Electronics and tires share a trailer type and not much else. Electronics are light, compact and worth a great deal per pallet, so the planning is about security and coverage. Tires are bulky, lighter than they look per cubic foot, and often stacked by hand, so the planning is about space and dock time. This page covers each in turn.
Electronics
Consumer electronics, computers and peripherals, networking and telecom gear, appliances and components all usually move palletized in a 53-foot dry van. What sets them apart is value. A single trailer can carry far more value than an average dry van load, which makes these shipments attractive to thieves and exposes the shipper if coverage isn't sorted out first.
Declared value and cargo insurance — discussed first, not after
Cargo insurance carried by trucking companies comes with per-load limits, and liability for loss is commonly capped. If your load's value exceeds the coverage available, a total loss leaves you holding the difference. Before any high-value load is booked, the declared value should be stated and the applicable coverage limit confirmed in writing. If the numbers don't line up, you'll know before pickup, when there is still time to arrange additional coverage or split the shipment.
Security practices
- Sealed trailer — sealed at pickup, seal number on the bill of lading, checked intact at delivery.
- No unnecessary stops — the load moves direct, without parking a loaded trailer in unsecured lots near origin.
- Carrier verification — confirming who is picking up before the load is tendered, to guard against fraudulent pickups.
- Discreet paperwork — product descriptions on shared documents kept to what is required.
Specific security requirements are agreed per load and written into the plan.
Lithium batteries
Laptops, phones, power tools, battery packs and many other devices contain lithium cells. Depending on battery type, watt-hour rating, quantity and packaging, the shipment may carry marking and paperwork requirements. The shipper supplies the battery details and safety data sheet, and they should be confirmed per load before anyone quotes it.
Worked example (illustrative): why a bigger power bank changes the paperwork question
Watt-hours are amp-hours times volts. A 20,000 mAh power bank at 3.7 V is 20 Ah × 3.7 V = 74 Wh. The small-battery exception in 49 CFR 173.185(c)(1) is written for lithium-ion batteries of 100 Wh or less (and cells of 20 Wh or less), so 74 Wh falls inside the size screen. A 30,000 mAh pack at the same voltage is 30 × 3.7 = 111 Wh, over 100 Wh, and for highway and rail only the rule offers a higher tier (up to 300 Wh per battery and 60 Wh per cell) with an added marking, "FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD AIRCRAFT AND VESSEL". The rule also caps a package at 30 kg (66 lb) gross when the batteries are shipped as such, and that cap does not apply when batteries are packed with or contained in equipment. Size is only one test: packaging, marking and the shipper's own classification still decide, which is why the battery details go to whoever quotes the load before pickup.
Tires
Passenger, light-truck and commercial tires usually move in dry vans to distribution centers, wholesalers and dealers. They are a classic cube-out freight: the trailer runs out of space well before it reaches legal weight.
Floor-loaded vs. palletized
| Method | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Floor-loaded (hand-stacked, often laced) | Fits the most tires per trailer | Hours to load and unload; lumpers often needed; more detention exposure |
| Palletized or racked | Fast forklift loading and unloading; easier receiving | Fewer tires per load; pallets or racks take space |
Cube-out before weight-out
Because tires fill space before weight, the useful measure is how many fit in the trailer, not how much they weigh. Tire sizes, counts and loading method let a quote be built on a realistic count per load rather than a weight assumption.
Worked example (illustrative): cube-out arithmetic
The pallet calculator takes the inside of a 53 ft van as about 630 × 98 × 108 in, which is 6,667,920 cubic inches or about 3,860 cubic feet. Assume, for illustration only, that a passenger tire takes a box 28 × 28 × 9 in (4.1 cubic feet) and weighs 25 lb; take the real size and weight from the tire's spec. If every tire used its full box, the van would hold about 3,860 ÷ 4.1 = 940 tires, weighing about 23,500 lb. That is roughly half of the 42,000–45,000 lb payload range the calculator uses, so the trailer is full long before it is heavy. Truck and SUV tires, bigger and heavier, change both numbers, which is why the tire size and count go in the request rather than a weight.
Lumpers and unload time
Floor-loaded tires take a long time to unload, and many receivers use lumper services charged per load. Unloading can also run past the free time. Whether the receiver uses lumpers, who pays, how it's paid and the detention terms should all be confirmed and written into the quote.
Planned coverage once we open: Hotshot and flatbed freight nationwide (lower 48). Dry van truckload across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. USA only — no cross-border, no drayage, no rail, no temperature-controlled freight.
Delivering into a DC? See the Retail DC Delivery Guide, or tell us about your freight and we'll contact you the day we open.