Freight &
transport.
Postal code and quantity get you a delivered number. Tell us whether you have a dock or a forklift and the number will be right first time.
Empties are cube-bound, full totes are weight-bound, and that one distinction explains almost every surprising freight quote in this industry. We ship 48 double-stacked empties in a 53-foot van, 16–18 filled units single-tier, and we route buyback collections on backhaul so the freight is close to free. LTL for under ten units, truckload above thirty, and an honest conversation in between.
Freight is the hidden half of a used tote's price
A technical-grade 275 gallon tote is $95–$145. Shipping one of them LTL from St. Louis to Denver is $180–$260. So the freight can be twice the goods, and a buyer who compares our unit price against a local seller's without comparing delivered cost is comparing nothing at all.
The flip side is that freight scales enormously better than most people assume. Ten units LTL is roughly $55–$90 each. Forty-eight on a truckload is $18–$34 each. Waiting three weeks to consolidate an order can halve its delivered cost, and we will tell you so even though it delays our invoice.
Accessorials, stated up front
| Accessorial | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Liftgate service | $95 – $140 per stop |
| Residential delivery | $85 – $120 |
| Limited access (farm, site, school) | $75 – $110 |
| Inside delivery | $95+ |
| Appointment / notify | $25 – $45 |
| Reconsignment | $120+ |
| Detention past 2 hours | $65 per hour |
These are the charges that turn a $240 quote into a $430 invoice. We ask about your dock before quoting precisely so they appear in the quote instead of the bill.
Modes, and when each is right
- LTL. One to ten units. Simple, slow, expensive per unit, and the only option for small counts. Expect 3–7 transit days and some handling scuffs.
- Volume LTL / partial. Ten to thirty units. Often the sweet spot and frequently overlooked; worth asking for by name.
- Full truckload. Thirty to forty-eight empties, or sixteen to eighteen filled. Cheapest per unit, fastest transit, one handling event.
- Backhaul. Buyback collections on a return leg. Cheapest freight in existence, limited by where our trucks already go. Ask — we will tell you if a truck is routed past you.
- Flatbed. For assembled builds and oversize units that will not go through a van door.
We are not a carrier
We broker and route freight, we load it properly, and we block and brace it. We do not assume carrier liability. Note visible damage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves — once it is signed clean, a claim is extremely difficult. The terms of sale set this out.
Per-unit freight, indicative
| Quantity | Per unit, 500 mi |
|---|---|
| 1 unit, LTL | $150 – $240 |
| 4 units, LTL | $85 – $130 |
| 10 units, LTL | $55 – $90 |
| 24 units, partial | $30 – $48 |
| 48 units, truckload | $18 – $34 |
| Backhaul collection | $0 at 20+ units under 400 mi |
Load securement
- Cages interlocked, not just stacked
- Load bars every four positions
- Void fill at the nose and the tail
- Filled units single-tier, straps over the cage top rail
- Valves capped and facing inboard
A tote that arrives scuffed is cosmetic. A tote that arrives on its side is a claim nobody wins. Securement is free; we do it properly.
How many trucks does your order need?
It names the binding constraint — cube or weight — which is the thing most freight quotes get wrong.
Cube-bound: the floor fills first. You are carrying only 6,500 lb of a 43,500 lb allowance, which is exactly why empties should never move LTL if you have more than ten.
Freight questions
How many empty totes fit on a truck?
Forty-eight, double-stacked, in a 53-foot dry van — 26 floor positions with 22 stacked on top, limited by trailer height rather than weight. Empties are cube-bound, not weight-bound: 48 units at 125 lb is 6,000 lb against a 43,500 lb legal payload. That is why empties should never go LTL in any quantity.
How many full totes fit?
Sixteen to eighteen 275 gallon units filled with a water-weight product, single-tier. At roughly 2,420 lb gross each you hit the legal payload at eighteen and you cannot stack filled units more than two high anyway. Full totes are weight-bound, so half the trailer floor rides empty and that is simply the physics.
Why is your freight cheaper on buyback?
Backhaul. Our trucks deliver reconditioned units outbound and would otherwise return empty. Collecting your empties on the return leg costs us the loading time and almost nothing else, which is why we can cover freight on 20+ unit pickups within about 400 miles. It is not generosity, it is a routing accident we are happy to pass on.
Do I need a forklift to receive a delivery?
For a truckload, yes — or a dock with a forklift on it. For LTL, you need either a dock, a forklift, or you pay for a liftgate and a pallet jack, which adds about $120 per stop. A filled tote cannot be moved with a pallet jack on anything but a smooth level floor, and an empty one on gravel is a two-person job. Tell us what you have and we will quote the right accessorials rather than surprise you with them.
Which mode, at which quantity
| Quantity | Best mode | Per unit | Transit | Handling events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Standard LTL | $150 – $240 | 3 – 7 days | 3 – 5 |
| 2 – 4 | Standard LTL | $85 – $170 | 3 – 7 days | 3 – 5 |
| 5 – 9 | Standard or volume LTL | $60 – $110 | 3 – 6 days | 2 – 4 |
| 10 – 16 | Volume LTL | $40 – $62 | 2 – 5 days | 2 – 3 |
| 17 – 26 | Partial truckload | $30 – $48 | 2 – 3 days | 1 – 2 |
| 27 – 40 | Partial truckload | $22 – $40 | 1 – 3 days | 1 |
| 41 – 48 | Full truckload | $18 – $34 | 1 – 2 days | 1 |
| Assembled builds over 96 in | Flatbed | Quoted | 2 – 4 days | 1 |
| Buyback, 20+ under 400 mi | Backhaul | $0 | Scheduled | 1 |
Handling events matter as much as price. Every LTL transfer is an opportunity for a scuff, a dropped pallet or a cage pushed out of square — which is why a truckload order arrives in better condition than four separate LTL shipments of the same total quantity.
