How to prepare an LTL shipment in BC and Alberta
October 4, 2026 · Rolls Right
To get an LTL shipment from Vancouver or Calgary picked up and delivered on time, give the carrier four things that match the freight on your dock. You need a pallet built to ride in a shared trailer, true dimensions and weight, a bill of lading that lists exactly what is shipping, and complete delivery details. A gap in any one of them can lead to a re-weigh or a refused delivery.
Less than truckload (LTL) shipping means your pallets share a trailer with other shippers' freight. This checklist is for the shipping desk. It applies to freight moving within the Lower Mainland, out to the Interior or across to Alberta.
What to have ready before you book
The carrier plans pickup, trailer space and delivery from the information you give at booking. Have these ready before you call or send a request:
- Pickup address, including the unit number, and the hours your dock loads trucks
- A contact at pickup who answers the phone
- The number of pallets, with the length, width, height and weight of each one
- A plain description of the goods
- Whether any part of the shipment is dangerous goods
- The delivery address, receiver contact and receiving hours
- Whether the receiver needs an appointment and whether the site has a loading dock
- The PO or reference number the receiver expects to see
Rolls Right's LTL service handles one pallet to about twelve. Equipment runs from vans up to 10-ton trucks, with 5-ton and low-profile trucks for tight docks. If you know the delivery site is cramped, say so at booking. That decides which truck shows up.
How to build a pallet that holds up in a shared trailer
LTL freight can be handled more than once between your dock and the receiver's, and it rides next to other people's freight. Build every pallet as if it will be moved by forklift several times and loaded tight against a pallet you know nothing about.
- Start with a sound pallet. Broken deckboards and missing stringers give way under a forklift.
- Keep cartons inside the pallet edges. Overhanging cartons take the hits and get crushed first.
- Stack heavy on the bottom and square. Build in columns or an interlocking pattern, and keep the top as flat as the product allows.
- Wrap it tight and tie the wrap to the pallet. Stretch wrap that stops at the top layer of cartons lets the load slide off the base.
- Use corner boards on tall or soft loads. They spread strap and wrap pressure and help the stack hold its shape.
- Label every pallet. Put the receiver's name, the bill of lading number and a count such as "1 of 4" on at least two sides.
If a pallet can't take weight on top, mark it "Do not stack" on every side and write the same instruction on the bill of lading. A label on one face, turned toward the trailer wall, does nothing.
Measuring and weighing freight accurately
The carrier plans the trailer from your numbers. When a pallet shows up taller, wider or heavier than the paperwork says, it may not fit the space that was planned, and the shipment gets corrected after the fact. Accurate numbers at booking prevent that.
How to measure
Measure after the pallet is wrapped and labelled, in the form it will ship. Take length and width at the widest point, including any overhang and the pallet itself. Take height from the floor to the highest point of the load, pallet included. Round up to the next whole inch.
How to weigh
Weigh each pallet on a scale with the pallet and wrap included. A weight built up from the product spec sheet misses the pallet and the packaging. If you don't have a floor scale, use a pallet jack scale. Record each pallet's weight separately and the total on the bill of lading.
Keep a photo of each finished pallet with a tape measure in frame. If a dimension is questioned later, the photo settles it.
What a bill of lading has to show in BC
A bill of lading (BOL) is the shipping document that records the goods being moved and who is shipping and receiving them. Section 37.77(1) of B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations requires a carrier running a business vehicle to issue one when it takes freight for shipment. The same section lists what the document must contain.
Required by s. 37.77 | Section | What to check at your desk |
|---|---|---|
Shipper (consignor) name and address | (1)(a)(i) | Matches the pickup location, unit number included |
Receiver (consignee) name and address | (1)(a)(vi) | The actual delivery site, which may differ from the billing office |
Details of the goods, including weight and description | (1)(a)(viii) | Scale weights and a plain description of what is on each pallet |
Whether the freight arrived in apparent good order and condition | (1)(b)(i) | Walk the freight with the driver before signing |
A space for declared value | (1)(b)(ii) | Decide the value before pickup |
A space showing prepaid or collect | (1)(b)(iii) | Confirm who pays the freight |
A space for any special agreement between shipper and carrier | (1)(b)(iv) | Do-not-stack, appointment or delivery instructions you agreed on |
A conspicuous statement of whether carrier liability is limited | (1)(b)(v) | Read it before you sign |
Signatures of the shipper and originating carrier, or their agents | (1)(c) | Someone at your dock signs at pickup |
Under section 37.79, shipper and carrier each sign the BOL as a correct itemized list of the goods. Count the pallets with the driver before anyone signs. A BOL that says six pallets when five are loaded is a problem at delivery.
