LT L F R E I G H T

Packaging Guide
Protecting Freight in an LTL Environment

A recent survey of LTL shippers shows when a shipment is

Did you know? damaged, on average companies lose...

MONEY CUSTOMERS
TIME
Up to 5 hours of time At least 25% of a shipment’s Over 50% of companies
is spent dealing with a value is never recouped when have lost a customer or some
damaged shipment damage occurs business due to damages
Our Commitment to
Your Freight Protection
We’ve invested in our SafeStackTM system, onboard safety
technology, airbags and professional freight handling training
because we are committed to protecting our customers' freight and
the safety of the motoring public.

Our Solutions

SAFESTACK
Our best-in-class SafeStackTM system
reduces damages and gets shipments to their
destination faster and with less handling.

• No double stacking
• Braces each shipment
• Prevents in-transit shifting
• Less freight handling
• Greater efficiency and more direct shipments
• More damage-free, on-time deliveries

AIRBAGS
Prevent the movement and shifting of freight by
filling gaps between pallets.

ONBOARD TECHNOLOGY
Our modern leet is equipped with advanced
alert systems, providing improved safety and
better freight handling:

• Forward collision warning

• Lane departure warning
• Roll stability control

FREIGHT HANDLING TR AINING

Ongoing coaching and training for our
dockworkers and drivers on best practices
for freight handling result in fewer exceptions
and damages.

AERODY NAMIC TR AILER

SIDE SKIRTS Trailer Skirt
Provide additional stability and safety
by reducing sway

1
The LTL Shipping
Environment
DID YOU KNOW?
Dynamic shocks and vibrations caused by road irregularities are
two of the leading causes of freight damage during transit. Extreme
temperatures and humidity also reduce packaging strength.

E X TREME TEMPER ATU RES AND HU MIDIT Y CAN LE AD TO:

-40°F 150°F
Up to a Over a Up to an

50% 75% 80%

reduction in increase in material decrease in material
* * *
packaging strength brittleness strength

A recent transportation
study** concluded
damages from external
forces can be prevented
through proper packaging.

*Materials Property Database. Retrieved from http://www.

matweb.com/
** Marcondes, J., Singh, P., & Burgess, G. (1988). Dynamic
analysis of a less than truckload shipment. In American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (Paper) Publ by
American Soc of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Internal Packaging
Some freight will benefit from the use of internal
packaging between the product and container to gain
adequate protection in an LTL environment.

USE INTERNAL PACK AGING TO:

• Protect products from dynamic shock and vibration

• Prevent shifting of interior materials by occupying empty space
• Shield items from external factors such as weather or changes in temperature

BUBBLE CUSHIONING
With its ability to be flexible and wrap around
any object, use this lightweight, shock absorbing
cushioning to package sensitive or
irregular shaped items.

LOOSE FILL
Loose filling helps stabilize products.
Use these materials to fill empty space in
your packaging while providing a flexible,
protective environment.

PAPER FILLING
Providing more stabilization than loose fill,
use paper to fill, brace and wrap your product
to prevent shifting.

PAPER HONE YCOMB

Paper honeycomb is lightweight, but highly
structured, enforced paper formed into hexagonal
shapes. Use paper honeycomb to provide additional
protection when stacking, layering, blocking, bracing
or filling space around products.

FOAM CUSHIONING
Lightweight, dense and often customizable to form
fit products, foam cushioning protects against
dynamic shock and vibrations, and can brace,
stabilize or immobilize freight to reduce damage.

2
External Packaging
Most commodities require durable external packaging
for adequate protection when shipping.

USE E X TERNAL PACK AGING TO:

• Protect freight from external elements such as weather or drastic changes in temperature while in transit
• Prevent shifting and help brace freight by tightly loading and securing your commodity on a pallet
• Promote safe and efficient handling of freight to prevent damage

CONSTRUCT STRONG CR ATES

Not all crates are built the same. Construct crates with quality lumber and with attention
to strength. It’s not the amount of material used, but how it’s used.

Strongest ................................................................................ Weakest

12X Original strength 6X Original strength 1.5X Original strength Original Strength
Building a crate with two A single diagonal board Adding multiple vertical A simple box with supports
diagonal boards on each on each side of a crate supports increases a at all corners qualifies as a
side increases original increases original strength crate’s strength by about crate, but offers little added
strength by nearly 12 times. by more than six times. 1.2 times. strength in its construction.

.
. .

