What should I measure before I request a truck?
Weigh the piece, including the pallet, and measure length, width and height in centimetres. Leave dimensions blank only for an ordinary carton where weight is the real limit.
Move Cargo Inc
Shipping guide
What to measure, which service to pick, and what the estimate is for.
Start with the load, not the truck
National carriers ask you to open an account before they explain a lane. For a same-day prairie run, the useful details are simpler: where it is, how heavy it is, how much space it takes, and how urgent it is.
Measure before you request a truck
- Weigh the piece, including the pallet or crate
- Measure the longest side, the width and the height in centimetres
- Count pieces if more than one item shares the pickup
- Note anything that cannot ride in a closed van, such as a very tall skid
Pick the service that matches the job
Parcel fits documents and cartons that stay inside a van. Hot shot is the direct small-truck option when the part or skid should not wait for a terminal. Freight and pallets is the right label for skidded goods. Larger commercial loads use the truck and trailer.
The quote tool applies those bands automatically. You do not have to name the vehicle. If the result looks like the wrong truck, check the weight and the three dimensions first.
Read the estimate as a plan
A same-city estimate uses a short local distance. A Calgary to Edmonton estimate follows the corridor between those city centres. Lanes longer than about 700 km are treated as long prairie hauls and priced with the higher per-kilometre vehicle rate. None of those figures include a promise about a clock time. Dispatch confirms the cutoff for that day.
When the cities are right and the weight is honest, send the quote reference with your phone number. That is the handoff from the website to a person.
Questions
What is the difference between hot shot and pallet freight?
Hot shot is the direct small-truck option when the load should not wait for a terminal. Pallet freight is the label for goods on a skid, and a heavier skid moves to a truck and trailer.