Pallet Delivery: Compare Pallet Courier and Freight Quotes
Pallet delivery moves goods strapped and shrink-wrapped on a wooden pallet — the standard unit of freight for anything too big or heavy for a parcel courier. Smart Taurus lets businesses and consumers post pallet jobs free and compare quotes from verified hauliers.
What can you send by pallet delivery?
Almost anything that can be stacked, strapped and shrink-wrapped ships palletised. Typical pallet loads include:
- Building materials — tiles, bricks, paving slabs, timber, bagged aggregates
- Business stock and wholesale goods — boxed products, cartons, raw materials
- Machinery and engines — generators, mowers, engines, workshop equipment
- Furniture and white goods — flat-packs, appliances, bulky boxed items (for individual pieces, see furniture delivery)
- Garden and outdoor goods — sheds in panels, hot tubs, garden machinery
- Crated items — including crated motorbikes and fragile equipment
Terminology differs by market: the UK talks about pallet delivery, pallet couriers and haulage; the US and Canada call the same thing LTL (less-than-truckload) freight when your pallets share truck space with other shippers' goods. Smart Taurus covers both, serving the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
What are the standard pallet sizes?
Two footprints dominate in the UK and Europe, and quoting is much easier when you state which one your goods sit on:
| Pallet type | Footprint | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| UK standard pallet | 1200 x 1000 mm | General UK haulage and warehousing |
| Euro pallet (EUR/EPAL) | 1200 x 800 mm | European supply chains, tighter footprint |
Hauliers also price by height and weight bands — a low "quarter" or "half" pallet costs less than a full-height one. When posting a job, give the footprint, loaded height, total weight and whether the goods overhang the pallet edges.
Who uses pallet delivery — businesses or consumers?
Both. Businesses use pallet delivery for stock replenishment, B2B orders, trade-counter collections and moving goods between sites — it is the backbone of small-business logistics. Consumers increasingly need it too: a pallet of tiles or flooring for a renovation, a ride-on mower, a hot tub, or a bulky online purchase the seller will not deliver. On Smart Taurus, posting a job works the same either way: describe the load, and verified hauliers quote. If your online purchase needs collecting from a seller, see eBay and marketplace-purchase delivery.
Why is spare-capacity (backload) freight cheaper?
Trucks rarely run full in both directions. A haulier delivering a full load from Manchester to London would often return with empty deck space — space they would rather sell at a discount than haul air. When you post a pallet job on Smart Taurus, hauliers already running your route can slot your pallets into that spare capacity and quote below dedicated-hire rates. The trade-off is usually a delivery window rather than a fixed hour. Read what is backloading for the full explanation, or see the backloading service page.
Kerbside vs tail-lift delivery: what should you expect?
Standard pallet delivery is kerbside: the driver unloads the pallet to the nearest safe hard-standing point — the kerb or driveway — not inside your property. If there is no forklift at the delivery address (true for almost all home deliveries), you need a tail-lift vehicle, which lowers the pallet to ground level on a platform, and a pump truck to move it. Tell transporters about tail-lift needs, narrow access, gravel drives, steps or restricted parking when you post — it determines which vehicle they send and keeps quotes accurate.
How should you package goods for pallet delivery?
Good palletising protects your goods and avoids surcharges. Stack items squarely within the pallet's footprint — overhanging loads are easily damaged and some hauliers refuse or re-price them. Put the heaviest items at the bottom, keep the stack level, and fill gaps so boxes cannot shift. Strap or band the load to the pallet itself, then shrink-wrap the whole stack, wrapping the bottom layers to the pallet so the load and pallet move as one unit. Label the top and at least one side with the delivery address, and photograph the finished pallet before collection. If you cannot palletise the goods yourself, say so in the job post — some transporters can supply a pallet and wrap on collection.
How does pallet delivery work on Smart Taurus?
- Post your job free with pallet size, loaded height, weight, contents, locations, access notes and photos.
- Receive quotes from verified hauliers and freight transporters, and compare prices, profiles and reviews.
- Compare, book, track and pay in the app — real-time tracking and secure in-app payment via Stripe.
Not sure your load needs a pallet? A single bulky item may suit man and van, and urgent documents or parcels suit courier delivery.