Dangerous goods on the paperwork
BC Ferries' dangerous goods guidance says that when dangerous goods make up all or part of a shipment, the shipping document has to carry the information the TDG Regulations specify. BC Ferries also requires documentation stating the packing group and the flash point, and shipping documents for Class 3 flammable liquids moving in the marine mode must show the product's flash point.
If anything on your pallets is regulated, tell the carrier at booking and have the shipping documents ready before the truck arrives.
Delivery and transit between BC and Alberta
Check these details with the receiver before you book pickup.
Delivery details that prevent refused freight
- Full street address and the name on the building. Business parks with several units are where trucks lose time.
- Receiving hours and a contact who picks up. A driver who can't reach anyone has no way to get the freight off the truck.
- Appointment requirements. Many distribution centres and retailers receive by appointment only. Book it before pickup, and use appointment freight when the delivery window is fixed.
- Dock or no dock. Say whether the site has a loading dock and how tight the approach is.
- The receiver's reference numbers. Put the PO number on the BOL and on the pallet labels. A receiver who can't match freight to an order may refuse it.
- A heads-up to the receiver. Tell them what is coming and when. Freight that arrives as a surprise is easier to turn away.
Transit between Vancouver and Calgary
Rolls Right's own trucks run Vancouver to Calgary six days a week, and the trip takes one to two days. The two hubs are our Vancouver location on East Broadway and our Calgary location in the Foothills industrial corridor. Our trucking terminals include Kelowna for the Okanagan and Edmonton for Northern Alberta.
When you plan a delivery date, count from when the freight is actually ready, then add the receiver's appointment availability. If the date is fixed, give yourself a spare day. Dispatch answers 24/7 and every load is GPS-tracked, so you can ask where a shipment is at any hour.
When a shipment has outgrown LTL
Rolls Right's LTL service covers one pallet to about twelve. Past that point, or when the freight needs the trailer to itself, full truckload is usually the better fit. Product that is fragile, can't be stacked against, or has to arrive on a hard date often moves better on its own truck.
Size matters as well as count. If a single piece is larger than a standard pallet, give exact dimensions and weight when you ask for a quote. That way the right equipment gets assigned before pickup, and nobody finds out at the dock that the piece won't fit. Rolls Right runs flat deck and heavy haul for freight that won't go in a van.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure a pallet for an LTL shipment?
Measure the pallet after it is wrapped and labelled, in the form it will ship. Take length and width at the widest point, including any overhang, and height from the floor to the top of the load with the pallet included. Round up to the next whole inch and record each pallet separately on the bill of lading.
What information has to be on a bill of lading in BC?
Section 37.77 of B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations requires the names and addresses of the shipper and the receiver, plus details of the goods including weight and description. It also requires spaces for declared value, prepaid or collect charges and any special agreement, along with a conspicuous statement of whether carrier liability is limited. The shipper and the originating carrier, or their agents, sign it.
What if the receiver has no loading dock?
Say so when you book, along with anything else about the site, such as a tight approach or low clearance. The receiving site decides which truck gets sent. Rolls Right's LTL equipment runs from vans up to 10-ton trucks, including 5-ton and low-profile trucks for tight docks.
How long does LTL freight take from Vancouver to Calgary?
Rolls Right's own trucks run Vancouver to Calgary six days a week, and the trip takes one to two days. Count from when your freight is ready, then add the receiver's appointment availability. If the delivery date is fixed, plan a spare day.
Can LTL pallets be marked do not stack?
Yes. Mark "Do not stack" on every side of the pallet and write the same instruction on the bill of lading. B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act Regulations require the bill of lading to include a space for any special agreement between shipper and carrier, and that is where it belongs. Mention it at booking too, so the trailer is planned around it.
Getting these details right before pickup is most of what keeps LTL freight on schedule. See how Rolls Right runs less than truckload shipping across BC and Alberta, or request a quote with your pallet count, dimensions and weights.
Sources
- BC Laws, Motor Vehicle Act Regulations
- BC Ferries, Dangerous Goods