PALLE TIZE FREIGHT FREIGHT HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Affix freight to a pallet. Pallets help keep loose freight together to Forklifts and pallet jacks are the most
prevent shifting on the dock or in transit and allow for the safest commonly used equipment to load and unload
and most effective handling of freight. freight in an LTL environment. Shipments built
on pallets facilitate safe, efficient and damage-
3 free handling.
RECOMMENDED PALLE T STRUCTURE
• compatible
40-42" W x 48" L, standard industry size, four-way entry,
with common freight handling equipment.

• Lead and inner deck boards: top/bottom deck boards at the front
and back; any deck boards located between the lead boards and
runners on the sides.

• Do not use pallets which have been damaged or have

deteriorated in quality.

Top deck board

Two-way entry Four-way entry

Runner
Bottom deck board
BUILD STRONG SHIPMENTS
Compression strength is the resistance of a material to breaking under stress. Not
every shipment’s freight configuration is prepared the same. Use the following
recommended best practices to palletize freight to gain maximum compression
strength, securement and protection.

Maximum Compression Strength is 100%

100%
........................ .. ......................... ................... -32%
-50% -50%

Perfect pattern Interlocked pattern Long-term storage Pallet overhang

Cartons are of high quality Unless the contents of your Storage of some materials in The bottom and edges of the
and stacked precisely one on packages are solid or stiff, varying conditions can weaken shipment can be vulnerable
top of another in a column interlocking freight can packaging strength. Carton when being transported. Pallet
pattern to retain greatest reduce the strength of carton materials sitting for six months overhang makes handling
strength. materials up to 50%. or longer can lose 50% of difficult by restricting the use of
strength. handling equipment.

PROTECT MATERIALS WITH CARDBOARD

Corrugated cardboard is a durable and strong material used in LTL shipping freight protection
due to its construction of high quality, air-dried paper in a flute or arched pattern layered between
smooth sheets. Cardboard is highly customizable, cost-effective and comes in many different
shapes and strengths.

Layer cardboard at the bottom of a shipment between freight and the pallet, and between loose
shipments or cartons, to provide additional strength within its column stack. Place cardboard on
top of a shipment to protect against the external elements.

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD

• Is an effective resource to help stabilize

vertically stacked freight or cartons.

• Protects the top, bottom and middle layers of a

shipment.

• Stabilizes palletized freight and eliminates

shifting that can damage freight in transit.

• Absorbs the impact of vibrations, protects

against moisture, provides structural support
and prevents compression and bending.
 US E EDGE BOA RDS , BA ND A ND WR A P FREIGHT
FOR S ECU REMENT

Edge boards, bands and plastic wrap are durable freight

protection materials which can help enable shipments to
be affixed securely to a pallet to stabilize freight, increase Edge Boards

compression strength and protect against external elements in

Bands
the LTL shipping environment. Visible Label

Apply XPO pro labels to

Use these freight protection materials to: top right corner of freight.
• Prevent freight from shifting when being transported on the
dock or in transit in the trailer

• Secure aligned, column stacked packages and corners

precisely to retain full strength
Plastic Wrap
• Protect all surfaces – top, bottom, middle and edges – of freight Accessible Pallet

EDGE BOA RDS INCRE AS E S TRENGTH

Apply edge boards, also referred to as corner boards, to palletized

freight. These angled pieces of materials which fit over the edges of
boxes, crates, bundles and other shipments prevent pressure from
bands or other external impacts that can cause damage.

• Help balance and tighten a shipment’s column stack structure

• Reduce damages by protecting corners
• Increase overall compression strength of palletized freight

BA NDS S ECU RE FREIGHT TO PA LLE T

Use quality bands to secure freight tightly to a pallet to help

stabilize your shipment. Fasten the bands tightly around the edge
boards and thread the band beneath the top deck boards of the
pallet to help anchor the shipment to its pallet.

Bands:
• Protect from shortages or losses by keeping loose
shipments contained together

• Stabilize cartons and materials on a pallet to prevent damage from shifting

• Immobilize cartons within palletized freight to be more easily handled

S HRINK WR A P K EEPS FREIGHT TOGE THER

Shrink wrap your freight for additional protection from external elements so
it can be delivered safely and in the same condition it was sent.

• Protects against weather damage and shields freight from fluctuating

changes in temperatures

• Secures loose packages and helps anchor freight to its pallet

• Can be used along with bands to tightly affix freight to
a pallet to prevent the pallet from disconnecting from
freight while being handled or transported
1 2 3

Shrink wrap helps adhere freight to a pallet. Tie shrink wrap

to the pallet and begin wrapping your freight starting at the
bottom of the pallet. Tightly wrap completely around the
pallet at the bottom (1), then middle (2), then finish at the
top (3).

