LTL Shipping Services for US Importers
Platton's LTL shipping services pick up your palletized import freight at the port, airport, or cross-dock the day it clears. The line haul runs through carriers selected on lane performance. Final delivery lands at your DC, FBA warehouse, or retailer dock.
The specialist who quotes the lane is the same one who handles the POD.
Less-than-truckload (LTL) freight is palletized cargo of roughly 150 to 15,000 pounds, usually one to six pallets, priced on its weight and freight class. From about six pallets up, get a partial or full truckload price as well. Our FTL vs LTL guide sets out the pallet and weight break-even between the two.
Why importers route their inland leg through Platton
The inland LTL leg is where importers usually lose money.
Pickup synced to container release
Your LTL pickup is booked against the actual customs release of the container, not against a guess. The cross-dock expects the freight, the LTL carrier is on the schedule, and storage exposure on the inland leg drops to almost nothing.
Retail and FBA compliance handled at the cross-dock
MABD windows and OTIF performance for Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and other major retailers are tracked at the SKU and PO level. Amazon FBA shipment ID, delivery appointment, and routing-guide details are baked into the bill of lading before the LTL truck leaves the cross-dock. Most chargebacks for documentation errors stop right there.
LTL delivery services we run
Six inland LTL scenarios cover almost everything US importers run after the freight clears a gateway. Each can be booked on its own.
Standard LTL pickup and delivery
Palletized pickup at the port cross-dock or destination warehouse. Delivery to a single US destination dock, business-hours window, no special equipment. This is the default booking for most importers.
LTL delivery to DCs and FBA warehouses
Direct delivery to retailer distribution centers and Amazon FBA warehouses. Our ecommerce fulfillment network handles D2C and B2B order processing across major US warehouses.
Residential and home LTL delivery
LTL delivery to private homes and home-based businesses, with the residential surcharge built into the original quote. Appointment scheduling is standard. Liftgate or curbside placement is a one-line add-on at booking.
Inside delivery
Freight moved past the threshold of the destination address to a specified room, area, or floor. Standard option for retail openings, hospitality projects, schools, and medical facilities where a dock drop is not acceptable.
Liftgate and limited-access delivery
Liftgate when the destination has no loading dock. Limited-access coverage for schools, military bases, construction sites, and storage units.
Same-day, expedited, and final-mile LTL
Same-day LTL within regional radius. Expedited service on longer lanes. Final-mile delivery for big-and-bulky consumer goods. The right tier for FBA replenishment and retail MABD windows with no slack in the schedule.
US gateways we pick up from
Platton runs inland LTL out of every major US ocean port and air freight terminal where importers consolidate. If your container or air shipment lands at one of these, we pick up. Cross-dock facilities at every major US gateway. Containers deconsolidate, freight is sorted by destination, and LTL trailers dispatch the same day.
West Coast
Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, and LAX air freight. Inland cross-dock options across the LA basin, the Bay Area, and the Pacific Northwest.
East Coast and Gulf
New York / New Jersey, Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Miami, and Houston. JFK and MIA on the air freight side. Cross-dock options in northern New Jersey, Atlanta, and the Houston corridor.
Inland air and cross-border
ORD Chicago, DFW Dallas, and ATL Atlanta for air freight handoffs. Laredo and El Paso for cross-border drayage from Mexico. Anchorage and Honolulu for offshore connections.
How your inland leg moves
Four steps from container release to POD.
Container release and cross-dock pickup
Freight is deconsolidated and palletized to LTL standards at a cross-dock inside the port basin. The LTL pickup truck is already on the schedule.
Line haul through the LTL network
Palletized freight moves from the origin terminal to a regional hub via line haul, usually overnight. Carrier selection on each shipment is driven by lane-level performance data, not by a single fixed contract.
Terminal sort and regional handoff
The pallet is sorted at the regional hub and reloaded onto a delivery truck assigned to the destination zip code. Sort-scan visibility is monitored in real time. Exceptions trigger before the delivery window is at risk, not after.
Final delivery and POD
Delivery within the agreed window at your DC, FBA warehouse, or retailer dock. POD is captured at the receiving dock and matched against the original quote, accessorials and all.