Ask for volume LTL by name
Between about ten and thirty units, volume LTL or partial truckload is almost always right and frequently not what gets quoted. Standard LTL is the default on every quoting screen and needs no routing thought. In our experience about half the quotes in that band come back materially cheaper when somebody is made to look.
Cube-bound and weight-bound, with the numbers
| Load | Units | Total weight | Binding constraint | Positions used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empty 275 gal, double stacked | 48 | ≈6,000 lb | Cube | 26 of 26 |
| Empty 275 gal, single tier | 26 | ≈3,250 lb | Cube | 26 of 26 |
| Empty 330 gal, double stacked | 48 | ≈6,900 lb | Cube | 26 of 26 |
| Empty 550 gal | ≈14 | ≈3,700 lb | Cube | 22 of 26 |
| Filled 275 gal, water | 18 | ≈41,900 lb | Weight | 18 of 26 |
| Filled 275 gal, corn syrup SG 1.38 | 13 | ≈41,200 lb | Weight | 13 of 26 |
| Filled 330 gal, water | 14 | ≈40,600 lb | Weight | 14 of 26 |
| Filled 550 gal, water | 8 | ≈38,900 lb | Weight | 13 of 26 |
| Legal payload | — | 43,500 lb | — | — |
Empties fill the trailer and carry a seventh of the allowed weight. Filled units hit the payload with a third of the floor unused. There is nothing to be done about either — the object is mostly air by design, and then mostly water by use.
The practical consequence: if you are having totes delivered empty, order more per movement. If you are shipping them filled, there is no point ordering more per movement because the truck is already at its limit.
How we load, and why it matters to what arrives
- Cages interlocked, not merely stacked. The top frame of the lower unit seats into the base frame of the upper. A balanced stack walks; an interlocked one does not.
- Load bars every four pallet positions. Cheap, fast, and the difference between a shifted load and a claim.
- Void fill at the nose and the tail. A shifting load is what breaks cages — the damage happens in the gap, not under the weight.
- Filled units single tier, straps over the cage top rail. Never over the bottle: a strap over a filled bottle deforms it and can crack the shoulder.
- Valves capped and turned inboard. So nothing catches a door frame on the way in or out.
- Nothing heavy loaded on top of a tote. Ever, regardless of how convenient it looks.
A tote that arrives scuffed is cosmetic. A tote that arrives on its side is a claim nobody wins. Securement is free and we do it properly.
Every charge that can appear, named in advance
| Charge | Typical | When it applies | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liftgate service | $95 – $140 per stop | No dock and no forklift | Borrow a forklift, or take truckload with a dock |
| Residential delivery | $85 – $120 | A residential address | Deliver to a commercial address nearby |
| Limited access | $75 – $110 | Farm, construction site, school, church, military | Nothing — but it should be in the quote |
| Inside delivery | $95+ | Beyond the dock edge | Receive at the dock |
| Appointment or notify | $25 – $45 | You need a scheduled window | Accept a day rather than a time |
| Reconsignment | $120+ | Address changed in transit | Confirm the address before despatch |
| Redelivery | $95+ | Missed appointment | Be there |
| Detention | $65 per hour beyond 2 hr | Slow unloading | Have the forklift and the space ready |
| Fuel surcharge | 18 – 28% of linehaul | Always | Nothing |
On a ten-unit order those can be a fifth of the freight bill, and they are entirely predictable if somebody asks the question. The single most useful thing you can tell us at enquiry is whether you have a dock, a forklift, both or neither.
Detailed questions
Can you ship to a residential address?
Yes, with a liftgate, and you need somewhere for a 125 lb palletised unit to go. It costs $85 to $120 for residential plus $95 to $140 for the liftgate, which on a one-unit order roughly doubles the freight. Where possible, take delivery at a commercial address — a friendly business, a storage yard, a farm supply — and move it yourself.
Do you ship internationally?
Canada and northern Mexico by arrangement. Export paperwork for reconditioned packaging is specific and slow, and the prior-contents documentation customs wants is far easier to assemble before a tote is washed than after. Ask early rather than late.
Can I use my own carrier?
Yes, routinely. We load and brace to the same standard regardless, and FOB our dock means title and risk pass when the units are loaded onto your carrier. Give us the routing details and a BOL number and we will have it staged.
What is the fastest you can get totes to me?
Next business day within about 175 miles, two days to 350, and same-day if you collect. Add one to three business days ahead of transit for grading, washing and staging depending on grade — technical and Grade A move fastest, rebottled takes five to ten days because it is built to order.
Will you combine a delivery and a collection on one visit?
Yes, and you should ask for it. The truck is going both ways anyway, so a collection on the same visit costs the loading time and nothing else. On twenty Grade A units coming out of service that is $700 to $1,200 credited against the delivery invoice.
How do I know the freight quote is honest?
Because it is itemised: linehaul, fuel surcharge and each accessorial separately. If a quote gives you one number with no breakdown, you cannot tell whether a liftgate is in it, and that is where unpleasant surprises live.
What happens if a shipment is damaged?
Note it on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves, photograph it, and email us the same day. We file the carrier claim and replace or credit the affected units — but the delivery receipt notation is the thing that makes a claim possible, and once it is signed clean there is very little anyone can do.
Is it ever cheaper to collect from the yard?
Under about three hours drive and below about ten units, frequently yes. Will-call has no minimum, is paid at the gate, and lets you inspect pallets by hand before you commit. Beyond about four hours each way it stops making sense against a consolidated delivery.
Give us a postal code
A delivered number beats an ex-yard number every time, and it is the only one you can actually compare.