Freight shipping FAQ
Short answers to common freight shipping questions, grouped by topic. If yours isn't here, call dispatch at 647-677-0024.
Quotes and booking
What information do I need to request a freight quote?
Have the pickup and delivery postal codes, the number of pallets, the size and weight of each, a description of the freight and the date it will be ready. Also note whether each location has a loading dock. The quote form asks for each of these.
How do I book a shipment?
Send a quote request or call dispatch. We reply with a price and a pickup time. When you approve the quote, we schedule the truck. Nothing is booked until you approve.
What is a liftgate?
A liftgate, also called a tailgate, is a powered platform on the back of a truck that lowers freight from the deck to the ground. You need one when a pickup or delivery location has no loading dock and no forklift. It is normally an extra charge.
What is proof of delivery?
Proof of delivery, or POD, is the delivery receipt the receiver signs when the freight arrives. It records the date, the number of pieces received and any damage or shortage noted at the door. Keep a copy: it is the main record if there is ever a claim.
What should the receiver do if freight arrives damaged?
Write the damage on the delivery receipt before signing it, take photos of the freight and the packaging, and keep everything as it arrived. Then tell us the same day. A clean signature with no notes makes a damage claim much harder to support.
Choosing a service
Should I ship LTL or full truckload?
Ship LTL when you have about one to six pallets and the delivery date is flexible. Book a full truckload when you have ten or more pallets, when the freight is fragile, or when it must arrive on a set day. See LTL vs. full truckload for a side-by-side table.
When is a sprinter van better than LTL?
When a small shipment has a deadline. A van carries only your freight and drives directly to the receiver, while LTL freight is sorted at a terminal first. The van costs more per pallet, so use it when being late would cost more than the delivery. More on sprinter van delivery.
How many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer and in a sprinter van?
A 53-foot dry van holds 26 standard 48 × 40 inch pallets in a single layer, or 52 if the freight can be double stacked. A long-wheelbase, high-roof sprinter van typically holds about three. Weight limits often apply before the floor is full.
Can you ship freight that is not on a pallet?
Often, yes. Crated machinery, drums and long or bundled goods ship regularly. The freight must be safe to move with a forklift or by hand and stable enough to ride without shifting. Describe it in the quote request and send a photo if you can.
Preparing freight
What size is a standard pallet?
The standard North American pallet is 48 inches long by 40 inches wide. Trailer capacity figures, including the 26 pallets in a 53-foot trailer, assume that size. If your pallets are a different size, give us the real dimensions.
How should I wrap and label a pallet?
Stack the heaviest boxes at the bottom with nothing hanging over the pallet edge. Stretch-wrap the load down onto the pallet so the two move as one. Put a label with the receiver's name, address and phone number on two sides. See how to prepare a pallet for LTL.
Why does accurate weight matter so much?
Price, equipment and legal axle weights are all planned from the numbers you give. Carriers re-weigh and re-measure freight in transit and bill any difference, usually with a fee. A scale reading taken after wrapping, with the pallet included, avoids a surprise on the invoice.
Temperature-controlled freight
What temperatures can freight be shipped at?
Frozen food normally ships at −18 °C or colder and chilled food between 0 and 4 °C. Other products have their own range. Tell us the range on your product specification and it is set on the trailer and written on the bill of lading. See temperature-controlled trucking.
Does freight need protection from freezing in an Ontario winter?
If it contains water, usually yes. Beverages, paint, adhesives and many cleaning products freeze in an unheated trailer on a cold night. Ask for a trailer set above freezing, often called heat service or protect-from-freeze.
About Supreme Trux
Where is Supreme Trux based?
In Concord, part of the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The office address is 3300 Highway 7, Suite 600, Concord, ON L4K 4M3.
What services does Supreme Trux offer?
LTL freight, full truckload, sprinter van delivery, temperature-controlled freight and cross-border trucking between Canada and the United States. We can also arrange warehousing and distribution.
What are Supreme Trux's hours?
Dispatch is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Quote requests sent online outside those hours are answered when dispatch opens.
Which areas does Supreme Trux cover?
We ship from Vaughan, Ontario to destinations across Canada and move freight across the border between Canada and the United States. Send the pickup and delivery postal codes and we confirm the price and timing for that lane.
Can I track my shipment?
Yes. We track every shipment while it is moving and keep you updated on where it is. You can also call dispatch at 647-677-0024 any day between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. for a status check.
Do you ship to the United States?
Yes. We move freight northbound and southbound across the Canada–US border. You will need a customs broker on the importing side and a complete commercial invoice. See cross-border trucking between Canada and the USA for what to prepare.
How do I reach dispatch?
Call 647-677-0024 or email info@supremetrux.com. For a price on a specific shipment, the quote form is the fastest route because it collects everything we need at once.
Question about your own shipment?
Call dispatch at 647-677-0024 or send the details online.