Freight-shipping templates for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments

The freight-shipping template is for heavy and bulky items that require less-than-truckload (LTL) shipment (usually >150lbs), such as furniture, pallets, and domestic appliances. These deliveries require you or your carrier to contact the customer after the order was placed to set up a delivery appointment.

Neither you, nor the carrier, may enter the customer’s home or building, and should deliver the item outside the customer’s front door or in the building lobby.

Freight-shipping template provides your customers and you with benefits that make it easier to sell large and heavy items on Amazon:

• Customers can choose the time of delivery that best fits their schedule.
• You can arrange delivery through carriers specialized in Heavy and Bulky deliveries.
• You can set shipping prices by weight tier: Shipping rates for an order are based on the rates per weight tier(s), plus a fixed charge per shipment.
• You can include a charge for residential deliveries (see FAQ 11 for more details).

Delivery options for freight-shipping template

The freight-shipping template provides you with two options for arranging delivery to the customer: Arranged Freight Delivery and Scheduled Delivery.

• Arranged Freight Delivery

  This option requires you, or your carrier, to contact the customer via phone or Buyer-Seller Messaging within 2 business days of the order being placed, to set up a delivery appointment time. At checkout, customers are notified that they will be contacted to arrange the date of the delivery, and are given an option to update their phone number. This is the default shipping option, and will always be enabled for products listed on the freight-shipping template. Note that all calls to customers should happen between 8am - 8pm based on the customer’s local time zone.

• Scheduled Delivery

  The customer will see the available delivery slots, and will have the option to pick any available slot at their convenience. You can use Seller Central to offer either day or day and time slots during which you or your carrier can deliver. This is an optional shipping method for freight templates, and you will have the choice to enable this ship option alongside Arranged Freight Delivery. If the customer selects Scheduled Delivery, you are not required to contact them post-order. All Scheduled Delivery orders will have a “Scheduled Delivery” message displayed on the Manage Orders page along with the date of delivery.

Requirements to use the freight-shipping template

• Scheduling Arranged Freight Delivery Orders only: Within 2 business days of the order being placed you or your carrier must contact the customer to schedule an appointment time for delivery. You should not use freight templates on orders that do not require a pre-determined delivery window.
• Tracking: You are required to provide a shipment tracking ID and carrier name when confirming your order on Amazon, for all the orders shipped via Arranged Delivery or Scheduled Delivery. For more information on Valid Tracking Rate (VTR), see the VTR help page.
• On-time delivery: You are required to deliver the item during the appointment time. We require an on-time delivery rate of 97%.
• Products: This template can be used only for items that require shipment through an LTL carrier and require scheduling.
• Carriers: You can either self-deliver or deliver using an LTL carrier. If you self-deliver, when confirming shipment, select Other from the carrier drop down menu, and then type in "Self-delivery" as the carrier name.

To use this template, follow the steps below to enable the new template settings:

1. First you need to request access to the freight-shipping template by completing this form. We will get back to you within 15 business days.
2. Once enabled, from the Settings drop-down on Seller Central, select Shipping Settings.
3. Click Create New Shipping Template.
4. Select Freight Shipping, or choose from one of your existing freight shipping templates, and then click OK.
5. Once the new Freight Shipping template opens, enter a Shipping Template Name and assign a Rate Model. The three rate model options are per item/weight based, price-banded, and weight-tiered. The recommended rate model for freight shipping is per item/weight-based. For more information, refer to Set your shipping rates.
6. After assigning the rate model, you can also assign a residential shipping fee. This is a flat fee automatically added to orders with a residential ship-to address. Enable this fee if you want to distinguish shipping fees between residential and commercial addresses.
7. Set your Shipping Options, Regions and Rates. With domestic shipping, we have two types of delivery options: Arranged Freight Delivery (Default) and Scheduled Delivery.

