.