For the ultimate shrink wrap protection, double wrap freight

in the opposite direction, also beginning at the bottom with
5 shrink wrap tied to the pallet.

5
 Labeling
To be accepted for transportation, LTL freight must be marked
clearly with shipping labels. Ensure labels are properly affixed to freight.

Clearly label or tag freight

• Affix labels at the top, side or end of freight. Labels should be

secured to freight with adhesive or metal staples.
Examples Bags
Bales

• Each package or loose piece of freight should be marked clearly

and indicate the following: of proper
– Shipper and consignee name, labeling Crates

phone number and address

locations
NOTE: Even the most heavy-duty tapes can lose
adhesiveness in fluctuating temperatures. Attach a layer of
for freight.
Pails
shrink wrap over labels to ensure label does not disconnect. Drums

USE TAGS
Coils
Tags should be used to label freight which may not allow labels to adhere. Tags can be made of
cloth, leather, metal or wooden tagboard with dull edges. Attach tags to freight and secure with
Boxes
strong cords or wire.

METAL FREIGHT Reels

Fluctuating temperatures can cause labels to peel off metal freight and tags may fall off during
loading and unloading. Use a metal or paint marker to identify and label steel or other metal Rolls

freight, and include the PRO number, purchasing order (PO) number or other identifying
information to enable all shipment handlers to identify the shipper or consignee information.

Use precautionary labeling when necessary

Use precautionary labels when freight requires special handling or storage

requirements. Review the labels below for use, when applicable.

FRAGILE UP ARROWS CENTER OF BALANCE CAUTION

Handle with care Handle with care Ensure label is on TOP HEAVY
Affix label to top, side or Use when you have two opposite sides
over the area within freight preferred option for of freight to indicate
where glass is present. loading or unloading. balance point.

HAND TRUCK OR FORKLIFT HAND TRUCK FORKLIFT

Indicate whether a handling device
is required or not.

KEEP DRY PROTECT PROTECT MAGNETICALLY DO NOT

FROM HEAT FROM FREEZING SENSITIVE STACK

6
Preparing for Pickup
Did you know?

...Over 50% of LTL bills of lading (BOLs) have errors in weight or

shipment description due to shippers estimating weight or freight class?*
This is the primary cause of what shippers perceive as billing errors.

Accurately complete your bill of lading

1 Enter the number of units being shipped: pallets, drums, loose pieces. Loose pieces may be
palletized to facilitate safe freight handling. List all hazardous materials on your BOL first.

2 Enter the description of shipment unit along with unit’s dimensions.

3 Provide the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®) number. Contact a local service center
if NMFC class is unknown.
NOTE: BOLs missing the NMFC class are automatically billed at class
100 unless an inspection is performed.
4 Provide the class or density of articles.
NOTE: Pallets and packaging may change a shipment's class and density.
Determine class and density AFTER packaging and palletizing.

5 Provide the shipment weight after packaging and palletizing.

NOTE: Pallets and packaging will impact shipment weight. Weigh your
shipment after palletizing and packaging your freight.

1 2 3 4 5

Schedule your pickup request

Most XPO customers use LTL.xpo.com to schedule pickup requests.
When completing your pickup request, have the following information available:

1 Pickup location: Shipper name, address, city, state/province,

zip code and shipper phone number

2 Requester information: Company name, contact name, phone number,

email address and role (shipper, consignee, third party)

3 Pickup date/time: Requested pickup date, pickup ready time, dock close
time, special equipment and inside pickup information
4 Contact information for any concerns about the shipment:
Company name, contact name and phone number

5 Destination and commodity information: Destination zip code, number

of pallets and pieces, Saturday or holiday delivery, HazMat, Freezable, or G!,
total weight (lbs) and remarks (packaging, special size or handling, etc.)

NOTE: Multiple shipments can be included on a pickup request

for the same location.

*Jindel, S. (2016, Dec 03). Contrary to perception, LTL billing accuracy is impressive.
Retrieved from www.joc.com. 7
 XPO Logistics Freight, Inc. main office: 2211 Old Earhart Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2751 LTLCCG@xpo.com (800) 755-2728

This packaging guide is published to help LTL shippers learn more about general and recommended packaging protection for shipping LTL freight. This guide does not provide information
to protect against every circumstance which may damage or cause freight loss in LTL shipping. XPO Logistics is not liable for any consequences related to any type of LTL packaging
which includes loss or damage of LTL freight for a shipper following these guidelines. Protecting freight adequately for an LTL environment is the sole responsibility of an LTL shipper. 9