   Arranged Freight Delivery
   

   1. Set your regions. For templates created within the US, you must ship to all Continental US states within the North East, Midwest, South, and West regions. You also have the option to add shipping to US-Off mainland regions, such as Alaska and Hawaii. Here you can create different regions to create different transit times from the drop-down menu based on the location of your warehouse.
   2. Set your shipping fees. You can assign a shipping price by region; however, the shipping price must be the same for all Continental US regions. If the shipping fees are not the same, you will not be able to save the template. For US-Off Mainland regions, such as Hawaii and Alaska, you can set a different shipping rate.

   Scheduled Delivery
   

   1. Click the checkbox next to Scheduled Delivery to enable the feature.
   2. Select the Delivery Slot Type. Choose whether to offer your customers the option at check-out to pick a specific day (Day Slot) or a specific day and time (Time Slot).
      • Day Slot: Select the days of the week to offer delivery
      • Time Slot: Create time slots throughout the week to offer delivery. They can range from 1-14 hours, but cannot overlap. We recommend offering multiple time slots throughout the day.
   3. Set your regions. Like with Arranged Freight Delivery, you are required to offer service to all Continental US regions. You also have the option to add shipping to US-Off mainland regions, such as Alaska and Hawaii.
   4. Set your shipping fees. You can assign different shipping fees by regions. Unlike Arranged Delivery, it doesn't have to be the same for all states or regions.

8. Click Save at the bottom of the page to save the template.
9. Add SKUs to your new shipping template. Instructions on how to do so can be found here.

For additional help, contact us at arranged-freight-delivery@amazon.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is less-than-truckload (LTL) and what defines a freight carrier?

Less than truckload (LTL) freight shipping is a transportation method for freight that doesn't require the space of an entire trailer but is too large for parcel shipping (usually >150 lbs). LTL delivery services may not be available with all carriers.

Which freight carriers provide tracking information to Amazon?

To see a list of the freight carriers that provide tracking information to Amazon, or for more information on Valid Tracking Rate (VTR), see the VTR help page.

What should I do if I am unable to contact the customer?

You or your carrier should try to contact the customer at least 3 times via either phone or Buyer-Seller Messaging. After the third failed attempt you should send a message using critical Buyer-Seller Messaging. If the customer still doesn’t respond you should cancel the order, and email the customer with the reason for the cancellation.

What should I do if the order did not include the customer’s phone number?

If the customer’s phone number is not available, reach out via Buyer-Seller Messaging.

What should I do if my carrier or I attempt a delivery at the appointment time, but the customer is not present to accept the delivery?

Your carrier must attempt the delivery a second time if the first attempt failed because the customer was not present. After the second delivery attempt, you can contact Selling Partner Support to report the issue and cancel the order. You must inform the customer the reason their order was canceled.

What should I do if my carrier or I can’t deliver at the appointed time?

If the delivery fails because of issues related to you or your carrier, you must offer to reschedule with the customer for free. If the customer prefers to cancel the order, you must accommodate their request.

What is the return process for such orders?

The return policies for orders that use freight-shipping templates are the same as for other orders. For more information, see Manage returns.

Can I list items that are shipped via LTL carriers on some occasions, and parcel carriers on other occasions?

No. All the items listed on the freight-shipping template should always be shipped through freight LTL carriers.

Can I use Amazon Buy Shipping to purchase labels for orders through Freight Templates?

No, at this time Amazon Buy Shipping does not offer less-than-truckload (LTL) ship methods.

Am I required to unpack or assemble the item for the customer?

No. Neither you nor the carrier may enter the customer’s home or building, and should deliver the item outside the customer’s front door. Sellers that are part of the Local Selling program can offer delivery plus services for larger items. If you have a staff of technicians and want to deliver and install your products, you may apply to this program using the following link:https://go.amazonsellerservices.com/DSApplication.

What is the residential delivery charge?

The freight shipping template allows you to set a fee for delivering large and heavy items to a residential address. If the customer’s address type at checkout is a residential address, they will be charged this fee on top of the regular shipping fee (if any).

Why am I unable to assign the freight shipping template to an ASIN?

The Freight Shipping Template is only available for heavy and bulky items:

• package weight >= 50 lbs OR
• package length >= 96 inches OR
• package length + 2 *(package width + package height) >= 130 inches

Check your weight and dimensions to ensure they meet the criteria.