Bear Shift Shared truckload · arranged with vetted carriers
LTL and partial truckload: pay for your space, not the whole truck
For LTL shipping and partial truckload in the Seattle area, a few pallets don't need a 53-foot trailer to themselves. We arrange space on a truck that also carries other shippers' freight, so the price follows the room your pallets take up and their weight. A vetted carrier hauls the load under its own authority, and we handle the booking and the follow-up.
Two ways to share a truck
LTL (less than truckload) carriers run a network of terminals. A local truck collects your pallets, they are sorted at a terminal, often ride a linehaul trailer to another terminal, and a second local truck delivers them. LTL commonly moves about 1–6 pallets and does it efficiently, but every transfer means another forklift move.
A partial truckload stays on one truck from pickup to delivery, with no terminal in between. It suits shipments that are too big for good LTL pricing but don't fill a trailer, and freight that shouldn't be handled several times. Either way, put the freight on pallets, wrap or band it so each pallet travels as one unit, and label every pallet with the delivery address.
When sharing a truck makes sense
- Small and growing businesses sending a few pallets to a customer or a store.
- Suppliers topping up a retailer's stock between full truckloads.
- Online sellers sending inventory to a fulfillment center in smaller batches.
- Shippers with flexible dates who can trade some transit time for a lower price.
How we arrange a shared load
- You send the pallet count, the size and weight of each pallet, and the pickup and delivery locations.
- When both apply, we compare an LTL option with a partial one and send you a price to approve.
- We book the carrier, schedule the pickup and give you the bill of lading for your pallets.
- You watch the shipment on a tracking link until the proof of delivery comes in.
What to tell us for a price
Shared freight is priced on the details, so the more exact the better: the number of pallets, the length, width and height of each one, the weight per pallet or in total, what the product is, and the freight class if you already know it. Mention a home address, a business without a dock or a limited-access site such as a school or a jobsite, because each of those changes how the carrier plans the stop.
Transit times and extras
Transit on a shared truck is less predictable than on a dedicated one: an LTL shipment waits for its terminal schedule, and a partial load follows the other stops on the truck. We give you a typical range when we quote, not a promise. A liftgate, an inside delivery, a redelivery or a weight that differs from what was declared are charged as the terms of your quote explain.
Get a price for your pallets
Shared truckload questions
Should I choose LTL or partial truckload?
LTL commonly moves about 1–6 pallets and suits flexible dates. Above that, a partial truckload is often the better choice, and it also fits fragile freight or a delivery that should not pass through a terminal; around ten pallets or more usually points to FTL. When you ask for a price, we tell you which option suits your shipment.
How does weight affect the price?
Weight counts along with space. LTL rates usually depend on the weight, the dimensions, the freight class and the distance, and an LTL carrier can reweigh and reclassify a shipment that was declared wrong. A partial load is priced mostly on the floor space your pallets use and their total weight. Accurate numbers help the invoice match the quote.
What if I don't have a loading dock?
Say so in your request. We look for a carrier whose truck has a liftgate, a powered platform that lowers each pallet from the trailer to the ground, and it is added to the price as an extra before you book.