Natural Stone Shipping Guide
Stone freight breaks into four common modes: flatbed, LTL palletized, hotshot for feature stones, and buyer pickup.
Flatbed
Best for bulk pallets, boulders, and slabs. Trucks haul 22–24 tons per load. Requires forklift or knuckle-boom unload at the site. Cost: roughly $4–$8 per loaded mile.
LTL palletized
Best for 1–4 pallets at a time. Freight brokers handle scheduling. Cost per pallet is 1.5–3x flatbed on a per-ton basis, but the minimum is much lower.
Hotshot
Used for single feature boulders or urgent partial loads. Faster than LTL, more flexible than a full flatbed. Cost varies by market.
Buyer pickup
For short-haul jobs, picking up at the seller's yard is often the cheapest option. Confirm the seller's loading capacity (forklift vs skid steer) before scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
How long does flatbed delivery take?
Sub-500-mile hauls typically deliver in 2–5 business days once scheduled. Longer hauls run 5–10 business days.
Do I need a forklift to accept a delivery?
For pallets, yes — or a skid steer with forks. For boulders on flatbed, either the driver's knuckle-boom offloads (if equipped) or you provide a loader onsite.
Every listing on Premier Stone shows the seller's shipping options up front. Filter by pickup availability or nationwide shipping to match your logistics.