Technology and shipment visibility
Your team and the Platton ops team work off the same dashboard. The data you see is the data we act on, in real time.
Real-time tracking and PRO lookup
Every LTL delivery is assigned a PRO that ties back to the master Platton shipment ID. Status updates fire on cross-dock pickup, terminal sort, line haul departure, regional handoff, and final delivery.
Proactive exception alerts
Alerts trigger on missed pickup windows, sort delays, transit-time risk, and failed delivery attempts. Your team and the assigned Platton specialist receive the same alert at the same moment.
API and EDI integration
LTL data flows into your TMS, ERP, or order system through API or EDI 204, 214, 210, and 990 messages. Set up once during onboarding, then booking and tracking happen inside your stack.
Document management
BOL, POD, weight and inspection certificates, and the consolidated freight invoice are all retrievable from the Platton dashboard. Archived against the shipment record, not against an email thread.
What shapes your LTL delivery rate
Three variables move a quote up or down on every LTL booking.
Run each pallet's dimensions and weight through the freight class calculator to see its density and likely NMFC class.
Freight class
Class is locked at booking against the actual NMFC characteristics of the freight. If a carrier inspector flags the load, the Platton ops team handles the reclassification dispute, not your team.
Lane and weight
Origin gateway, destination zip code, weight bracket, and pallet count drive the line haul rate. Platton routes each shipment against carrier performance on the specific lane, not against a single fixed contract.
Accessorials
Liftgate, residential, inside delivery, limited access, appointment scheduling, after-hours, and fuel surcharge are all quoted up front against the delivery profile you give us. Surprises at invoice time are the failure mode we built around.
What to send for a quote
For an LTL quote, send the pickup and delivery ZIP codes and the pallet count. Add the weight and the length, width and height of each pallet, rounded up to the next inch. Name the commodity too, since it feeds the freight class.
Built for US importers
Dedicated import logistics manager
Every importer account has a named logistics manager who owns the lane through LTL POD. Same point of contact on a Friday afternoon and on a Tuesday morning.
Frequently asked questions
Operational questions buyers ask when evaluating Platton for the inland LTL delivery leg.
Same business day in most gateway markets. The LTL pickup is booked against the customs release window rather than scheduled reactively, so the truck is already on the schedule when the container is released.
It depends on the distance and the service level. FedEx Freight, for example, publishes typical transit times of one to three days on its priority service and three to six days on economy. Each terminal sort along the way adds time. When the delivery window is tighter, same-day or expedited LTL is the faster option.
Cross-dock handling, palletization, the LTL line haul, all relevant accessorials (liftgate, residential, inside, limited-access, appointment), fuel surcharge, and final delivery to your dock.
Yes. FBA shipment ID, delivery appointment, and routing-guide compliance are built into the BOL at the cross-dock. MABD shipments for Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and other major retailers are booked on guaranteed LTL services and tracked at the SKU and PO level.
Yes. Every accessorial that applies to the delivery profile you give us (liftgate, residential, inside, limited-access, appointment, after-hours) is on the quote at booking. The invoice at POD matches the quote line for line.
It can, because LTL pallets are unloaded and reloaded at every terminal they pass through, and each lift is a chance for damage. Freight on sound pallets, stretch-wrapped, with the corners protected and nothing over the edge, comes through those lifts best. For high-value pallets, ask about cargo insurance for the import.
Platton picks up at every major US ocean and air gateway and delivers across the country. Pallets can start at a CFS once the container is unloaded, at an airport cargo terminal, or at a warehouse that already holds your stock.
Related services for LTL freight
Which of these you add depends on how the freight reaches the US and where the pallets go next:
- Full and partial truckload when the pallet count outgrows a shared trailer
- LCL shipping to bring a few pallets across the ocean before the LTL leg
- Drayage from the port terminal to the cross-dock where the container is unloaded
- Warehouse services to store pallets near the port between LTL deliveries
- Amazon FBA prep for pallets that still need Amazon's labels
- Door-to-door shipping and full-cycle management under one point of contact
Import guides
Pallets picked up the day they clear
Pickup synced to container release, accessorials locked at booking, POD captured at the receiving dock.